Ukuphila Kwangezikhathi ZeBhayibheli—Imali

“Wahlala phansi lapho amabhokisi omnikelo ebonakala khona futhi waqaphela indlela isixuku esasikhalakathisela ngayo imali emabhokisini omnikelo; abantu abaningi abacebile babekhalakathisela izinhlamvu eziningi zemali. Manje kweza umfelokazi ompofu wakhala-kathisela izinhlamvu zemali ezimbili ezincane, zenani elincane kakhulu.”—MARKU 12:41, 42.

IBHAYIBHELI likhuluma kaningi ngemali. Ngokwesibonelo, ekulandiseni kwamaVangeli, uJesu wasebenzisa izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zezinhlamvu zemali ukuze afundise izifundo ezibalulekile. Wafundisa isifundo esithile endabeni yomnikelo womfelokazi ‘wezinhlamvu zemali ezimbili ezincane,’ esemBhalweni ocashunwe ngenhla. Ngesinye isikhathi, wakhuluma ngohlamvu lwemali olwalubizwa ngokuthi udenariyu ukuze asize abalandeli bakhe ukuba baqonde indlela okufanele babheke ngayo iziphathimandla. *—Mathewu 22:17-21.

Yasungulelwani imali? Yayikhandwa kanjani ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli? Yayisetshenziswa kanjani? Yini esiyifunda eBhayibhelini mayelana nendlela okufanele siyibheke ngayo?

Ukusuka Ekuhwebeni Ngempahla Kuya Ekuthengeni Ngezinhlamvu Zemali

Ngaphambi kokusungulwa kwemali, abantu babehweba ngempahla. Babehweba ngezimpahla nangezinkonzo zenani elilinganayo. Kodwa le ndlela yokuhweba yayiba yinkinga ngezinye izikhathi. Ukuze lokhu kuhweba kuphumelele, kwakudingeka umuntu ngamunye azithande izimpahla anikwa zona. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abahwebelanayo kwakudingeka bathwale izimpahla ezisindayo njengamasaka, okusanhlamvu noma impahla okungelula ukuyilawula, njengezilwane.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, abahwebi babona ukuthi kudingeka kube nendlela engcono yokuthenga nokuthengisa. Beza neqhinga lokusebenzisa izinsimbi eziyigugu, njengegolide, isiliva nethusi. Esithombeni esikuleli khasi, umthengisi usebenzisa lezi zinsimbi eziyigugu, okungukuthi, ubucwebe nezigaxa zensimbi ukuze athenge impahla noma akhokhele inkonzo ethile. Ngaphambi kokuhwebelana, lezi zinsimbi zazikalwa ngokucophelela kusetshenziswa izikali ezinembile. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho u-Abrahama ethenga indawo yokungcwaba  umkakhe, uSara, wakala inani lesiliva elalidingeka.—Genesise 23:14-16.

Ngesikhathi uJehova enika ama-Israyeli uMthetho obhalwe phansi, abathengisi abahahayo babesebenzisa izikali noma izilinganiso ezinganembile ukuze baqole abathengi. Ukungathembeki kuyanengeka kuJehova uNkulunkulu, ngakho watshela ama-Israyeli angabathengisi: “Kufanele nibe nesikali esinembile, isilinganiso esinembile.” (Levitikusi 19:36; IzAga 11:1) Namuhla, labo abangabathengisi benza kahle ngokukhumbula ukuthi umbono kaJehova ngokuhaha nokungathembeki awukashintshi.—Malaki 3:6; 1 Korinte 6:9, 10.

Indlela Izinhlamvu Zemali Ezazikhandwa Ngayo Endulo

Cishe izinhlamvu zemali zokuqala zenziwa eLydia (manje eyiTurkey), ngaphambi kuka-700 B.C.E. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, izisebenzi zensimbi zakwamanye amazwe zaqala ukukhiqiza izinhlamvu zemali ngobuningi futhi abantu abahlala ezindaweni okukhulunywa ngazo eBhayibhelini baqala ukuzisebenzisa.

Zazenziwa kanjani izinhlamvu zemali? Isisebenzi sasincibilikisa insimbi emlilweni bese (1) siyithela efolomeni elinembobo, ngaleyo ndlela kwakheke izindibilishi ezingenamilobo (2). Ngemva kwalokho, isisebenzi sasifaka indibilishi phakathi kwezinsimbi ezimbili ezakhiwe kuhle kwamadayisi futhi eziqoshwe izimpawu noma izithombe (3). Sasibe sesishaya lezo zinsimbi ngesando ukuze isithombe esikuzo sibhaleke endibilisheni (4). Ijubane lale nqubo lalivame ukubangela amaphutha. Ngokwesibonelo, kwezinye izindibilishi izithombe zazingahlali phakathi nendawo. Izisebenzi zazibe sezihlunga lezo zinhlamvu zemali, zizikale ukuze ziqiniseke ukuthi zisesimweni esifanele, futhi uma kudingeka, zazizincwela zisuse izinsalela zensimbi (5).

Abashintshi Bemali, Abaqoqi Bentela Nabaphathi Bamabhange

Ekhulwini lokuqala C.E., izinhlamvu zemali zamazwe ahlukahlukene zafika ePalestina. Ngokwesibonelo, abantu ababeya ethempelini eJerusalema babefika nemali yasemazweni abo. Kodwa labo ababesebenza ethempelini babefuna intela ikhokhwe ngezinhlamvu ezithile zemali. Abashintshi bemali babesebenzela ethempelini futhi ngokuvamile babemba eqolo lapho beshintsha imali yakwelinye izwe. UJesu wawalahla lawo madoda ahahayo. Ngani? Ngoba ayenza indlu kaJehova “indlu yokuthengisela” ‘nomhume wabaphangi.’—Johane 2:13-16; Mathewu 21:12, 13.

 Izakhamuzi zasePalestina kwakudingeka zikhokhe izintela ezithile zombuso. Kwakukhona “intela yekhanda” leyo abaphikisi bakaJesu abambuza ngayo. (Mathewu 22:17) Ezinye izintela zazihlanganisa intela yemigwaqo nentela yezimpahla ezingena ezweni neziphumayo. Abaqoqi bentela abasebenzela umbuso wasePalestina babenedumela lokungathembeki futhi bengathandwa abantu. (Marku 2:16) Babezenza izigwili ngokukhokhisa abantu imali eningi, bese bezigcinela enye. Kodwa abanye abaqoqi bentela, njengoZakewu, bamlalela uJesu futhi bayiyeka imikhuba yabo yokungathembeki. (Luka 19:1-10) Namuhla, noma ubani ofuna ukulandela uKristu kumelwe athembeke ezintweni zonke, kuhlanganise nasekusebenzelaneni kwakhe nabanye kwezamabhizinisi.—Hebheru 13:18.

Abagcini bemali nabo babesebenza ngemali. Ngaphandle nje kokushintsha izimali zakwamanye amazwe, babesungula izindlela zokuyibeka nokuyiboleka futhi labo ababebeka imali ebhange babeyithola isinamankonyane. UJesu wakhuluma ngalaba bagcini bemali emfanekisweni wezinceku ezanikwa imali engalingani okwakudingeka ziyizalise.—Mathewu 25:26, 27.

Umbono Ofanele Ngemali

Emazweni amaningi namuhla abantu kumelwe babe nemali ukuze bathenge abakudingayo. Amazwi uNkulunkulu aphefumulela iNkosi uSolomoni ukuba iwabhale emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka adlule aseyiqiniso nanamuhla: “[Imali] iyisivikelo.” Nokho, uSolomoni wabuye wathi ukuhlakanipha kunenzuzo kakhulu kunemali ngoba “kuyabalonda abaninikho.” (UmShumayeli 7:12) Ukuhlakanipha okunjalo kutholakala eBhayibhelini.

UJesu wasiza abalandeli bakhe ukuba babe nombono onokulinganisela ngemali lapho ethi: “Ngisho nalapho umuntu enensada ukuphila kwakhe akuveli ezintweni anazo.” (Luka 12:15) Njengabafundi bakaJesu bekhulu lokuqala, nathi sibonisa ukuhlakanipha lapho siyisebenzisa kahle, siyisebenzele ngokwethembeka futhi sigweme ukuyithanda.—1 Thimothewu 6:9, 10.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 26]

 Amaqiniso Aphathelene Nezinhlamvu Zemali

● Uhlamvu lwemali oluncane kunazo zonke olwalusetshenziswa ePalestina ngekhulu lokuqala lwalubizwa ngokuthi i-leptoni lethusi. Ngemizuzu engu-15 nje, isisebenzi sasenza ama-leptoni amabili. Kungenzeka ukuthi umfelokazi wafaka amaleptoni amabili ebhokisini lomnikelo ethempelini.—Marku 12:42.

● I-drakma eyisiliva yayiwuhlamvu lwemali yaseGrisi eyayiwumholo womsebenzi wosuku. (Luka 15:8, 9) Amadrakma amabili ayeyisilinganiso semali eyayikhokhwa yiwo wonke amadoda angamaJuda minyaka yonke njengentela yasethempelini.—Mathewu 17:24.

● Udenariyu oyisiliva wawuwuhlamvu lwemali yaseRoma olwalunesithombe sikaKhesari. Ngakho, kwakufaneleka ukuba lube yimali ‘eyayikhokhwa’ yibo bonke abantu abadala besilisa abangamaJuda ngesikhathi kubusa amaRoma. (Roma 13:7) Umqashi wayekhokhela isisebenzi udenariyu owodwa ngemva kokusebenza amahora angu-12 osukwini.—Mathewu 20:2-14.

● Ishekeli lesiliva loqobo elalakhiwa edolobheni laseThire lalikhona ePalestina ngesikhathi uJesu elapha emhlabeni. Kungenzeka ukuthi zazingamashekeli aseThire ‘izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-30’ abapristi abakhulu abakhokhela ngazo uJuda Iskariyothe ngokukhaphela uJesu.—Mathewu 26:14-16.

Ubukhulu bemali ebonisiwe obangempela