Uke wanaka yini ukuthi izinkolo eziningi zibonakala zigxile ekugayeni imali kunokuba zisize abantu basondele kuNkulunkulu? Ziyakhangisa futhi zikhokhise abantu ngemisebenzi eziyenzela bona ziphinde zidayise ngezinto ezithile. Iningi labaholi bazo likhokhelwa izimali ezishisiwe futhi liphila ntofontofo. Ake ucabange ngezibonelo ezimbalwa:

•   Ucwaningo lwembule ukuthi omunye umbhishobhi wamaKatolika uye wasebenzisa izimali zesonto ukuze akhokhele ukuhamba ngamabhanoyi asetshenziswa uyena kuphela izikhathi ezingaba ngu-150 nokuhamba ngezimoto zomtakabani izikhathi ezingaba ngu-200. Lokhu ukwenze phakathi neminyaka engaba ngu-13. Uphinde wasebenzisa imali engaphezu kuka-R75 296 200 00 elungisa indawo ahlala kuyo esontweni.

•   Umshumayeli wakwelinye izwe lase-Afrika uvame ukwenza izinkonzo phambi kwamashumi ezinkulungwane zabantu. Kudedangendlale wesonto lakhe udayisa lonke uhlobo lwento, amafutha okuthiwa ayelapha, amathawula nezikibha okubhaliwe. Iningi lalabo ababa khona kulezi zinkonzo badla imbuya ngothi kodwa yena udla izambane likapondo.

•   Ezintabeni zaseShayina zamaBuddha ezine, ezimbili zazo zibhaliswe njengezinkampani ezisemthethweni. IThempeli elidumile i-Shaolin lenza imisebenzi eminingi engenisa imali—umphathi-sigodlo walo waziwa ngokuthi umphathi wezindela.

•   Abantu abafundisa ngenkolo sebeqala ukuba khona kwezamabhizinisi zaseMelika. Ngokomunye umbiko, baqamba amasiko angekho bewasusela emasikweni enkolo baphinde benzele amakhasimende abo eminye imisebenzi engokwenkolo.

 Zikwenza uzizwe kanjani izinkolo ezicwile kwezamabhizinisi? Wake wazibuza yini ukuthi uNkulunkulu ucabangani ngabantu abafuna ukuzuza ngokwezimali ngokwenza imisebenzi yenkolo?

 UNkulunkulu akakwamukeli ukuxuba inkolo nebhizinisi. IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi esikhathini sakudala, babemdumaza abapristi ababethi bayammelela bebe befundisa ngenjongo “yokuthola imali.” (Mika 3:11) UNkulunkulu wazilahla lezi zenzo zezentengiselwano ezinobugovu ezase ziphendule indawo yokumkhonza yaba “umhume wabaphangi.”—Jeremiya 7:11.

 NjengoBaba wakhe, uJesu wayebanyanya abantu abasebenzisa inkolo ukuze bazuze ngokwezimali. Ngesikhathi sakhe, abaholi benkolo babethola inzuzo kubadayisi abanobugovu ababebavumele ukuthi benze ibhizinisi ngaphakathi ethempelini eliseJerusalema. Lapho, babeqola abantu abamsulwa ababeze ukuzokhonza uNkulunkulu. Ngesibindi uJesu wazixosha lezi zigebengu zabadayisi, wazikhiphela ngaphandle ethempelini, ethi: “Yekani ukwenza indlu kaBaba indlu yokuhwebelana!”—Johane 2:14-16.

 UJesu waphinde wenza inkonzo yakhe ngendlela eyayiveza ukuthi uNkulunkulu ucabangani. (Johane 8:28, 29) Akakaze abakhokhise abantu ngokubafundisa ngoNkulunkulu. Akazange afune ukukhokhelwa ngezimangaliso ayezenza, njengokusuthisa abalambile, ukuphulukisa abagulayo nokuvusa abafile. UJesu akakaze asebenzise inkonzo yakhe ukuze acebe, wayengenawo ngisho nomuzi othi yena.—Luka 9:58.

 UJesu watshela abalandeli bakhe ukuthi bangalokothi bafune ukukhokhelwa ngemisebenzi ababeyenza lapho bekhonza uNkulunkulu. Wathi: “Namukele ngesihle, yiphani ngesihle.” (Mathewu 10:8) Labo balandeli bekhulu lokuqala, kamuva abaziwa ngokuthi abalandeli bakaJesu, babezilalela iziqondiso zikaJesu. Cabanga ngalezi zibonelo ezimbalwa:

•   Indoda okuthiwa uSimoni yacela ukunikeza umphostoli uPetru imali, owake wahamba noJesu enkonzweni yakhe ukuze ithole amandla negunya. UPetru wayenqaba ngokushesha imali ayeyinikezwa uSimoni, wabe esemkhuza wathi: “Kwangathi isiliva lakho lingashabalala kanye nawe, ngoba ucabange ukuthi ungasithola ngemali isipho sesihle sikaNkulunkulu.”—IzEnzo 8:18-20.

•   Umphostoli uPawulu wayeyisikhonzi esaziwayo esasihambela izindawo eziningi. Nakuba asebenza kanzima iminyaka eminingi emabandleni obuKristu, akakaze afune ukukhokhelwa ngomsebenzi wakhe. Yena namaKristu ayekanye nawo babengebona “abathengisi bezwi likaNkulunkulu.” (2 Korinte 2:17) Ngokungafani nalaba bathengisi, uPawulu wabhala: “Sasisebenza ubusuku nemini, ukuze singathwesi muntu kini umthwalo oyizindleko ezinkulu, lapho sishumayela izindaba ezinhle zikaNkulunkulu kini.”—1 Thesalonika 2:9.

 Yiqiniso, lawo maKristu ekhulu lokuqala ayeyidinga imali ukuze asekele imikhankaso emikhulu yokushumayela kanye nokupha. Kodwa ayengalokothi akhokhise ngosizo ayelunikeza abanye ukuze bakhonze uNkulunkulu. Abantu babengazikhethela ukunikela uma bethanda, ngokuvumelana nale mibhalo elandelayo:

•   2 Korinte 8:12: “Ngoba uma umuntu ezimisele ukupha, kwamukeleka ngokukhethekile ngokwalokho umuntu anakho, hhayi ngokwalokho umuntu angenakho.”

   Incazelo: Isisusa somuntu sokupha sibaluleke ukwedlula ukuthi kungakanani aphisana ngakho.

•   2 Korinte 9:7: “Yilowo nalowo makenze njengoba nje enqumile enhliziyweni yakhe, kungabi ngokudabuka noma ngaphansi kokucindezelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu uthanda umuntu ojabulayo lapho epha.”

   Incazelo: UNkulunkulu akafuni sizizwe siphoqiwe ukunikela. Uyajabula uma umuntu enikela ngoba ethanda.

 IBhayibheli lisho ngokucacile ukuthi akuzona zonke izindlela zokukhulekela nezinkolo uNkulunkulu azamukelayo. (Mathewu 7:21-23) Esiprofethweni esivusa amadlingozi, iBhayibheli lifanisa zonke izinkolo zamanga nesifebe ngoba zisebenza nohulumeni ukuze zithole imali noma ezinye izinto, ziphinde ziqole abantu bazo zonke izizwe. (IsAmbulo 17:1-3; 18:3) Leso siprofetho siphinde sibonise ukuthi maduzane uNkulunkulu uzokhipha isahlulelo enkolweni yamanga.—IsAmbulo 17:15-17; 18:7.

 Okwamanje, uNkulunkulu akafuni izenzo ezimbi zenkolo yamanga zidukise noma ziqhelise abantu kuye. (Mathewu 24:11, 12) Uncenga abanezinhliziyo eziqotho ukuba bashiye inkolo yamanga nokuba bafunde ukumkhonza ngendlela ayamukelayo.—2 Korinte 6:16, 17.