Isidingo Sokuthandaza Nesokuthobeka

UJesu usebatshelile abafundi bakhe ngomfanekiso omayelana nokuphikelela emthandazweni. (Luka 11:5-13) Manje kungenzeka useSamariya noma eGalile, uphinde agcizelele isidingo sokungayeki ukuthandaza. Lokhu ukwenza ngokulandisa lo mfanekiso:

“Edolobheni elithile kwakukhona umahluleli owayengamesabi uNkulunkulu futhi engahloniphi muntu. Kwakukhona nomfelokazi kulelo dolobha owayelokhu eya kuye, ethi, ‘Qikelela ukuthi ngithola ubulungisa kumuntu ongimangalele.’ Kwadlula isikhathi esithile engazimisele ukumsiza, kodwa kamuva wathi kuye ngaphakathi, ‘Nakuba ngingamesabi uNkulunkulu futhi ngingahloniphi muntu, ngenxa yokuthi lo mfelokazi ulokhu engikhathaza, ngizoqikelela ukuthi uyabuthola ubulungisa, ukuze angalokhu eza ezongikhathaza ngesicelo sakhe.’”—Luka 18:2-5.

Echaza lo mfanekiso, uJesu uthi: “Yizwani lokho umahluleli akusho, nakuba engalungile! Ngokuqinisekile, ngeke yini uNkulunkulu abangele ukuba benzelwe ubulungisa abantu bakhe abakhethiwe abakhala kuye ubusuku nemini, ngisho noma ebabekezelela?” (Luka 18:6, 7) Yini pho uJesu ayichazayo ngoYise?

Ngokuqinisekile, uJesu akasho ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu ufana nalo mahluleli ongalungile. Umane enza ukuqhathanisa: Uma ngisho umahluleli ongalungile ongumuntu ekwazi ukusiza othile lapho ecela ngokuphikelela, akungabazeki ukuthi noNkulunkulu uyokwenza okufanayo. Ulungile futhi muhle, uyobaphendula abantu bakhe uma bengayeki ukuthandaza. Lokhu kubonakala kulokho okunezelwa nguJesu lapho ethi: “Ngiyanitshela, [uNkulunkulu] uyobangela ukuba benzelwe ubulungisa ngokushesha.”—Luka 18:8.

Izikhathi eziningi abantu abaphansi nabahluphekayo ababutholi ubulungisa, kuyilapho abantu abanamandla nabacebile bebuthola. Kodwa uNkulunkulu akenzi kanjalo. Ngesikhathi esifanele, uyoqinisekisa ukuthi ababi bayajeziswa nokuthi izikhonzi zakhe zithola ukuphila okuphakade.

Obani abanokholo olufana nolomfelokazi? Bangaki abakukholelwa ngempela ukuthi uNkulunkulu “uyobangela ukuba benzelwe ubulungisa ngokushesha”? UJesu usanda kwenza umfanekiso obonisa isidingo sokuphikelela emthandazweni. Mayelana nokuba nokholo emandleni omthandazo, uyabuza: “Lapho iNdodana yomuntu ifika, ingabe ngempela iyoluthola lolu kholo emhlabeni?” (Luka 18:8) Kubonakala sengathi ngeke lutholakale kubo bonke ukholo olunjalo lapho uKristu efika.

Abanye abalalele uJesu bazishaya isifuba ngokholo lwabo. Bayazithemba ukuthi balungile, kuyilapho bebabukela phansi abanye. Kulabo abanjalo, uJesu ulandisa lo mfanekiso:

“Abantu ababili bakhuphukela ethempelini beyothandaza, omunye engumFarisi omunye engumqoqi wentela. UmFarisi wama, wathandaza ethi ngaphakathi kuye, ‘O Nkulunkulu, ngiyakubonga ngokuthi angifani nabo bonke abanye abantu—abaphangi, abangalungile, iziphingi—ngisho nanjengalo mqoqi wentela. Ngizila ukudla kabili ngesonto; nginikela okweshumi kwakho konke engikutholayo.’”—Luka 18:10-12.

AbaFarisi baziwa ngokuzenza babonakale belungile emphakathini. Bakwenza lokhu ukuze babukise kwabanye. Izikhathi abavame ukubukisa ngazo ukuthi bazila ukudla, uMsombuluko noLwesine, ngoba kusuke kugcwele ezimakethe ezinkulu, lapho abantu abaningi bengababona khona. Bayaqikelela ukuthi bakhokha konke okweshumi, ngisho nokwezitshalo ezincane. (Luka 11:42) Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule, baveza indlela ababadelela ngayo abantu abavamile, bethi: “Lesi sixuku esingawazi uMthetho [ngokombono wabaFarisi] singabantu abaqalekisiwe.”—Johane 7:49.

UJesu uqhubeka nomfanekiso wakhe: “Kodwa umqoqi wentela, emi kude, engathandi ngisho nokuphakamisela amehlo akhe ezulwini, wayelokhu eshaya isifuba sakhe, ethi, ‘O Nkulunkulu, yiba nomusa kimi, mina soni.’” Yebo, umqoqi wentela uwavuma ngokuthobeka amaphutha akhe. UJesu uphetha ngokuthi: “Ngiyanitshela, lo muntu wehlela kwakhe ebhekwa njengolungile kunalowo mFarisi. Ngoba wonke umuntu oziphakamisayo uyohlazeka, kodwa noma ubani ozithobayo uyophakanyiswa.”—Luka 18:13, 14.

UJesu usiveza ngokucacile isidingo sokuthobeka. Lesi seluleko sizobazuzisa abafundi bakhe, abakhulele emphakathini onabaFarisi abazibheka njengabalungile futhi abagcizelela ukubaluleka kwesikhundla. Kanti futhi lesi seluleko sibalulekile nakubo bonke abalandeli bakaJesu.