NJENGOMARIE noTheresa izigidi zabantu emhlabeni wonke zithandaza kosanta bazo ukuze zithole izibusiso. Ngokwe-New Catholic Encyclopedia, “osanta bangabakhulumeli babantu, kanti ‘kuhle futhi kuyazuzisa’ ukuthandaza kubo ukuze sithole . . . izinzuzo kuNkulunkulu.”

Kodwa, uNkulunkulu uyibheka kanjani le ndaba? Ingabe uyakwamukela ukuthandaza “kosanta” ukuze basikhulumele kuYe? Cabangela lokho okushiwo yiBhayibheli.

EBhayibhelini, igama lesiGreki elithi “santa” ezinguqulweni ezithile lisho “ongcwele.” Kodwa, akukho lapho iBhayibheli likhuluma khona ngesikhonzi esithembekile sikaNkulunkulu esithandaza “kusanta.” Kungani kunjalo? I-New Catholic Encyclopedia ithi kwaqala “ngekhulu lesithathu ukuba umkhuba wokukhulunyelwa osanta uqashelwe ngokucacile.” Lokhu kwenzeka eminyakeni engu-200 ngemva kokufa kukaKristu. Ngakho-ke, le mfundiso ayizange iqanjwe uJesu nabalobi beBhayibheli abaphefumulelwe ababhala ngenkonzo yakhe. Siyini isizathu?

IBhayibheli ligcizelela imfundiso yokuthi kufanele sithandaze kuNkulunkulu kuphela, senze kanjalo ngegama likaJesu Kristu. UJesu wathi, “Ngiyindlela neQiniso noKuphila. Akekho ongeza kuBaba ngaphandle kokuba eze ngami.” (Johane 14:6, i-Jerusalem Bible yamaKatolika) La mazwi acacile avumelana kahle nemfundiso kaJesu ekuMathewu 6:9-13. Lapho ecacisa indaba yomthandazo, uJesu wathi kubalandeli bakhe: “Khona-ke, kumelwe nithandaze ngale ndlela: Baba wethu osezulwini, malingcweliswe igama lakho. . . . ” (Mathewu 6:9) Kuyacaca ukuthi nguBaba wethu osezulwini  kuphela okufanele sithandaze kuye. Leli qiniso lisekelwe esimisweni seBhayibheli esiyinhloko.

I-World Book Encyclopedia, ithi, “ukuthandaza kuwukubhekisa amazwi enhlonipho nemicabango kuNkulunkulu, konkulunkulu, konkulunkulukazi noma kwezinye izinto ezikhulekelwayo. . . . Ukuthandaza kuyindlela yokukhulekela ebalulekile cishe kuzo zonke izinkolo emhlabeni.” (Omalukeke abethu.) Zibuze, ‘Ingabe kuyafaneleka ukuguqa sikhulekele ngomthandazo noma ubani ongeyena uMdali noMniki-Kuphila wethu?’ (IHubo 36:9) UJesu wathi: ‘Abakhulekeli beqiniso bayokhulekela uBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso, ngoba ngempela uBaba ufuna abanjalo ukuba bamkhulekele.’ (Johane 4:23) IBhayibheli liphinde lithi uMdali wethu ufuna ‘sizinikela kuye kuphela.’—Duteronomi 4:24; 6:15.

Cabanga ngesibonelo somphostoli ongumKristu uJohane. Ngemva kokuthola imibono emangalisayo elotshwe encwadini yeBhayibheli yesAmbulo, lo mphostoli owayemangele ‘wawa phansi phambi kwezinyawo zengelosi’ eyayimbonise lezi zinto. Yasabela kanjani le ngelosi? Yathi, “Qaphela! Ungakwenzi lokho! Ngimane ngiyinceku kanye nawe nabafowenu . . . Khulekela uNkulunkulu.” (IsAmbulo 22:8, 9) Yebo, iBhayibheli liphinde liyagcizelela ukuthi kufanele sikhulekele uJehova uNkulunkulu kuphela.

Ngokuvumelana nalokho osekushiwo, uNkulunkulu kuphela obizwa ngokuthi ‘uMuzwi womthandazo.’ (IHubo 65:2) Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoMninimandla onke, uyena yedwa onegunya, ulwazi namandla okuphendula noma yiziphi izicelo ezifanele ezenziwa ngomthandazo. (Jobe 33:4) Ngisho noJesu uqobo, wakuvuma ukulinganiselwa kwakhe. (Mathewu 20:23; 24:36) Nokho, nakuba kunjalo, uJesu Kristu unikwe igunya elikhulu, kuhlanganise nomsebenzi wokukhonza njengoMlamuleli wabantu.

Nakhu okushiwo iBhayibheli ngoJesu: “Uyakwazi futhi ukusindisa ngokuphelele labo abasondela kuNkulunkulu ngaye, ngoba uyaphila ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuba abancengele.” (Hebheru 7:25) Ngamanye amazwi, uJesu angakhonza njengoMlamuleli onozwela kulabo ‘abaya ngaye kuNkulunkulu.’ Lokhu akusho ukuthi kufanele sithandaze kuJesu njengokungathi yena uyowudlulisela kuNkulunkulu umthandazo wethu. Kunalokho, kusho ukuthi sithandaza kuNkulunkulu ngegama likaJesu, ngaleyo ndlela siliqaphele igunya lakhe. Kungani uJesu enguMlamuleli ophelele?

Phakathi kokunye, uJesu waphila njengomuntu, okwamenza wakuqonda ngokwengeziwe ukuhlupheka kwabanye. (Johane 11:32-35) Okunye ukuthi wabonisa uthando lwakhe ngabantu ngokwelapha abagulayo, ukuvusa abafile nangokondla ngokomoya labo ababeza kuye. (Mathewu 15:29, 30; Luka 9:11-17) Wathethelela ngisho nabanezono. (Luka 5:24) Lokhu kusinika ithemba, ngoba uma sona, “sinomsizi kuBaba, uJesu Kristu, olungileyo.”—1 Johane 2:1.

Uthando nobubele bukaJesu buyizimfanelo okufanele sizame ukuzilingisa. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi, asigunyaziwe ukukhonza njengabalamuleli. Kodwa singabathandazela abanye. Empeleni, uthando kufanele lusishukumisele ukuba senze kanjalo. UJakobe wabhala, “Nithandazelane. Ukunxusa komuntu olungileyo, lapho kusebenza, kunamandla amakhulu.”—Jakobe 5:16.

UMarie noTheresa bawafunda la maqiniso ayigugu ngokuzihlolela iBhayibheli. OFakazi BakaJehova bayakunxusa ukuba nawe wenze kanjalo. Njengoba uJesu asho, ‘abakhulekela uNkulunkulu, kumelwe bakhulekele ngomoya nangeqiniso.’—Johane 4:24.