UJesu wathi esezakufa waxwayisa abaphostoli bakhe ukuthi bangafuni ukuba ngabadumileyo phakathi kwamanye amakholwa. Wathi: “Amakhosi abeZizwe azitshengisela amandla awo kulabo ababusayo; leziphathamandla zakhona zibizwa ngokuthi Mcoli. Kodwa kalimelanga libe njalo.”​—Luk. 22:25, 26.

Ngobani laba ababebizwa ngokuthi ngabacoli uJesu ayekhuluma ngabo? Imibhalo yasendulo kanye lemali yamatshe kuveza ukuthi amaGrikhi lamaRoma ayejayele ukupha ababusi kanye lamanye amadoda udumo ngokuwabiza ngokuthi Euergetes kumbe Mcoli. Ibizo leli laliphiwa umuntu nxa enzele umphakathi izinto ezinhle.

Manengi amakhosi ayebizwa ngokuthi ngabacoli. Amanye awo kwakungababusi beGibhithe uPtolemy III Euergetes okungenzeka ukuthi wabusa kusukela ngo-247 B.C.E., * kusiya ku-222 B.C.E., loPtolemy VIII Euergetes II okungenzeka ukuthi wabusa kusukela ngo-147 B.C.E., kusiya ku-117 B.C.E. Abanye abaphiwa ibizo leli ngababusi beRoma uJulius Caesar owabusa kusukela ngo-48 B.C.E., kusiya ku-44 B.C.E., lo-Augustus owabusa kusukela ngo-31 B.C.E., kusiya ku-4 C.E. Omunye owaphiwa ibizo leli nguHerodi Omkhulu owayeyinkosi yeJudiya. Kungenzeka ukuthi uHerodi waqalisa ukubizwa ngokuthi Mcoli lapho esiza abantu ngesikhathi sendlala ngokubadingela ingqoloyi kwezinye izindawo langokunika abayanga impahla zokugqoka.

Esinye isazi seBhayibhili saseGerman okuthiwa ngu-Adolf Deissmann sithi ibizo lokuhlonipha elithi Mcoli lalijayelekile kakhulu okokuthi ‘nxa umuntu wayengadinga izinto ezibhalwe ibizo leli, ngesikhatshana nje wayengabe esethole ezedlula 100.’

Pho atshoni amazwi kaJesu athi: “Kodwa kalimelanga libe njalo”? UJesu wayesitsho ukuthi abafundi bakhe akusamelanga bancede abanye yini? Kayisikho ayekutsho. Kukhanya okwakumkhathaza yikuthi abantu laba babesenzela abanye okuhle belenhloso engalunganga.

Ngesikhathi sikaJesu, kwakulabantu abanothileyo ababekhupha izimali zabo ukuze basekele amadili lemidlalo befuna ukubukwa. Babephinda balungise amaphakhi, bakhe amathempeli futhi benze lokunye okunengi. Kodwa lokho babekwenza ukuze babatshazwe ngabantu, banikwe udumo loba bavotelwe. Elinye ibhuku lithi: “Lanxa babesenzela abantu izinto ezinhle, izikhathi ezinengi babeyabe befuna ukudonsa abantu ukuze babasekele kwezombusazwe.” Ngakho uJesu wayexwayisa abafundi bakhe ukuthi bangathandi ukwenzela abanye izinto ezinhle behlose ukudunyiswa lokuthola inzuzo.

Ngemva kweminyaka ethize, umphostoli uPhawuli wagcizelela ukuthi kumele sibe lenhloso enhle nxa sisiza abanye. Wabhalela abazalwane baseKhorinte wathi: “Umuntu ngamuye kanike lokho amise enhliziyweni yakhe ukukunikela, kungabi luhonono loba ngokubanjwa ngamandla, ngoba uNkulunkulu uthanda onikela ngokuthokoza.”—2 Khor. 9:7.