‘Lilumkeleni Igwele LabaFarisi NabaSadusi’

XA UYESU KRISTU wathetha loo mazwi ngaphezu kweenkulungwane ezili-19 ezadlulayo, wayelumkisa abafundi bakhe ngeemfundiso nangezenzo zonqulo eziyingozi. (Mateyu 16:6, 12) Ingxelo ekuMarko 8:15 iyacacisa: “Nililumkele, igwele labaFarisi, negwele likaHerode.” Kwakutheni ukuze kukhankanywe uHerode? Kwakungenxa yokuba abanye abaSadusi yayingamaHerode, iqela lezopolitiko.

Kwakutheni ukuze kufuneke isilumkiso esikhetheke ngolo hlobo? Ngaba abaFarisi nabaSadusi babengengobachasi bakaYesu ngokupheleleyo? (Mateyu 16:21; Yohane 11:45-50) Ewe, babengabo. Ukanti, abanye babo kamva babeya kwamkela ubuKristu bandule ke bazame ukunyanzelisa iingcamango zabo kwibandla lamaKristu.—IZenzo 15:5.

Kwakhona kwakukho ingozi yokuba abafundi babesenokuzixelisa ezo nkokeli zonqulo babekhuliswe phantsi kwempembelelo yazo. Maxa wambi, ukuba nemvelaphi enjalo kwakungqineka kungumqobo ekuqondeni kwabo iimfundiso zikaYesu.

Yintoni eyenza ubuFarisi nobuSadusi bayingozi kangaka? Ukukhangela iimeko zonqulo ngomhla kaYesu kuya kusinika impendulo.

Ukungamanyani Konqulo

Ngokuphathelele ibutho lamaYuda ebudeni benkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, umbhali-mbali uMax Radin wabhala: “Ukuzimela geqe kwamabandla amaYuda elinye kwelinye kwakuyinyaniso ngokwenene, ibe kwakugxininiswa kuko. . . . Ngokufuthi, xa kwakubalaseliswa ngamandla intlonelo enzulu ngetempile nesixeko esingcwele, babenokuthiywa abo babenegunya eliphakamileyo ngelo xesha kwilizwe looyise.”

Leyo yayiyimeko yokomoya elusizi ngokwenene! Ngabaphi abanye oothunywashe ababenegalelo koku? Asingawo onke amaYuda awayehlala ePalestina. Impembelelo yezithethe zamaGrike, apho ababingeleli babengezonkokeli zasekuhlaleni, yaba negalelo ekusingeleni phantsi intlonelo ngelungiselelo likaYehova lobubingeleli. (Eksodus 28:29; 40:12-15) Kwakhona abanye abantu abamele bangalityalwa ngabantu ababengengobafundisi nababhali abafundileyo.

AbaFarisi

Igama elithi abaFarisi, okanye Peru·shimʹ, kusenokwenzeka ukuba lithetha “abazahlulileyo.” AbaFarisi babezigqala bengabalandeli bakaMoses. Baziyilela owabo umbutho, okanye umanyano (ngesiHebhere, chavu·rahʹ). Ukuze amkelwe, umntu kwakufuneka afunge phambi kwamalungu amathathu efungela ukugcina ngokungqongqo ubunyulu babaLevi, ukuphepha ukunxulumana ngokusondeleyo neeʽam-ha·ʼaʹrets (inkitha yabantu abangafundanga) nokuhlawula izishumi ngenyameko. UMarko 2:16 (NW) uthetha ‘ngababhali babaFarisi.’ Abanye beli qela babeziingcali zababhali nabafundisi, ngoxa abanye babengengobafundisi.—Mateyu 23:1-7.

AbaFarisi babekholelwa kuThixo okho kuzo zonke iindawo ngamaxesha onke. Babeqiqa ngelithi ekubeni “uThixo wayekuzo zonke iindawo, wayenokunqulwa ngaphakathi nangaphandle eTempileni, ibe wayengenakukhungwa ngamadini kuphela. Ngaloo ndlela bakhuthaza ukunqulela, ukufundisisa nokuthandazela kwindlu yesikhungu, baza bayiphakamisa bayibeka kweyona ndawo ibalulekileyo ebomini babantu neyayikhuphisana neTempile.”—Encyclopaedia Judaica.

AbaFarisi babengenaluxabiso ngetempile kaYehova. Oku kunokubonwa kumazwi kaYesu: “Yeha, nina bakhokelindini baziimfama! Nina nithi, Othe wafunga itempile, akunto oko; ke othe wafunga igolide yetempile, unetyala. Ziyatha, zimfama, kanene yiyiphi na enkulu? Yigolide, yitempile eyingcwalisayo igolide, kusini na? Kanjalo nina nithi, Othe wafunga isibingelelo, akunto oko; ke othe wafunga umnikelo ophezu kwaso, unetyala. Ziyatha, zimfama, kanene yiyiphi na enkulu? Ngumnikelo, sisibingelelo esiwungcwalisayo umnikelo, kusini na? Lowo usifungayo ngoko isibingelelo ufunga sona neento zonke eziphezu kwaso.”—Mateyu 23:16-20.

Yintoni eyabangela ukuqiqa kwabaFarisi kugqwetheke kangaka? Yintoni le babengayisi so? Phawula oko kuthethwa nguYesu ngokulandelayo. “Nalowo uyifungayo itempile, ufunga yona nomiyo kuyo.” (Mateyu 23:21, akekeliswe sithi.) Ngokuphathelele le ndinyana, umphengululi uE. P. Sanders wathi: “Itempile yayingangcwelanga nje ngenxa yokuba uThixo ongcwele wayenqulelwa kuyo, kodwa kwakhona ngenxa yokuba wayekuyo.” (Judaism: Practice and Belief, 63 BCE—66 CE) Noko ke, ubukho bukaYehova obukhethekileyo babungayi kuba nantsingiselo ingako kwabo babecinga ukuba wayekuzo zonke iindawo.

Kwakhona abaFarisi babekholelwa ekubeni ikamva limiselwa kwangaphambili bekholelwa nakwinkululeko yokuzikhethela. Ngamany’ amazwi, “yonke into imiselwe kwangaphambili, ukanti kukho nenkululeko yokuzikhethela.” Sekunjalo babekholelwa kwelokuba ukona kuka-Adam noEva kwamiselwa kwangaphambili ibe kwanomkrwelo nje omncinanana osemnweni nawo umiselwa kwangaphambili.

Kusenokuba uYesu wayecinga ngezo ngcamango zobuxoki xa wathetha ngokudilika kwenqaba okwaphumela ekubeni kufe abantu abali-18. Wabuza: “Niba na babenetyala [amaxhoba] ngaphezu kwabo bonke abantu abemiyo eYerusalem?” (Luka 13:4) Njengokuba kunjalo ngenkoliso yeengozi, oku kwakungenxa ‘yexesha nesihlo,’ kungekhona ngenxa yelishwa njengoko abaFarisi babefundisa njalo. (INtshumayeli 9:11, akekeliswe sithi.) Abo bantu kwakucingwa ukuba banolwazi babeya kuyisingatha njani imithetho yeZibhalo?

Babefakelela Iingcamango Ezintsha Elunqulweni

AbaFarisi babenembono yokuba imithetho yeZibhalo yayifanele itolikwe ngoorabhi besizukulwana ngasinye ngokuvisisana neengcamango ezintsha. Ngaloo ndlela, iEncyclopaedia Judaica ithi “kwakungeyonto inzima ukuvisisanisa iimfundiso zeTora kunye neengcamango zabo ezintsha, okanye ekufumaneni iingcamango zabo ziqukwe kumazwi eTora.”

Ngokuphathelele uMhla Wocamagushelo waminyaka le, bathabatha igunya lokucamagushela izono kumbingeleli omkhulu baza bahlonela umhla ngokwawo. (Levitikus 16:30, 33) Kumsitho wePasika, babegxininisa kakhulu ekucengcelezeni izifundo zengxelo ye-Eksodus ngoxa kuselwa iwayini nematzo kunokuba bagxininise ekutyiweni kwemvana yepasika.

Ekuhambeni kwexesha, abaFarisi baba nempembelelo etempileni. Bandula ke bamisela inkqubo eyayiquka ukuthuthwa kwamanzi kwichibi laseSilowa nokuthululwa kwawo ebudeni boMthendeleko Wokuhlanganisana, nokubhulwa kwamasebe omngcunube phezu kwesibingelelo ekuqukunjelweni kwalo mthendeleko nemithandazo ethe rhoqo yemihla ngemihla eyayingasekelwanga Mthethweni.

IThe Jewish Encyclopedia ithi “eyona nto yayiphawuleka kakhulu yayiziimbono ezintsha zabaFarisi ngokuphathelele iSabatha.” Umfazi kwakufuneka ayamkele iSabatha ngokukhanyisa izibane. Ukuba kwakubonakala ukuba umsebenzi othile usenokukhokelela kumsebenzi ongekho mthethweni, abaFarisi babewuthintela. Bade balawula nonyango lwezamayeza yaye baba lugcwabevu ngumsindo xa uYesu waphilisa ngokungummangaliso ngeSabatha. (Mateyu 12:9-14; Yohane 5:1-16) Noko ke, abo babefaka iimbono ezintsha elunqulweni abazange bayeke ukumisela imithetho emitsha ngenjongo yokwakha udonga, ukuze bakhusele imithetho yeZibhalo.

Ukubhangiswa Kwemithetho Ethile

AbaFarisi bazixhakamfulela igunya lokurhoxisa okanye lokubhangisa imithetho yeZibhalo. Indlela ababeqiqa ngayo iboniswa kumgaqo weTalmud: “Kulunge gqitha ukuba kubhangiswe umthetho omnye kunokuba iTora yonke ilityalwe.” Umzekelo woku kukupheliswa komnyaka weNtlokoma ngenxa yokuba kwakungekho mntu wayenokuboleka ihlwempu ngenxa yokoyika ukuphulukana nento abolekise ngayo, njengoko elo xesha lalisondela.—Levitikus, isahluko 25.

Omnye umzekelo kukubhangiswa kokusingathwa kwetyala lomfazi orhanelwa ngokukrexeza nemeko yetyala lokufa komntu ekungaziwayo ukuba ubulewe ngubani, nokupheliswa kwenkqubo yentlawulelo. (Numeri 5:11-31; Duteronomi 21:1-9) Akuzange kube thuba lide ngaphambi kokuba abaFarisi babhangise iimfuneko zeZibhalo zokulungiselela abazali bakabani abasweleyo.—Eksodus 20:12; Mateyu 15:3-6.

UYesu walumkisa: “Lilumkeleni igwele labaFarisi, eliluhanahaniso.” (Luka 12:1) UbuFarisi, nesimo sabo sengqondo esichaseneyo nolawulo lobuthixo, babuluhanahaniso—ngokuqinisekileyo babuyinto eyayingafanele ingeniswe kwibandla lamaKristu. Noko ke, iincwadi zeembekiselo zamaYuda zibachaza kakuhle abaFarisi kunokuba zisenza ngabaSadusi. Ngoku makhe siqwalasele eli qela lalibambelele ngakumbi kwimithetho yakudala.

AbaSadusi

Igama elithi abaSadusi kusenokwenzeka ukuba lathatyathwa kwigama elithi Tsadoki, owayengumbingeleli omkhulu ngemihla kaSolomon. (1 Kumkani 2:35, umbhalo osemazantsi, kwiNW) AbaSadusi bayila iqela elalibambelele kwimithetho yakudala bemela izilangazelelo zetempile nobubingeleli. Ngokungafaniyo nabaFarisi, abazixhakamfulela igunya ngenxa yemfundo nangenxa yokuzibanga benyanisekile, abaSadusi babelisekele kumnombo wokuzalwa nakwisikhundla ilungelo labo. Bazichasa iimbono ezintsha zabaFarisi kwade kwasekutshatyalalisweni kwetempile ngowama-70 C.E.

Ukongezelela ekuchaseni imbono yokumiselwa kwangaphambili kwekamva, abaSadusi bala ukwamkela nayiphi na imfundiso engakhankanywanga ngokucacileyo kwiPentatiki, kwanokuba yayibhalwe ndaweni ithile eLizwini likaThixo. Eneneni, “babekugqala njengento elunge gqitha ukuphikisana” ngale mibandela. (The Jewish Encyclopedia) Oku kusikhumbuza ngasihlandlo sithile xa bacel’ umngeni uYesu ngokuphathelele uvuko.

Besebenzisa umzekeliso womhlolokazi owayenamadoda asixhenxe, abaSadusi babuza: “Eluvukweni uya kuba ngumfazi wawuphi na kweso sixhenxe?” Kambe ke, loo mhlolokazi wabo wentelekelelo usenokuba wayenamadoda ali-14 okanye angama-21. UYesu wacacisa: “Kuba eluvukweni abazeki, abendiswa.”—Mateyu 22:23-30.

Esazi ukuba abaSadusi babebachasile ababhali abaphefumlelweyo ngaphandle koMoses, uYesu wayingqina ingongoma Yakhe ngokucaphula kwiPentatiki. Wathi: “Ngokusingisele kwabafileyo ke, ukuba bayavuka, anilesanga na encwadini kaMoses, endaweni ethetha ngetyholo, okokuba uThixo wathetha kuye esithi, Mna ndinguThixo ka-Abraham, uThixo kaIsake, uThixo kaYakobi? AkaThixo wabafileyo, unguThixo wabaphilileyo.”—Marko 12:26, 27.

Abatshutshisi BakaYesu Nabalandeli Bakhe

AbaSadusi babekholelwa ekusebenziseni ulawulo lwelizwe ekuqhubaneni nezinye iintlanga kunokuba balindele uMesiya—ukuba babekukholelwa kwaukukukholelwa ukuza kwakhe. Kwisivumelwano ababesenze neRoma, bona babeza kusebenza etempileni yaye babengakufuni ukufika kukaMesiya, aphazamise imicimbi. Ekubeni babemgqala uYesu njengesisongelo kwisikhundla sabo, bathelela abaFarisi ekucebeni ukumbulala.—Mateyu 26:59-66; Yohane 11:45-50.

Ekubeni babethanda ezopolitiko, abaSadusi ngokusengqiqweni benza imbambano ngokunyaniseka kwiRoma baza bakhwaza: “Thina asinakumkani ungenguye uKesare.” (Yohane 19:6, 12-15) Emva kokufa nokuvuka kukaYesu, yayingabaSadusi ababephambili ekuzameni ukuthintela ukusasazeka kobuKristu. (IZenzo 4:1-23; 5:17-42; 9:14) Emva kokutshatyalaliswa kwetempile ngowama-70 C.E., eli qela lathi shwaka.

Imfuneko Yokuhlala Siphaphile

Hayi indlela esingqineke sifaneleke ngayo isilumkiso sikaYesu! Ewe, kufuneka ‘sililumkele igwele labaFarisi nabaSadusi.’ Ubani unokusibona isiqhamo salo esibi kumaYuda nakwiNgqobhoko namhlanje.

Noko ke, ngokwahluke gqitha koko, abadala abafanelekayo abangamaKristu kumabandla amaNgqina kaYehova angaphezu kwama-75 500 kwihlabathi lonke ‘bayazilumkela bona nemfundiso yabo.’ (1 Timoti 4:16) Bayamkela yonke iBhayibhile njengephefumlelwe nguThixo. (2 Timoti 3:16) Kunokungenisa iimbono ezintsha nokukhuthaza imithetho yabo yonqulo, basebenza ngokumanyana ngaphantsi kolwalathiso lwentlangano esekelwe eBhayibhileni esebenzisa eli phephancwadi njengesixhobo sayo esiphambili sokufundisa.—Mateyu 24:45-47.

Siba yintoni isiphumo? Izigidi zabantu kwihlabathi lonke ziyakhuthazwa ngokomoya njengoko zifikelela ekuyiqondeni iBhayibhile, ziyisebenzisa ebomini bazo, zize ziyifundise nabanye. Ukuze ubone indlela okwenziwa ngayo oku, kutheni ungatyeleli elona bandla likufuphi lamaNgqina kaYehova okanye ubhalele abapapashi beli phephancwadi?

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 26]

UYESU WAYECINGA NGABAPHULAPHULI BAKHE

UYESU KRISTU wayefundisa ngendlela ecacileyo, eqwalasela iingcamango zabaphulaphuli bakhe. Ngokomzekelo, wenza njalo xa wayethetha nomFarisi uNikodemo ngombandela ‘wokuzalwa’ ngokutsha. UNikodemo wabuza: “Angathini na umntu ukuzalwa emdala? Angaba nako yini na ukungena okwesibini esizalweni sonina azalwe?” (Yohane 3:1-5) Kwakutheni ukuze uNikodemo amangaliswe kangaka, ekubeni abaFarisi babekholelwa ekubeni ukuzalwa ngokutsha kwakufuneka kwabo babeguqukela ebuYudeni, ibe isaci soorabhi sasifanisa iguquka ‘nosana olusandul’ ukuzalwa’?

IA Commentary on the New Testament From the Talmud and Hebraica, kaJohn Lightfoot, ithetha oku kulandelayo: “Imbono exhaphakileyo yamaYuda malunga nemfaneleko yomSirayeli . . . isahleli engqondweni yalo mFarisi” ongenakuthi “alishenxise ngokulula ikhethe lakhe lokuqala . . . : ‘Nangona amaSirayeli . . . enelungelo lokungeniswa kubukumkani bukaMesiya, ngoko ke ngaba le ntetho yakho ithetha ukuthi, kuyimfuneko ngaye nabani na ukuba angene okwesibini esizalweni sikanina, ukuze abe ngumSirayeli ngokutsha?’”—Thelekisa uMateyu 3:9.

Ngoxa ekuvuma ukuzalwa ngokutsha kwamaguquka, uNikodemo wayenokuyijonga loo nkqubo njengento engenakwenzeka kumaYuda okwemvelo—ngokungathi angena esizalweni kwakhona.

Ngesinye isihlandlo, uninzi lwacaphuka xa uYesu wathetha ‘ngokudla inyama yakhe nokusela igazi lakhe.’ (Yohane 6:48-55) Noko ke, lo kaLightfoot uthi “kwizikolo zamaYuda kwakuqheleke kakhulu ukusebenzisa ibinzana elithi ‘ukudla nokusela’ njengesikweko.” Kwakhona waphawula ukuba iTalmud yakhankanya “ukudla uMesiya.”

Ngoko oku kwakungenxa yokuba iimbono zabaFarisi naSadusi zazinempembelelo kwindlela awayecinga ngayo amaYuda enkulungwane yokuqala. Noko ke, ngokufanelekileyo, uYesu wayesoloko eluqwalasela ulwazi namava abaphulaphuli bakhe. Lo yayingomnye woothunywashe abaninzi abamenza uMfundisi Omkhulu.