Good works without repentance
Uma ubungabuza uJohane uMbhabhadisi ukuthi kwakuyini eyisithiya esikhulu okholweni olusindisayo kwaIsrayeli ngezikhathi zakhe, ngaphandle kokunanaza angaphendula athi isithiya esikhulu okholweni olusindisayo ngezikhathi zakhe kwawukuthi abantu babenemisebenzi eminingi emihle kodwa ukuphenduka kukuncane kakhulu.
Intshumayelo yakhe avula ngayo yayithi “ Phendukani!” ngoba uMsindisi wayeseseduze.(ngokukaMathewu 3:2-3).
Abaningi beza ukuzomuzwa eshumayela. Bonke bavuma izono zabo basebesindiswa (NgokukaMathewu 3:5-6).
Kodwa kwabe sekufika amaqembu amabili abantu ehlukene—iqeqebane lalabo ababeziphethe kahle kakhulu kuneqwaba eyayivame ukufika. Kwakhuna labo abahlolisisa imiBhalo ngokufunda kabanzi ngoNkulunkulu ( theologians) kanye nalabo ababhekisisa imiBhalo ukuthola lokho eyayikuchaza ngesikhathi eyayibhalwe ngaso (Bible scholars). Babe yizazi zemiBhalo ezaze zigogodile kwindlela ezisebenzisa ngayo iZwi likaNkulunkulu bazizuzela ukuphakama ngenxa yalokho. Emehlweni abo babengenaso isidingo sokuphenduka, futhi njengoba ukuphenduka kwaku yiwona kuphela umyalezo kaJohane, lokhu singakubheka ngokuthi babeze kuJohane ngoba kukhona abafuna ukuzokubona noma, okuyikona okungacishe kube yisona isizathu, babeze ukuzoletha imibono nokwahlulela abakubhekise kuhlobo lokudla kukaJohane, indlela enza ngayo izinto kanye nomyalezo wakhe.
UJohane, njengomshumayeli othembekile, esebamemile abaningi ebamemela ekuphendukeni, wabe esejika esekhuluma ngokwahlulelwa kulabo ababenemisebenzi eminingi emihle, kodwa ukuphenduka kungekho. Yize noma babevelele kwindlela abaziphethe ngayo kahle nakwidumela ababenalo ngemisebenzi yabo emihle, imisebenzi yabo emihle kwakuyizithelo zokulunga zokuzenzisa, kungesona isithelo “esikhombisa ukuphenduka” (ngokukaMathewu 3:7-8).
Babebambelele kumagugu ayifa lomndeni (ngokukaMathewu 3:9), kodwa babesengcupheni yokuphoswa esihongweni uma uMsindisi esifikile ( ngokukaMathewu 3:10-12).
Zibuze wena namhlanje, hhayi ukuthi “Ngabe ngiyayenza imisebenzi emihle?”, kodwa ukuthi “Ngakube imisebenzi yami emihle iyimiphumela yokuphenduka?”
Ungafuni nje kuphela ukuzama kanzima ukuba nemisebenzi emihle, kodwa funa kuqala ukuvuma izono zakho, bese-ke sekuba wukwenza imisebenzi emihle leyo elungile ngokweqiniso.