“Mnikeni Irhafu Ofanelwe Yirhafu”

“KWELI hlabathi akukho nto iqinisekileyo ngaphandle kokufa nokuhlawula iirhafu.” Watsho njalo unozakuzaku waseMerika wenkulungwane ye-18 nongumyili uBenjamin Franklin. Amazwi akhe, acatshulwa ngokufuthi, akabonisi nje kuphela ukungaphepheki kweerhafu kodwa kwakhona abonisa uloyiko ezilubangelayo. Kwabaninzi, ukuhlawula iirhafu akunamtsalane ungako kunokufa.

Nangona ukuhlawula iirhafu kungathandwa, le yimbopheleleko amaKristu okwenyaniso ayithabatha nzulu. Umpostile uPawulos wabhalela ibandla lamaKristu eRoma: “Bonke banikeni okubafaneleyo; mnikeni irhafu ofanelwe yirhafu, unikelo ofanelwe lunikelo, ukoyika ofanelwe kukoyikwa, imbeko ofanelwe yimbeko.” (Roma 13:7) Kwaye ngokukhethekileyo uYesu Kristu wayebhekisela kwiirhafu xa wathi: “Nikelani izinto zikaKesare kuKesare, nezinto zikaThixo kuThixo.”—Marko 12:14, 17.

UYehova uye wavumela “amagunya awongamileyo” ukuba abekho yaye ufuna abakhonzi bakhe bawathobele ngokulinganiselweyo. Kutheni ke ngoko uThixo efuna abakhonzi bakhe bahlawule iirhafu? UPawulos ukhankanya izizathu ezithathu ezisisiseko: (1) ‘ingqumbo yamagunya awongamileyo’ ekohlwayeni izaphuli-mthetho; (2) isazela somKristu, esingayi kucoceka ukuba uyaqhatha ekuhlawuleni iirhafu; (3) imfuneko yokuhlawula aba ‘babusi’ ukuze balungiselele iinkonzo ezithile nokuze balondoloze umlinganiselo othile wocwangco. (Roma 13:1-7) Abaninzi basenokungakuthandi ukuhlawula iirhafu. Kodwa, ngokuqinisekileyo bebengenakuthanda nakancinane ukuhlala kwilizwe apho kungekho mapolisa okanye ukukhuselwa kumlilo, apho kungalungiswa ndlela, apho kungekho zikolo zikawonke wonke yaye kungekho nenkonzo yeposi. Isazi ngezomthetho saseMerika uOliver Wendell Holmes sakha sakubeka ngale ndlela oku: “Iirhafu zizinto esizihlawulela ukuba kubekho ibutho elichubekileyo.”

Ukuhlawulwa kweerhafu akunto intsha kubakhonzi bakaThixo. Abemi bakwaSirayeli wamandulo babehlawula uhlobo oluthile lweerhafu ukuze baxhase ookumkani babo, yaye bambi babo balawuli babebathwalisa umthwalo onzima abantu ngokufuna iirhafu ezingekho ngqiqweni. Kwakhona amaYuda ayehlawula iminikelo neerhafu kumagunya asemzini awayewalawula, njengeYiputa, iPersi neRoma. Ngoko amaKristu ngomhla kaPawulos ayekwazi kakuhle oko wayethetha ngako xa wakhankanya ukuhlawulwa kweerhafu. Ayesazi ukuba enoba iirhafu zazisengqiqweni okanye zazingenjalo, yaye ingakhathaliseki indlela urhulumente awayeyisebenzisa ngayo le mali, ayemele ahlawule nayiphina irhafu eyayifunwa. Kunjalo nangamaKristu namhlanje. Noko ke, yiyiphi imigaqo enokusikhokela ngoxa sihlawula iirhafu zethu kula maxesha axakileyo?

Imigaqo Emihlanu Ekhokelayo

Yiba ngolungeleleneyo. Sikhonza yaye sixelisa uYehova, ‘ongengoThixo wasiphithiphithi, ongowoxolo.’ (1 Korinte 14:33; Efese 5:1) Ukulungelelana kubalulekile ekuhlawulweni kweerhafu. Ngaba iingxelo zakho ziphelele, zichanile, yaye zilungelelene? Ngokuqhelekileyo, akufuneki ude uzigcine kwifayile yexabiso elikhulu. Usenokuba nefayile nje enye yokugcina amaphepha ebhalwe uhlobo ngalunye lwengxelo (njengeerisithi ezibonisa imali oyihlawuleyo). Kusenokwanela ukuzihlanganisa ezi zinto kwiifayile ezinkulu zokugcina amaphepha nyaka ngamnye. Kumazwe amaninzi kuyimfuneko ukuba zigcinwe ezi fayile kangangeminyaka eliqela ukuba kungenzeka urhulumente afune ukuhlolisisa iingxelo zexesha elidluleyo. Ngoko musa ukulahla nantoni na de uqiniseke ukuba ayisafuneki.

Nyaniseka. UPawulos wabhala: “Sithandazeleni; kuba sikholosekile kukuthi sinesazela esilungileyo [“esinyanisekileyo,” NW], singa ezintweni zonke singahamba kakuhle [“ngokunyaniseka,” NW]. (Hebhere 13:18) Umnqweno osuka entliziyweni wokunyaniseka ufanele ulawule zonke izigqibo esizenzayo xa sihlawula iirhafu zethu. Okokuqala, khawuqwalasele iirhafu ezimele zihlawulwe kwingeniso efanele yaziswe urhulumente. Kumazwe amaninzi, ingeniso eyongezelelekileyo—ngenxa yamabhaso, imisetyenzana eyahlukeneyo, intengiso—imele ihlawulelwe irhafu yakuba ithe kratya kwimali eqingqiweyo. UmKristu ‘onesazela esinyanisekileyo’ uya kufumanisa uhlobo nesixa sengeniso amele asirhafele kwindawo ahlala kuyo yaye uya kuyihlawula irhafu efunekayo.

Okwesibini, kukho umbandela wokutsalwa kwemali. Ngokuqhelekileyo oorhulumente bavumela abantu abahlawula irhafu batsale imali yeendleko ezithile kumvuzo abawufumanayo abafanele bahlawule irhafu kuwo. Kweli hlabathi linganyanisekanga, abaninzi ababoni nto imbi “ekukhohliseni” xa befuna loo mali itsalwayo. Enye indoda kwelaseUnited States kuthiwa yathengela umkayo idyasi yoboya enexabiso elikhulu, yandula ke yayixhoma kwindawo esebenzela kuyo kangangemini ukuze itsale imali yayo ‘njengesihombiso’ sendawo esebenzela kuyo! Enye indoda yathi iindleko zomtshato wentombi yayo zazifanele zitsalwe eshishinini. Kwakhona enye yazama ukutsala iindleko zokuhamba nomfazi wayo kangangeenyanga ezininzi kwiMpuma Ekude, nangona yena ngokuyintloko wayelapho ngeenjongo zokuzonwabisa nokuzihlaziya. Iimeko ezinjalo zibonakala zingenakuphela. Ngamazwi acacileyo, ukutsala imali eshishinini xa eneneni kungenjalo kukuxoka—nto leyo uThixo wethu, uYehova, ayithiye gqitha.—IMizekeliso 6:16-19.

Yiba nobulumko. UYesu wakhuthaza abalandeli bakhe ukuba ‘babe nobulumko njengeenyoka, babe njengamahobe ukungabi nabuqhinga.’ (Mateyu 10:16) Elo cebiso linokusebenza kakuhle ekuhlawuleni kwethu irhafu. Ngokukodwa kumazwe ahambele phambili, kule mihla abantu abaninzi bahlawula inkampani yabaphathi-mali okanye ingcali ethile ukuba igqibe ngesixa seerhafu abamele basihlawule. Bandule ke batyobele nje iifomu baze bathumele itsheke. Eso inokuba sisihlandlo esihle sokuhlolisisa esi silumkiso sibhalwe kwiMizekeliso 14:15: “Isiyatha sikholwa ngamazwi onke; onobuqili uyakuqonda ukunyathela kwakhe.”

Uninzi lwabantu abahlawula irhafu luye lwasukuzana norhulumente ngenxa ‘yokukholwa ngamazwi onke’ abaphathi-mali abanganyanisekanga okanye abalungisi berhafu abangenamava. Hayi indlela ekulunge ngakumbi ngayo ukuba nobuqili! Yiba nobulumko ngokulufunda ngenyameko naluphi na uxwebhu ngaphambi kokuba ulutyobele. Ukuba ezinye zezinto ezibhaliweyo, ezishiyiweyo, okanye imali etsalwayo zibonakala zingaqhelekanga, funa ukucaciselwa ngazo—kaninzi ukuba kuyimfuneko—de waneliseke ukuba lo mcimbi unyanisekile yaye usemthethweni. Liyinyaniso elokuba kumazwe amaninzi imithetho yerhafu iye yantsonkotha gqitha, kodwa ukuba kunokwenzeka, kulikhondo lobulumko ukuqonda yonke into ngaphambi kokuba utyobele. Kwezinye iimeko, usenokufumanisa ukuba umKristu okhonza naye oqheleneyo nomthetho werhafu unokunikela amacebiso. Omnye umdala ongumKristu osingatha imicimbi yerhafu njengegqwetha ngokufutshane wathi: “Ukuba umphathi-mali wakho ukucebisa ngento ebonakala ingakholeleki, ngoko kunokwenzeka ukuba kukunganyaniseki oko!”

Yiba nenkathalo. Umpostile uPawulos wabhala wathi: “Elowo uya kuwuthwala owakhe umthwalo.” (Galati 6:5) Ngokuphathelele ukuhlawula iirhafu, umKristu ngamnye ufanele athwale imbopheleleko yokunyaniseka nokuthobela umthetho. Lo asingomcimbi abathi abadala bebandla bongamele umhlambi phantsi kwenyameko yabo. (Thelekisa eyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 1:24.) Abazibandakanyi kwimicimbi yerhafu ngaphandle kokuba ityala lesenzo esiphosakeleyo esinzulu, mhlawumbi elibandakanya ihambo elihlazo engundaba-mlonyeni ekuhlaleni, liziswa engqalelweni yabo. Ngokuqhelekileyo, lo ngumbandela umKristu ngamnye anembopheleleko yokusebenzisa isazela sakhe esiqeqeshwe kakuhle ekusebenziseni imigaqo yeZibhalo. (Hebhere 5:14) Oku kuquka ukuba ngophaphileyo kuba ukutyobela uxwebhu lwerhafu—kungakhathaliseki ukuba lulungiselelwe ngubani na—eneneni kunokuquka ingxelo yasemthethweni yokuba ulufundile uxwebhu waza wakholelwa ukuba oko lukuquletheyo kuyinyaniso.a

Yiba ngongenakukhalazelwa. Abaveleli abangamaKristu bamele bangabi ‘nakukhalazelwa’ ukuze bafanelekele isigxina sabo. Ngokufanayo, lonke ibandla lifanele libe lelingenakukhalazelwa emehlweni kaThixo. (1 Timoti 3:2; thelekisa amaEfese 5:27.) Ngoko ke bazabalazela ukulondoloza udumo oluhle ekuhlaleni, kwanakumbandela wokuhlawula iirhafu. UYesu Kristu wamisela umzekelo kule nkalo. Umfundi wakhe uPetros wabuzwa enoba uYesu wayeyihlawula na irhafu yetempile, eyayiziidrarhima ezimbini kuphela. Eneneni, uYesu wayekhululekile ekuhlawuleni le rhafu, ekubeni itempile yayiyindlu kaYise yaye akukho kumkani ufuna irhafu kunyana wakhe. UYesu wathetha kanye oko; ukanti wayihlawula loo rhafu. Eneneni, wade wenza ummangaliso ukuze akhuphe imali eyayifunwa! Kwakutheni ukuze ahlawule irhafu ngoxa wayekhululeke ngokufanelekileyo ekuyihlawuleni? Kunjengokuba uYesu watshoyo, “ukuze singabakhubekisi.”—Mateyu 17:24-27.b

Londoloza Udumo Oluhle Oluzukisa UThixo

Namhlanje ngokufanayo amaNgqina kaYehova akuxhalabele ukungabakhubekisi abanye. Akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba njengeqela, enandipha udumo oluhle ehlabathini lonke njengabemi abanyanisekileyo, nabahlawula irhafu. Ngokomzekelo, iphephandaba laseSpeyin iEl Diario Vasco lagqabaza ngokuphetshwa kwerhafu okwandileyo eSpeyin, kodwa laphawula oku: “NgamaNgqina kaYehova kuphela ahlukileyo. Xa ethenga okanye ethengisa, imali [yempahla] ayivakalisayo iyinyaniso epheleleyo.” Ngokufanayo, iphephandaba laseUnited States iSan Francisco Examiner laphawula oku kwiminyaka ethile edlulileyo: “Usenokuwagqala [amaNgqina kaYehova] njengabemi abangumzekelo. Akukhuthalele ukuhlawula iirhafu, anyamekela abagulayo, alwa nokungafundi.”

Akukho namnye umKristu wokwenyaniso obenokuthanda ukwenza nantoni na enokonakalisa olu dumo luhle lufunyenwe ngomgudu. Ukuba ujamelene nokhetho, ngaba ubuya kuzibeka esichengeni ngokwaziwa njengoqhathayo ekuhlawuleni irhafu ngenxa yokufuna ukonga imali ethile? Akunjalo. Ngokuqinisekileyo ubuya kukhetha ukulahlekelwa yimali kunokungcolisa igama lakho elihle uze uyenze ijongwe kakubi imilinganiselo yakho kwanokunqula kwakho uYehova.

Kuyinyaniso ukuba maxa wambi ukulondoloza udumo, njengomntu olungileyo nonyanisekileyo kunokukwenza ulahlekelwe yimali. Kunjengokuba isithandi sobulumko samandulo esingumGrike uPlato saphawula kwiinkulungwane ezingama-24 ezadlulayo: “Ngokuphathelele irhafu yengeniso, umntu olungileyo uya kuhlawula imali eninzi ngoxa umntu ongalunganga eya kuhlawula ngaphantsi kwesixa esifanayo sengeniso.” Wayenokongezelela athi umntu olungileyo akaze abe buhlungu ngenxa yokuhlawula ixabiso lokulunga. Kuba ukuba nodumo olunjalo kulifanele ixabiso. Ngokuqinisekileyo oku kuyinyaniso ngamaKristu. Udumo lwawo oluhle luxabisekile kuwo kuba luzukisa uYise wawo wasezulwini yaye lunokufaka isandla ekutsaleleni abanye kwindlela yawo yobomi nakuThixo wawo, uYehova.—IMizekeliso 11:30; 1 Petros 3:1.

Noko ke, ngaphezu kwako konke, amaKristu okwenyaniso ayaluxabisa ulwalamano lwawo noYehova. UThixo ubona konke akwenzayo, yaye anqwenela ukumkholisa. (Hebhere 4:13) Ngoko ke, ayasixhathisa isilingo sokuzama ukuqhatha urhulumente. Ayaqonda ukuba uThixo uyavuyiswa yihambo enyanisekileyo, nethe tye. (INdumiso 15:1-3) Yaye ekubeni efuna ukuvuyisa intliziyo kaYehova, ahlawula zonke iirhafu ezifunekayo.—IMizekeliso 27:11; Roma 13:7.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]