OMNYE umphandi kutsha nje wenze uhlolisiso kubantu abasebatsha abangaphezu kwe-800, abavela kwiicawa ezahlukahlukeneyo, ebabuza ukuba bayakholelwa na ukuba uYesu uyayiphendula imithandazo. Abayi-60 pesenti kubo bathe bayakholelwa ukuba uyayiphendula. Noko ke, omnye kolu lutsha walikhupha igama elithi Yesu wafaka elithi, “Thixo” endaweni yalo.

Ucinga ntoni wena? Ngaba sifanele sithandaze kuYesu okanye kuThixo? * Ukuze sifumane impendulo, masijonge indlela uYesu awabafundisa ukuba bathandaze ngayo abafundi bakhe.

UYesu wasifundisa waza wasibonisa ukuba sifanele sithandaze kubani.

IMFUNDISO YAKHE: Xa omnye wabafundi bakaYesu wathi, “Nkosi, sifundise ukuthandaza,” waphendula wathi: “Xa sukuba nithandaza, yithini, ‘Bawo.’” (Luka 11:1, 2) Ngaphezu koko, kwiNtshumayelo yakhe yaseNtabeni, uYesu wabongoza abaphulaphuli bakhe ukuba bathandaze. Wathi: ‘Thandazani kuYihlo.’ Wabaqinisekisa ngokuthi: “UYihlo uyakwazi enikusweleyo ningekamceli.” (Mateyu 6:6, 8) Ngobusuku bakhe bokugqibela emhlabeni, uYesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Ukuba nicela nantoni na kuBawo uya kuninika yona egameni lam.” (Yohane 16:23) Ngoko ke, uYesu wasifundisa ukuba sithandaze kuYise wakhe nowethu, uYehova uThixo.—Yohane 20:17.

UMZEKELO WAKHE: Ngokuvisisana nemfundiso yakhe ngendlela abanye abamele bathandaze ngayo, uYesu wathandaza wathi: “Ndikudumisa esidlangalaleni, Bawo, Nkosi yezulu nomhlaba.” (Luka 10:21) Ngesinye isihlandlo, “uYesu wawaphakamisela ezulwini amehlo akhe waza wathi: ‘Bawo, ndiyakubulela ngokuba uye wandiva.’” (Yohane 11:41) Njengoko wayesifa, uYesu wathandaza wathi: “Bawo, ndiwuyekela ezandleni zakho umoya wam.” (Luka 23:46) Ngokuthandaza kuYise wasemazulwini—‘iNkosi yezulu nomhlaba’—uYesu wasimisela umzekelo ocacileyo esifanele siwuxelise. (Mateyu 11:25; 26:41, 42; 1 Yohane 2:6) Ngaba abafundi bakaYesu bokuqala babekuqonda ngolu hlobo oku?

Kwiiveki ezimbalwa emva kokuba uYesu ebuyele ezulwini, abafundi bakhe babetshutshiswa yaye begrogriswa ngabachasi babo. (IZenzo 4:18) Bathandazela uncedo—kodwa babethandaza kubani? “Baphakamisa amazwi abo kuThixo ngamxhelo mnye,” bethandazela ukuba aqhubeke ebanceda “ngegama lomkhonzi [wakhe] ongcwele uYesu.” (IZenzo 4:24, 30) Ngoko ke, abalandeli bakhe baxelisa umzekelo kaYesu wokuthandaza. Bathandaza kuThixo, kungekhona uYesu.

Kwiminyaka kamva, umpostile uPawulos wacacisa indlela yena nabo wayekunye nabo ababethandaza ngayo. Ebhalela amanye amaKristu, wathi: “Sisoloko simbulela uThixo uYise weNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu xa sinithandazela.” (Kolose 1:3) Waphinda wabhala wathi ‘wayesoloko ebulela ngazo zonke izinto kuye uThixo noBawo wethu egameni leNkosi yethu  uYesu Kristu.’ (Efese 5:20) Kula mazwi, siyabona ukuba uPawulos ‘wayesoloko’ ethandaza ‘kuThixo noBawo wakhe ngazo zonke izinto’—kodwa ke, egameni likaYesu.—Kolose 3:17.

NjengamaKristu okuqala, sinokubonisa uthando esinalo ngoYesu ngokwenza oko wakuthethayo ngomthandazo. (Yohane 14:15) Njengoko sithandaza kuBawo wethu osemazulwini kuphela, amazwi akwiNdumiso 116:1, 2 athi, “ndiyathanda, ngenxa yokuba uYehova uyaliva Ilizwi lam . . . ndiya kubiza yonke imihla yam,” aya kuba nentsingiselo engakumbi kuthi. *