Kungani Kumelwe Uthande Umakhelwane Wakho?

UKUPHILA okuphakade kuxhomeke othandweni lwethu ngoNkulunkulu nomakhelwane. Lelophuzu lavezwa phakathi nengxoxo eyaba khona eminyakeni ecishe ibe ngu-2 000 edlule.

Indoda engumJuda eyayinolwazi loMthetho kaMose yabuza uJesu Kristu: “Ngizakwenzani ukuba ngidle ifa lokuphila okuphakade na?” UJesu waphendula: “Kulotshweni emthethweni? Ufunda kanjani?” Icaphuna uMthetho, lendoda yathi: “Woyithanda iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakho, nangawo wonke umphefumulo wakho, nangawo onke amandla akho, nangayo yonke ingqondo yakho, nomakhelwane wakho njengalokhu uzithanda wena.” UJesu wathi: “Uphendulé kahle; yenza lokho, uzakuphila.”—Luka 10:25-28.

Kulokho, lomuntu wabuza uJesu: “Umakhelwane wami ngubani na?” Esikhundleni sokuphendula ngokuqondile, uJesu walandisa indaba engokomfanekiso ngendoda engumJuda eyayiphangiwe, yashaywa, futhi yashiywa umndondo. Kweza ngaleyondlela amaJuda amabili—okokuqala umpristi futhi kamuva umLevi. Bobabili basiqaphela isimo somJuda wakubo kodwa abazange benze lutho ukuze bamsize. Ngokulandelayo kweza umSamariya. Eshukunyiswa yisihe, wabopha amanxeba omJuda olimele, wamyisa endlini yezihambi, futhi wakhokhela nezindleko zokunakekelwa kwakhe okwengeziwe.

UJesu wabuza lendoda eyayimbuza: “Ngumuphi ngokubona kwakho kulaba abathathu owaba-ngumakhelwane wakhe owatheleka phakathi kwezigcwelegcwele na?” Ngokusobala, kwakungumSamariya onesihawu. Ngaleyondlela uJesu wabonisa ukuthi uthando lweqiniso ngomakhelwane ludlulela ngalé kwemigoqo yobuhlanga.—Luka 10:29-37.

Ukuntuleka Kothando Ngomakhelwane

Namuhla kunobutha obukhulayo phakathi kwabantu bezinhlanga ezihlukene. Ngokwesibonelo, muva nje isigejana sabantu abasekela ubuNazi eJalimane saqumba phansi indoda ethile futhi sayigandaya ngamabhuthi aso asindayo, sephula cishe zonke izimbambo zayo. Kamuva sayidakisa ngotshwala obunamandla kakhulu futhi sayithungela ngomlilo. Lendoda eyashiywa ukuba ife yahlaselwa ngoba kucatshangwa ukuthi ingumJuda. Esenzakalweni esingalandiswanga, kwashiswa indlu ngebhomu eduze naseHamburg, kwashiswa futhi kwabulawa abantu abathathu ababengabokudabuka eTurkey—omunye wabo okwakuyintombazane eneminyaka eyishumi ubudala.

EmaZweni aseBalkan nasempumalanga ekude, izimpi zezinhlanga bezibulala izinkulungwane. Abanye bafa ezingxabanweni phakathi kwabantu bezizinda ezihlukene eBangladesh, eNdiya, nasePakistan. Futhi e-Afrika, izimpi phakathi kwezizwe nezinhlanga zisabulala abanye abengeziwe.

Abantu abaningi bayashaqeka ngobudlova obunjalo futhi abasoze babalimaza nakancane omakhelwane babo. Eqinisweni, imibhikisho emikhulu eJalimane iye yabulahla ubudlova bezinhlanga lapho. Nakuba kunjalo, i-New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Cishe amalungu ayo yonke imiphakathi yezwe abheka indlela yawo siqu yokuphila njengevelele ngisho nangaphezu kwaleyo yomakhelwane ahlobene nayo ngokuseduze.” Imibono enjalo iyisithiyo sothando ngomakhelwane. Ingabe kukhona okungenziwa ngalokhu, ikakhulukazi njengoba uJesu athi ukuphila kuxhomeke ekuthandeni uNkulunkulu nomakhelwane?

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Cover: Jules Pelcog/Die Heilige Schrift

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]

The Good Samaritan/The Doré Bible Illustrations/Dover Publications, Inc.