Isifundo Ngokuzikhandla—Amathalenta

Esenabaphostoli bakhe abane eNtabeni Yeminqumo, uJesu uphinde abatshele omunye umfanekiso. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ezedlule, ngesikhathi eseJeriko, wanikeza umfanekiso womina ukuze abonise ukuthi uMbuso usekude ukufika. Umfanekiso awenzayo manje, unezici eziningi ofana ngazo nalo mfanekiso womina. Nawo uphendula umbuzo mayelana nokuba khona kwakhe nesiphelo sesimiso sezinto. Ugcizelela ukuthi abafundi kumelwe bazikhandle kunoma yini abaphathise yona.

UJesu uqala ngokuthi: “Kunjengomuntu othile, okwathi esezohamba aye kude, wabiza izinceku zakhe waziphathisa impahla yakhe.” (Mathewu 25:14) Njengoba uJesu eke wazifanisa nendoda eyahamba yaya kude ‘ukuze iyothola amandla obukhosi,’ kulula kubaphostoli ukubona ukuthi uJesu nguye indoda okukhulunywa ngayo manje.—Luka 19:12.

Ngaphambi kokuba le ndoda esemfanekisweni ihambe iye ezweni elikude, inikeza izinceku zayo izimpahla zayo eziyigugu. Phakathi nenkonzo yakhe eyaba iminyaka emithathu nohhafu, uJesu wagxila ekushumayeleni izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu futhi waqeqesha abafundi bakhe ukuba benze lowo msebenzi. Manje uyahamba, eqiniseka ukuthi bazosala benza lokhu ayebaqeqeshele ukuba bakwenze.—Mathewu 10:7; Luka 10:1, 8, 9; qhathanisa noJohane 4:38; 14:12.

Emfanekisweni, le ndoda iyihlukanisa kanjani impahla yayo? UJesu uyachaza: “Enye wayinika amathalenta amahlanu, enye amabili, kanti enye elilodwa, ngayinye ngokwamandla ayo, wahamba waya kude.” (Mathewu 25:15) Lezi zinceku zizokwenzani ngalokhu eziphathiswe kona? Zizozikhandla yini ekwenzeleni inkosi yazo inzuzo ngalokhu eziphathise kona? UJesu uthi kubaphostoli bakhe:

“Masinyane leyo eyayithole amathalenta amahlanu yahamba yayohweba ngawo yazuza amahlanu ngaphezulu. Ngokufanayo leyo eyayithole amabili yazuza amabili ngaphezulu. Kodwa inceku eyayithole elilodwa kuphela yahamba, yamba emhlabathini yayifihla imali yenkosi yayo.” (Mathewu 25:16-18) Kuyokwenzekani uma inkosi ibuya?

UJesu uyaqhubeka: “Ngemva kwesikhathi eside, inkosi yalezo zinceku yafika yalungisa izindaba zezimali nazo.” (Mathewu 25:19) Izinceku ezimbili zenza konke ezingakwenza, “ngayinye ngokwamandla ayo.” Inceku ngayinye yayizikhandla, isebenza kanzima futhi yakhiqiza okwengeziwe kulokhu eyayiphathiswe kona. Leyo eyayiphathiswe amathalenta amahlanu, iwaphinda kabili, kanjalo naleyo eyayiphathiswe amathalenta amabili. (Ngaleso sikhathi, kwakumelwe usebenze iminyaka engu-19 ukuze uthole umholo olingana nethalenta elilodwa.) Inkosi izincoma ngendlela efanayo zombili, ithi: “Wenze kahle, nceku enhle nethembekile! Uthembeke ezintweni ezimbalwa. Ngizokumisa phezu kwezinto eziningi. Jabula kanye nenkosi yakho.”—Mathewu 25:21.

Nokho, kwenzeka okuhlukile ngenceku ethole ithalenta elilodwa. Ithi: “Nkosi, bengikwazi ukuthi ungumuntu olukhuni, uvuna lapho ungahlwanyelanga khona futhi ubutha lapho ungazange uhlunge khona. Ngakho ngesaba, ngahamba ngayolifihla emhlabathini ithalenta lakho. Mina, thatha okungokwakho.” (Mathewu 25:24, 25) Ayiyifakanga ngisho ebhange imali yayo ukuze okungenani itholele inkosi yayo inzuzo. Empeleni, ilahlekisele inkosi yayo inzuzo.

Kuyafaneleka ukuthi inkosi yayo iyibize ngokuthi ‘inceku embi nevilaphayo.’ Ebinakho kuyathathwa, kunikezwe inceku ezimisele ukusebenza ngokuzikhandla. Inkosi ibeka lo mbandela: “Wonke umuntu onakho, uyonikwa okwengeziwe futhi uyoba nokuningi. Kodwa lowo ongenakho, uyophucwa ngisho nalokho anakho.”—Mathewu 25:26, 29.

Kuningi abafundi bakaJesu okufanele bacabange ngakho, kuhlanganise ngisho nalokho okushiwo kulo mfanekiso. Bayabona ukuthi lokhu uJesu abaphathisa khona—ilungelo eliyigugu lokwenza abafundi—kubaluleke kakhulu. Futhi ulindele ukuba bawenze ngokuzikhandla lo msebenzi. UJesu akalindele ukuthi bonke bawenze ngokufanayo lo msebenzi abanike wona wokushumayela. Njengoba kubonisiwe kulo mfanekiso, sonke kufanele senze konke esingakwenza, ‘ngokwamandla ethu.’ Lokhu akusho ukuthi uJesu uyojabula uma ‘sivilapha’ futhi sihluleka ukwenza konke esingakwenza ukuze sithele izithelo kulokho iNkosi esiphathise kona.

Kufanele ukuba kwabajabulisa abaphostoli ukuzwa lesi siqinisekiso: “Wonke umuntu onakho, uyonikwa okwengeziwe”!