1, 2. (a) UYesu wathi nguwuphi umyalelo wesibini eMthethweni? (b) Yiyiphi imibuzo esiza kuyiqwalasela?

EVAVANYA uYesu, omnye umFarisi wambuza esithi: “Mfundisi, nguwuphi owona myalelo mkhulu eMthethweni?” Njengokuba kuye kwaboniswa kwinqaku elandulela eli, uYesu waphendula wathi ‘owona myalelo mkhulu nowokuqala’ ngulo: “Uze umthande uYehova uThixo wakho ngentliziyo yakho iphela nangomphefumlo wakho uphela nangengqondo yakho iphela.” Wongezelela wathi: “Owesibini, njengawo, ngulo, ‘Uze umthande ummelwane wakho njengawe siqu.’”—Mat. 22:34-39.

² UYesu wathi simele sithande ummelwane njengoko sizithanda. Ngoko, simele sizibuze: Ngubani kanye kanye ummelwane wethu? Sinokubonisa njani ukuba siyamthanda?

3, 4. (a) UYesu wenza wuphi umzekelo ukuze aphendule umbuzo othi: “Ngubani ngokwenene ummelwane wam?” (b) UmSamariya wayinceda njani indoda eyayiphangiwe, yabethwa yaza yashiywa isecicini lokufa? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.)

³ Xa sicinga ngommelwane, kusenokuthi qatha umntu ohlala kufuphi nathi nongumhlobo wethu. (IMize. 27:10) Kodwa  khawucinge ngoko kwathethwa nguYesu xa umntu othile owayezenza ilungisa wambuza oku: “Ngubani ngokwenene ummelwane wam?” Ukuze amphendule, uYesu wenza umzekeliso womSamariya. (Funda uLuka 10:29-37.) Usenokulindela ukuba umbingeleli wakwaSirayeli nomLevi babe ngabamelwane bokwenene xa bebona umntu ophangiweyo, wabethwa waza washiywa esecicini lokufa. Noko ke, kunokuba bamncede basuka bamdlula nje. Le ndoda yancedwa ngumSamariya—umntu owayephuma kubantu ababewuhlonela uMthetho kaMoses kodwa bethiywe egazini ngamaYuda.—Yoh. 4:9.

⁴ Ukuze ancede amanxeba ale ndoda aphole, lo mSamariya wawagalela ioli newayini. Washiya needenariyo ezimbini kumgcini wendlu yabahambi, ezazilingana nomvuzo weentsuku ezimbini ukuze ayinyamekele. (Mat. 20:2) Ngoko kulula ukubona ukuba ngubani owazingqina engummelwane wale ndoda yayingxwelerhekile. Umzekelo kaYesu usifundisa ukubonisa uvelwano nothando kummelwane wethu.

5. AmaNgqina kaYehova alubonakalisa njani uthando emva kweNkanyamba uSandy?

⁵ Kudla ngokuba nzima ukufumana umntu onovelwano njengalo mSamariya. Kunzima nangakumbi kule ‘mihla yokugqibela’ apho izigidi zabantu zingenaluvelwano, zikhohlakele ibe zingathandi kulunga. (2 Tim. 3:1-3) Ngokomzekelo, kusenokuvela iimeko ezinzima ngexesha lentlekele yemvelo. Khawucinge ngoko kwenzekayo xa iNkanyamba uSandy yahlasela iSixeko saseNew York ngo-Oktobha 2012. Abantu abaninzi babengenambane, begodola, bengenazo nezinto eziyimfuneko. Okulusizi kukuba amasela ayezenzela kubantu ababesele bekuloo ntlungu. AmaNgqina kaYehova ayehlukile. Enza amalungiselelo okunceda abazalwana bawo kunye nabanye abantu abahlala kuloo ngingqi. AmaKristu okwenyaniso akwenza oku kuba ethanda ummelwane wawo. Zeziphi ezinye iindlela esinokubonisa ngazo uthando kummelwane?

6. Umsebenzi wethu wokushumayela udibana njani nokuthanda ummelwane?

⁶ Nceda abantu usebenzisa iBhayibhile. Xa sishumayela, sinika abamelwane bethu ‘intuthuzelo yeZibhalo.’ (Roma 15:4) Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, sibonisa ukuba siyamthanda ummelwane xa sithetha nabantu ngenyaniso yeBhayibhile kumsebenzi wethu wokushumayela. (Mat. 24:14) Sinelungelo elingathethekiyo lokuvakalisa isigidimi soBukumkani esivela ‘kuThixo onika ithemba’!—Roma 15:13.

7. Yintoni uMthetho Omkhulu, ibe sisikelelwa njani ngokuwuthobela?

⁷ Sebenzisa uMthetho Omkhulu. Lo mthetho uchazwa kakuhle ngala mazwi kaYesu awawathetha kwiNtshumayelo yakhe yaseNtabeni: “Zonke izinto . . . enifuna abantu bazenze kuni, yenzani ngokunjalo nani kubo; oku, enyanisweni, koko kuthethwa nguMthetho nabaProfeti.” (Mat. 7:12) Xa siphatha abanye ngale ndlela, senza ngokuvisisana noko kuthethwa “nguMthetho” (ukususela kwiGenesis ukusa kwiDuteronomi) “nabaProfeti” (iincwadi zesiprofeto ezikwiZibhalo zesiHebhere). Ezi ncwadi zenza kucace ukuba uThixo uyabasikelela abo babonisa uthando kwabanye. Ngokomzekelo, esebenzisa uIsaya uYehova wathi: “Gcinani okusesikweni, nenze ubulungisa . . . Unoyolo umntu ofayo okwenzayo oku.” (Isa. 56:1, 2) Ngokwenene siyasikelelwa kuba simphatha ngothando nangobulungisa ummelwane.

8. Kutheni simele sithande iintshaba zethu, ibe yintoni enokwenzeka xa sisenjenjalo?

⁸ Thanda iintshaba zakho. UYesu wathi: “Nivile ukuba kwathiwa, ‘Uze umthande  ummelwane wakho, uluthiye utshaba lwakho.’ Ke mna, ndithi kuni: Qhubekani nizithanda iintshaba zenu, nibathandazele abo banitshutshisayo; ukuze nizingqine ningoonyana boYihlo osemazulwini.” (Mat. 5:43-45) Nompostile uPawulos wagxininisa ingongoma efanayo xa wathi: “Ukuba utshaba lwakho lulambile, luphe ukutya; ukuba lunxaniwe, lunike into yokusela.” (Roma 12:20; IMize. 25:21) NgokoMthetho kaMoses, umntu wayemele ancede utshaba lwakhe ngokukhulula iesile lalo eliwiswe kukusindwa ngumthwalo. (Eks. 23:5) Xa bencedana ngolu hlobo, abantu abaziintshaba banokutshintsha babe ngabahlobo. Ekubeni amaKristu ebonakalisa uthando, iintshaba zethu ezininzi ziye zathamba. Ukuba sibonakalisa uthando kwiintshaba zethu—nkqu nezona zisitshutshisa qatha—siya konwaba gqitha xa sibona ezinye kuzo zisiba ngamaKristu!

9. UYesu wathini ngokuphathelele ukwenza uxolo nomzalwana wethu?

⁹ “Phuthuma uxolo nabantu bonke.” (Heb. 12:14) Kakade ke, oku kuquka abazalwana bethu, kuba uYesu wathi: “Ukuba . . . uzisa isipho sakho esibingelelweni, uthi ulapho ukhumbule ukuba umzalwana wakho unento ngakuwe, sishiye isipho sakho apho phambi kwesibingelelo, uze uhambe uye kuxolelana nomzalwana wakho kuqala, wandule ke, wakubuya, unikele isipho sakho.” (Mat. 5:23, 24) UThixo uya kusisikelela xa sibonisa uthando kumzalwana wethu size sithabathe amanyathelo okwenza uxolo kunye naye.

10. Kutheni singamele sibagwebe abanye?

¹⁰ Musa ukugweba abantu. UYesu wathi: “Musani ukugweba ukuze ningagwetywa; kuba ngogwebo enigweba ngalo, niya kugwetywa kwangalo nani; nomlinganiselo enilinganisela ngawo, baya kunilinganisela kwangawo nani. Kutheni, ngoko, ukhangela udiza olukwiliso lomzalwana wakho, kodwa ungawuqwalaseli umqadi okwelakho iliso? Okanye ungatsho njani na kumzalwana wakho ukuthi, ‘Ndivumele ndikhuphe udiza elisweni lakho’; ngoxa, khangela! umqadi uselisweni lakho? Mhanahanisindini! Khupha kuqala umqadi kwelakho iliso, yaye uya kwandula ke ubone ngokucacileyo indlela yokukhupha udiza elisweni lomzalwana wakho.” (Mat. 7:1-5) Enjani yona indlela yokusixelela ukuba  singagxeki iimpazamo ezincinane zabanye ngoxa thina sinokuba nezinkulu!

11, 12. Yiyiphi eyona ndlela ibalulekileyo yokubonisa ukuba siyamthanda ummelwane?

¹¹ Zininzi iindlela zokubonisa uthando kummelwane wethu. Kodwa uYesu wasifundisa ukuba eyona ndlela kukushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani. (Luka 8:1) UYesu wayalela abalandeli bakhe ukuba baye “kubenza abafundi abantu beentlanga zonke.” (Mat. 28:19, 20) Xa sinenxalenye ekuzalisekiseni loo myalelo, sizama ukunceda ummelwane wethu ashiye indlela ephangaleleyo esa entshabalalweni aze angene kule imxinwa isa ebomini. (Mat. 7:13, 14) Ngokuqinisekileyo uYehova uya kuyisikelela loo migudu.

¹² NjengoYesu sinceda abantu baqonde ukuba bayamdinga uYehova. (Mat. 5:3) Abo basabela kakuhle siye sibancede bamazi ngokubaxelela “iindaba ezilungileyo zikaThixo.” (Roma 1:1) Abo basamkelayo isigidimi soBukumkani baba ngabaxolelanisiweyo noThixo ngoYesu Kristu. (2 Kor. 5:18, 19) Ngoko xa sishumayela iindaba ezilungileyo sibonisa indlela esimthanda ngayo ummelwane ngeyona ndlela ibalulekileyo.

13. Uye uvakalelwe njani xa ufundisa abantu ngoYehova?

¹³ Ngokulungiselela kakuhle xa siza kubuyela okanye siza kuqhuba izifundo zeBhayibhile, sitsho sikwazi ukufundisa abantu ukuba bathobele uYehova nemilinganiselo yakhe. Abanye kusenokufuneka benze utshintsho ebomini babo. (1 Kor. 6:9-11) Kusivuyisa ngokwenene ukubona indlela uYehova abanceda ngayo ‘abo banotyekelo olufanelekileyo ngobomi obungunaphakade’ ukuze benze utshintsho olufunekayo baze babe ngabahlobo bakhe. (IZe. 13:48) Xa abantu abangenathemba befunda iBhayibhile, baba novuyo baze endaweni yokuxhalaba babe nentembelo kuBawo wethu wasezulwini. Kuyavuyisa ukubukela inkqubela yabo basandul’ ukuyamkela inyaniso. Akuvumi na ukuba kuyintsikelelo ukubonisa uthando kummelwane wethu ngalo msebenzi ubalaseleyo?

14. UPawulos waluchaza njani uthando kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 13:4-8?

¹⁴ Ukuba ummelwane simthanda ngendlela eyachazwa nguPawulos, iingxaki zethu ziya kuba mbalwa, sonwabe size sisikelelwe nguThixo. (Funda eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 13:4-8.) Makhe sijonge la mazwi kaPawulos aphathelele uthando size sibone indlela esinokuwasebenzisa ngayo xa siqhubana nommelwane wethu.

15. (a) Kutheni simele sibe nomonde nobubele? (b) Kutheni sifanele siphephe ukuba nomona nokuqhayisa?

¹⁵ “Uthando luzeka kade umsindo yaye lunobubele.” Kanye njengoko uThixo eye wabonisa umonde nobubele xa eqhubana nabantu abangafezekanga, nathi simele sibe nomonde nobubele xa abanye besenza iimpazamo, bethetha bengacinganga okanye bekrwada. “Uthando alunakhwele.” Abanye abazalwana basenokuba namalungelo ebandleni okanye ezinye izinto esingenazo. Kodwa ukuba sibathanda ngokwenene abazalwana bethu, asiyi kubamonela. Ukongezelela, ukuba sinothando, asizukuqhayisa okanye sikhukhumale likratshi. Kaloku, “amehlo anekratshi nentliziyo ekhukhumeleyo, isibane sabangendawo, zisisono.”—IMize. 21:4.

16, 17. Sinokwenza njani ngokuvisisana neyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 13:5, 6?

¹⁶ Uthando luya kusenza simphathe kakuhle ummelwane wethu. Asiyi kumxokisa, sibe izinto zakhe okanye senze nantoni na enokwaphula imithetho nemigaqo  kaYehova. Uthando luya kusinceda singacingeli iziqu zethu kuphela kodwa sicingele nabanye.—Fil. 2:4.

¹⁷ Uthando lokwenene alucaphuki msinya ibe “alunanzondo,” ngokungathi sibhala edolweni xa senziwe into embi ngabantu. (1 Tes. 5:15) Ukuba besinokuba nenzondo, besingayi kumkholisa uThixo, ibe umsindo wethu ubuya kutshisa njengomlilo, wenzakalise thina nabanye abantu. (Lev. 19:18) Uthando lusenza sivuyisane nenyaniso kodwa alusivumeli sibe “nemihlali ngentswela-bulungisa,” nkqu naxa umntu osicaphukisileyo ephathwa kakubi okanye ngokungekho sikweni.—Funda iMizekeliso 24:17, 18.

18. Yintoni oyifundayo ngothando kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 13:7, 8?

¹⁸ Khawuve ukuba uPawulos uqhubeka eluchaza njani uthando. Uthi uthando “luthwala izinto zonke.” Ukuba umntu usonile kodwa acele uxolo, uthando lusishukumisela ukuba simxolele. Uthando “lukholelwa izinto zonke” eziseLizwini likaThixo luze lusenze sikuxabise ukufundiswa yintlangano yakhe. Uthando “luthemba izinto zonke” eziseBhayibhileni luze lusishukumisele ukuba sixelele abanye ngethemba lethu. (1 Pet. 3:15) Ukanti sithandazela yaye sinethemba lokuba iingxaki esijamelene nazo ziza kugqitha. Uthando “lunyamezela izinto zonke,” enoba soniwe, siyatshutshiswa okanye sijamelene nezilingo. Ngaphezu koko, “uthando aluze lutshitshe.” Luya kubonakaliswa ngabantu abathobelayo ngonaphakade.

19, 20. Ziziphi iZibhalo ezisifundisa ukuba sithande ummelwane?

¹⁹ Ukuba sisebenzisa isiluleko seBhayibhile, siya kusoloko simthanda ummelwane. Simele sithande bonke abantu enoba ngaboluphi uhlanga. Simele sikhumbule nokuba uYesu wathi: “Uze umthande ummelwane wakho njengawe siqu.” (Mat. 22:39) UThixo noYesu balindele ukuba sithande ummelwane wethu. Nanini na kunzima ukubonisa uthando kummelwane, sinokuthandaza kuThixo sicele umoya wakhe oyingcwele. Ukuba senjenjalo, uYehova uya kusisikelela aze asincede senze izinto ngothando.—Roma 8:26, 27.

²⁰ Umyalelo wokuba sithande ummelwane ubizwa ngokuba ‘ngumthetho wakomkhulu.’ (Yak. 2:8) Emva kokubhekisela kweminye yeMithetho kaMoses, uPawulos wathi: “Nawuphi na omnye umyalelo okhoyo, ushwankathelwa ngeli lizwi, lokuba, ‘Uze umthande ummelwane wakho njengawe siqu.’ Uthando alusebenzi bubi kummelwane kabani; ngoko ke uthando lukukuzaliseka komthetho.” (Roma 13:8-10) Ngoko kufuneka siqhubeke sithanda ummelwane.

21, 22. Kutheni simele sithande uThixo nommelwane?

²¹ Njengoko sicamngca ngesizathu sokuba sithande ummelwane, kubalulekile nokuba sicingisise nangoko kwathethwa nguYesu esithi uYise wenza “ilanga lakhe liphume kubantu abangendawo nabalungileyo nemvula eyinisa kubantu abangamalungisa nabangengomalungisa.” (Mat. 5:43-45) Kufuneka sithande ummelwane wethu enoba ulilungisa okanye akalilo. Njengoko bekutshiwo ngaphambili, enye indlela yokubonisa olu thando kukumxelela ngoBukumkani. Ezinjani iintsikelelo aya kuzifumana ukuba usabela kakuhle kwezi ndaba zilungileyo!

²² Sinezizathu ezininzi zokuthanda uYehova ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo. Zininzi neendlela zokubonisa uthando lwethu ngommelwane. Ukuba siyamthanda uThixo nommelwane, sithobela imithetho emibini eyeyona mikhulu. Ngaphezu kwako konke, sikholisa uBawo wethu wasezulwini, uYehova.