KUNGANI amaJuda amaningi ekhulu lokuqala engamamukelanga uJesu njengoMesiya? Omunye ufakazi wokuzibonela uyabika: “Ngemva kokuba [uJesu] esengene ethempelini, abapristi abakhulu namadoda amadala esizwe beza kuye lapho efundisa bathi: ‘Uzenza ngagunya lini lezizinto? Futhi ubani okuniké leligunya?’” (Mathewu 21:23) Ngokubona kwabo, uMninimandla onke wayenike isizwe samaJuda iTorah (uMthetho), futhi le Torah yanika amadoda athile igunya elivela kuNkulunkulu. Ingabe uJesu wayenalo igunya elinjalo?

UJesu wayeyihlonipha kakhulu iTorah nalabo eyayibanike igunya langempela. (Mathewu 5:17-20; Luka 5:14; 17:14) Kodwa wabalahla kaningi labo ababeqa imiyalo kaNkulunkulu. (Mathewu 15:3-9; 23:2-28) Abantu abanjalo babelandela amasiko ethiwa ngokuthi umthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo. UJesu waliphika igunya lawo. Ngokufanayo, abaningi bamenqaba njengoMesiya. Babekholelwa ukuthi umuntu osekelwa uNkulunkulu kwakungaba umuntu osekela amasiko alabo abaphethe phakathi kwabo kuphela.

“Ubani Okuniké Leligunya?”

UMthetho KaMose wawuchaze ngokucacile ukuthi igunya nokufundisa ngenkolo ngokuyinhloko kwakungokwabapristi, inzalo ka-Aroni. (Levitikusi 10:8-11; Duteronomi 24:8; 2 IziKronike 26:16-20; Malaki 2:7) Nokho, phakathi namakhulu eminyaka abanye abapristi baba abangathembekile nabonakele. (1 Samuweli 2:12-17, 22-29; Jeremiya 5:31; Malaki 2:8, 9) Ngenkathi yokubusa kweGrisi, abapristi abaningi bayekethisa ezindabeni zenkolo. Ngekhulu lesibili B.C.E., abaFarisi—iqembu elisha elaliyingxenye yobuJuda, elalingabethembi abapristi—baqala ukumisa amasiko okwakungathi ngawo umuntu ovamile azibone engcwele njengompristi. La masiko akhanga abaningi, kodwa ayewukujobelela eMthethweni okungamukeleki.—Duteronomi 4:2; 12:32 (13:1 ezinguqulweni zamaJuda).

AbaFarisi baba yizazi ezintsha zoMthetho, benza umsebenzi ababenomuzwa wokuthi abapristi babengawenzi. Njengoba uMthetho KaMose wawungabagunyazi, bakha izindlela ezintsha zokuchaza umBhalo ngokusikisela okungaqondakali nangezinye izindlela okwakusengathi zisekela imibono yabo.a Njengabavikeli nabagqugquzeli abayinhloko bala masiko, bakha isisekelo esisha segunya kwa-Israyeli. Ngekhulu lokuqala C.E., ithonya labaFarisi lase libusa ebuJudeni.

Njengoba babeqoqa amasiko adluliselwa ngomlomo ayesekhona futhi behlola okungase kusikiselwe yimiBhalo ukuze bakhe amasiko abo engeziwe, abaFarisi babona kunesidingo sokwenza umsebenzi wabo ube negunya elithé xaxa. Kwasungulwa umbono omusha ngemvelaphi yala masiko. Orabi baqala ukufundisa bethi: “UMose wamukela iTorah eSinayi wayeseyidlulisela kuJoshuwa, uJoshuwa wayidlulisela kubadala, abadala bayidlulisela kubaprofethi. Abaprofethi base beyidlulisela emadodeni omkhandlu omkhulu.”—Avot 1:1, iMishnah.

Lapho bethi “uMose wamukela iTorah,” orabi babengabhekisele emithethweni elotshiwe kodwa babesho wonke amasiko abo adluliselwa ngomlomo. Bathi la masiko—ayesungulwe futhi achunyiswa abantu—uNkulunkulu wayewanike uMose eSinayi. Futhi bafundisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengakushiyelanga kubantu ukuba bazibonele kulokho okungashiwongo ngokuqondile, kodwa wayekuchaze ngomlomo lokho uMthetho olotshiwe owawungakushongo. Ngokwabo, uMose wadlulisela lo mthetho kwabanye abaholi kuzo zonke izizukulwane, hhayi kubapristi. AbaFarisi uqobo bathi bona bayizindlalifa eziyizonazona zaleli gunya elidluliselwa “ngokunganqamuki.”