Kunengi okumele sikukhumbule endabeni le. Okokuqala amaKhristu kumele athembeke futhi alalele imithetho ekhona ezindaweni ahlala kuzo nxa kuyikuthi ayiphikisani lomthetho kaJehova. (Mat. 22:21; Rom. 13:1, 2; Heb. 13:18) Kumele azame lokuhlonipha indlela izinto ezenziwa ngayo emphakathini, ananzelele ukuthi awakhubi abanye futhi atshengise lokuthi ‘ayabathanda omakhelwane njengalokhu ezithanda wona.’ (Mat. 22:39; Rom. 12:17, 18; 1 Thes. 4:11, 12) Ukusebenzisa izimiso lezi kuzawasiza amaKhristu asemazweni atshiyeneyo ukuthi abone ukuba angayiphatha njani indaba yokunika izisebenzi zikahulumende izipho loba imali.

Ezindaweni ezinengi kakulasidingo sokuthi umuntu anike isisebenzi sikahulumende imali loba isipho ukuze simenzele okuthile alelungelo lokukuthola. Uhulumende uyazibhadala izisebenzi zakhe njalo lazo ziyakwazi ukuthi akumelanga zicele kumbe zikhangelele ukuthi abantu bazinike imali loba izipho phezu kweholo ezilinikwayo. Kwamanye amazwe kuyabophisa ukuthi isisebenzi sikahulumende sicele kumbe samukele imali loba isipho emuntwini esimenzele umsebenzi othile. Ukwenza njalo kuyafanana lokufunjathiswa lanxa kungelandlela yokuqumela lesosisebenzi esiyenzileyo. Emazweni anjalo asingeke siyiphathe lokuyiphatha indaba yokunika izisebenzi zikahulumende izipho kumbe imali. Iqiniso yikuthi akuqondanga ukwenza njalo.

Kodwa emazweni angelayo imithetho enqabela ukwenza lokhu loba nxa uhulumende engafaki isandla esiqinileyo endabeni le izisebenzi zakhe zingakubona kungekubi ukwamukela izipho. Kwamanye njalo amazwe iziphathamandla zikahulumende zisebenzisa izikhundla zazo ukuhuquluza izimali zabantu nxa zibenzela okuthile njalo kawungeke ukuthole okufunayo nxa ungakhuphanga lutho. Ngokwesibonelo iziphathamandla ezitshadisayo, abaqoqa imithelo kanye lalabo abalungisa amaphepha ezitendi bafuna imali phambili. Nxa ungayekela ukwenza njalo, bakwenza kube nzima ukuthi uthole lokho okufunayo lanxa kulilungelo lakho ukuthi ukuthole. Kwelinye ilizwe kuthiwa nxa ungabiza abasebenza ukucitsha umlilo, ababambi lutho nxa ungazange ufake imali phambili.

 Abanye bacabanga ukuthi kawungeke ukubalekele ukukhipha imali nxa uhlala ezindaweni okwenziwa khona izinto eziqanjwe phezulu. UmKhristu angakuthatha njengemali yokwengezelela phezu kwaleyo okumele ayikhiphe ukuze enzelwe okuthile okusemthethweni. Kodwa lapho okwande khona ubugwelegwele, umKhristu kumele ananzelele ukuthi akwenzayo kuhlala kuvumelana lalokho uNkulunkulu akufunayo. Kungabe kungakubi ukuthi ukhiphe imali ukuze wenzelwe okuthile ngokusemthethweni, kodwa ukuyikhupha ngudlu ukuze wenzelwe into engekho emthethweni kubi. Abantu abanengi abasezindaweni ezilobugwelegwele bayakuthanda ukukhipha imali ukuze benzelwe izinto abangelamvumo yokuzithola. Ngokwesibonelo banika amapholisa loba ezinye iziphathamandla zikahulumende imali ukuze baceze amacala abalawo lokuthi bangawabhadaleli ngendlela eqondileyo. Kuliqiniso ukuthi thina kasifuni ukufumbathisa loba ngubani ukuze sikhuthaze ubugwelegwele njalo lathi ngeke sivume ukwamukela isivalamlomo. Nxa singakwenza lokhu siyabe sisephula umthetho kaJehova.—Eks. 23:8; Dute. 16:19; Zaga.17:23.

Ezinye izinceku zikaNkulunkulu kazikhululekanga ukukhipha izimali ezifunwa yiziphathamandla zikahulumende ngenxa yomzwangedwa wazo oqeqetshwe liBhayibhili. Zicabanga ukuthi ukwenza njalo yikukhuthaza ubugwelegwele. Ngakho kazivumi nxa isiphathamandla esithile sicela ukuthi zikhuphe imali.

AmaKhristu ayakwazi sibili ukuthi ukukhipha imali ukuze wenzelwe okuthile okungekho emthethweni kuyafanana lokufumbathisa. Lanxa kunjalo abanye bangakhetha ukukhipha imali encane nje bebonga okuthile okusemthethweni abakwenzelwe yisiphathamandla sikahulumende. Mhlawumbe okwenza bayikhuphe yindlela abazizwa ngayo kumbe indlela izinto ezenziwa ngayo emphakathini. Ngokwesibonelo amanye amaKhristu anika odokotela kumbe abongikazi izipho ukuze abonge ukwelatshwa akutholileyo. Lokhu awakwenzi engakelatshwa ukuze kungakhanyi angathi asefumbathisa umuntu lowo esenzela ukuthi elatshwe ngcono kulabanye.

Kasingeke sizibale siziqede izimo ezingavela emazweni atshiyeneyo. Ngakho kungelani lokuthi izinto zenziwa njani emphakathini wakini, umKhristu kumele ananzelele ukuthi akwenzayo kakumtshiyi esedliwa yisazela. (Rom. 14:1-6) Kumele abe leqiniso lokuthi akwenzayo kuqotho. (Rom. 13:1-7) Akumelanga amaKhristu enze loba kuyini okungangcolisa ibizo likaJehova kumbe kukhube abanye. (Mat. 6:9; 1 Khor. 10:32) Kufanele enze izinto ezizakwenza kukhanye ukuthi ayabathanda omakhelwane bawo.—Mak. 12:31.

UJesu walandisa umzekeliso kuLukha isahluko 15 omayelana lomuntu owayelezimvu ezingu-100. Lapho imvu eyodwa ilahleka, watshiya ezingu-99 enkangala wahamba wayayidinga ‘waze wayithola.’ UJesu waqhubeka wathi: “Kuthi lapho eseyitholile ayithwale emahlombe aye layo ekhaya. Abesebiza abangane bakhe labomakhelwana athi, ‘Thokozani lami; sengiyitholile imvu yami ebilahlekile.’” Waphetha ngokuthi: “Ngilitshela ukuthi ngaleyondlela kuzakuba lokuthokoza ezulwini ngokuphenduka kwesoni esisodwa okudlula labobantu abalungileyo abangamatshumi aficamunye lesificamunye abangasweli ukuphenduka.”​—Luk. 15:4-7.

Amavesi asekuqaliseni kwesahluko lesi atshengisa ukuthi uJesu wakhuluma amazwi la ukuze aqondise umcabango otshekileyo wabafundisi bomthetho labaFarisi ababemchothoza ngokuthi udla labathelisi lezoni. (Luk. 15:1-3) UJesu watshengisa ukuthi kuba lentokozo ezulwini nxa isoni esisodwa siphenduka. Manje njengoba kusiba lokuthokoza ezulwini akumelanga yini lathi sithokoze nxa isoni siphenduka, siguquka njalo sisenzela izinyawo zaso izindlela eziqondileyo?​—Heb. 12:13.

Nxa umuntu ebuyiselwa ebandleni kuhle ukuthi sithokoze ngoba uyabe esephendukile. Kodwa iqiniso elikhona yikuthi kuzamele ahlale ethembekile kuNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke akukubi ukutshaya izandla ngendlela ehloniphekayo nxa abadala besenza isaziso sokuthi usebuyiselwe ebandleni.

Ngesikhathi uJesu esesemhlabeni ezinye izakhamizi zeJerusalema zazicabanga ukuthi zingasila nxa zingangena echibini leBhethisida lapho amanzi alo ‘edungwa.’ (Joh. 5:1-7) Ngakho abantu abanengi ababegula babehlala bebuthene eduze kwalelochibi.

The pool in question has been identified as a Jewish ritual bath. Ichibi leli okukhulunywa ngalo kukhanya yilo amaJuda ayegeza kulo nxa engcolile ngokwesiko lawo. Lalihlala ligcwele amanzi njalo amanzi la ayevela kwelinye ichibi elaliseduze. Abanye abake bahlola indawo le baveza ukuthi phakathi laphakathi kwamachibi la kwakwakhiwe umbundu. Embundwini lo kwakulendawo lapho okwakuvulelwa khona amanzi asuka kwelinye ichibi ukuze angene kulelo okwakugezelwa kulo. Kungenzakala ukuthi ukungena kwamanzi la echibini leli yikho okwakusenza ukuthi amanzi aqubuke.

Ubufakazi buveza ukuthi umbhalo kaJohane 5:4 othi ingilosi yayisehlela echibini leli amanzi adungadungwe kawukho emibhalweni yesiGiriki yakudala ethenjwa kakhulu. Ngokwesibonelo ivesi le kayikho ku-Codex Sinaiticus eyalotshwa ngekhulu lesine. UJesu eseBhethisida wasilisa indoda eyayisileminyaka engu-38 igula futhi wayisilisa engazange ayingenise emanzini.