Sewake wananzelela yini ukuthi amasonto amanengi akhanya eqakathekisa kakhulu ukwenza imali ukwedlula ukufundisa abantu ngoNkulunkulu? Ayakhangisa njalo athengise izinto ezitshiyeneyo. Inengi labakhokheli bawo liholiswa inkalakatha zezimali njalo liphila ntofontofo. Cabanga ngezibonelo lezi ezilutshwana:

•  ● Ukuhlola okwake kwenziwa kwaveza ukuthi kulobhishopi wamaCatholic owasebenzisa izimali zesonto okweminyaka edlula 13 ebhadalela inhambo zakhe ngendizamtshina eqhatshelwe yena kuphela okwezikhathi ezingaba ngu-150, lezinye ayezihamba ngezimota zohlobo oluphezulu okwezikhathi ezingaba ngu-200. Wasebenzisa lemali edlula amadola angu-4 miliyoni elungisisa kutsha indlu ayehlala kuyo esontweni.

•  ● Omunye umtshumayeli kwelinye ilizwe elise-Africa ujayele ukwenza imibuthano emikhulu engaba lamatshumi ezinkulungwane zabantu. Inkalakatha yesakhiwo sesonto yakhe sithengisa yonke imihlobo yezinto—amafutha okuthiwa ngawezimangaliso, amathawulo lezikipa ezilomfanekiso wakhe lokunye okunenginengi. Lanxa inengi labantu abangena isonto yakhe bezidubekela, yena unothe okwesabekayo.

•  ● Phakathi kwezintaba ezine zamaBhuda okuthiwa zingcwele eChina, ezimbili zakhona zibhaliswe njengamakhampani asemthethweni. Kanti njalo ethempelini elidumileyo laseShaolin kwenziwa izinto ezinengi eziphathelane lezebhizimusi. Umkhokheli walo omkhulu uze abizwe ngokuthi “ngumkhokheli ongusomabhizimusi.”

•  ● Amabhizimusi kulo lonke elaseMelika aseqhatsha abantu ukuthi bazokwenza imikhuba yenkolo njalo bakhokhele izisebenzi zawo. Omunye umbiko watshengisa ukuthi bayathatha eminye imikhuba ejayelekileyo emasontweni besebebumba eyabo okuthiwa ingcwele njalo bancedise abantu kwezokukholwa.

 Uzwa njani ngamasonto asengene acwila kwezebhizimusi? Sewake wazibuza yini ukuthi uNkulunkulu uthini ngabantu abasebenzisa inkolo ukuze banothe?

 UNkulunkulu kakwamukeli ukuhlanganisa inkolo lezebhizimusi. IBhayibhili litshengisa ukuthi endulo wabathukuthelela kakhulu abaphristi ababesenza angani bamele yena bona bezifunela “inhlawulo.” (UMikha 3:11) UNkulunkulu kazange akwamukele ukuthengisa kobuhwaba okwasekuguqule indlu yakhe yokukhonzela yaba “lubhalu lwabaphangi.”—UJeremiya 7:11.

 UJesu laye njengoNkulunkulu wayebenyanya abantu ababesebenzisa inkolo ukuze bazitholele imali. Ngesikhathi esemhlabeni, abakhokheli bamasonto babezuza imali kubathengisi abayizihwaba ababebavumela ukuthi bazothengisela phakathi kwethempeli laseJerusalema. Abathengisi laba babedlelezela abantu ababelande ukuzokhonza. Ngesibindi, uJesu wabaxotshela khatshana lethempeli abathengisi laba ababengamaqili, wabatshela wathi: “Yekelani ukwenza indlu kaBaba indlu yokuthengiselana!”—UJohane 2:14-16.

 UJesu waphinda watshengisa ukuthi uyifuzile indlela uNkulunkulu acabanga ngayo lapho esenza inkonzo yakhe. (UJohane 8:28, 29) Wayengababhadalisi abantu nxa wayebafundisa ngoNkulunkulu. Wayengaceli imbadalo ngemva kokwenza izimangaliso ezinjengokusuthisa abalambileyo, ukusilisa abagulayo lokuvusa abafileyo. UJesu kazange asebenzise inkonzo yakhe njengethuba lokubuthelela inotho. Wayengelawo ngitsho umuzi obiza yena.—ULukha 9:58.

 UJesu watshela abalandeli bakhe ukuthi bangaqali ukufuna inzuzo yemali besebenzisa inkonzo yabo. Wathi: “Lamukele mahala, phanini mahala.” (UMathewu 10:8) Abalandeli bakhe bokuqala, ababesaziwa ngokuthi ngamaKhristu bawulalela umlayo kaJesu. Cabanga ngezibonelo lezi:

•  ● Umphostoli uPhetro owayehamba loJesu ngesikhathi esenza inkonzo yakhe, wake waphiwa imali ngenye indoda okuthiwa nguSimoni eyayifuna amandla lesikhundla. UPhetro wala ukuyamukela imali kaSimoni waqeda wamkhuza wathi: “Isiliva sakho kasitshabalale lawe ngoba ubucabanga ukuthi ungathola isipho sikaNkulunkulu samahala ngemali.”—ImiSebenzi 8:18-20.

•  ● Umphostoli uPhawuli wayeyisikhonzi esaziwayo esasihambela amabandla. Lanxa wasebenza nzima okweminyaka ehambela amabandla amanengi amaKhristu, kazange afune ukuphiwa inzuzo yemali ngenxa yomsebenzi wakhe. Yena kanye lamaKhristu ayekhonza lawo ‘babengalithengisi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu njengabanengi.’ (2 KwabaseKhorinte 2:17) Esikhundleni salokhu, uPhawuli wabhala wathi: “Ngesikhathi sitshumayela kini izindaba ezinhle ezimayelana loNkulunkulu, sasisebenza ebusuku lemini ukuze singalithwalisi nzima ngezindleko.”—1 KwabaseThesalonika 2:9.

 Liqiniso ukuthi amaKhristu la ayeyifuna sibili imali yokuwancedisa ukuthi awufeze kuhle umsebenzi wawo wokutshumayela owawumkhulu kakhulu lokunceda abahluphekayo. Kodwa kabazange langelanga elilodwa babhadalise abantu ngenkonzo yabo. Abantu yibo ababengakhetha ukubanika nxa babefuna, belandela iziqondiso ezilandelayo:

•  ● 2 KwabaseKhorinte 8:12: “Nxa umuntu elesifiso sokupha, siyamukeleka kakhulu kusiya ngalokho alakho hatshi ngalokho angelakho.”

   Ingcazelo: Isifiso somuntu sokunikela yiso esiqakatheke kakhulu ukwedlula ukuthi unikele ngokunganani.

•  ● 2 KwabaseKhorinte 9:7: “Ngamunye wenu kenze lokho akukhethileyo enhliziyweni yakhe, angenzi elensolo loba ebanjwa ngamandla ngoba uNkulunkulu uthanda umuntu opha ethokoza.”

   Ingcazelo: UNkulunkulu kafuni ukuthi loba ngubani ezwe angani ubanjwa ngenkani ukuthi anikele. Uthokoziswa yikubona umuntu ekhetha ukunikela ngoba kusuka enhliziyweni yakhe.

 IBhayibhili lisitshela ukuthi kayisiwo wonke amasonto loba izindlela zokukhonza uNkulunkulu azamukelayo. (UMathewu 7:21-23) IBhayibhili lifanisa zonke izinhlanganiso zenkolo yamanga lesifebe ngoba zakha ubungane labohulumende ukuze zizuze imali lokunye ezingabe zifuna ukukwenzelwa njalo zihlukuluza abantu bezizwe zonke. (ISambulo 17:1-3; 18:3) Isiphrofetho lesi nxa siqhubeka sitshengisa ukuthi sekuseduze ukuthi uNkulunkulu ahlulele inkolo yamanga.—ISambulo 17:15-17; 18:7.

 Okwakhathesi, uNkulunkulu kafuni ukuthi izenzo ezimbi ezenziwa ngamasonto amanga ziqile abantu loba zibafuqele khatshana laye. (UMathewu 24:11, 12) Ukhuthaza abalenhliziyo eziqotho ukuthi bafunde ukumkhonza ngendlela ayamukelayo njalo babalekele amasonto amanga.—2 KwabaseKhorinte 6:16, 17.