Indaba yomprofethi uJona igxile ezingxabanweni zamazwe ngamazwe zekhulu lesi-8 BC. Ukubheka ngokushesha izindaba zosuku noma umlando wakamuva kusikhumbuza ukuthi ukungqubuzana kwamazwe ngamazwe kusese kakhulu kithi. Kodwa nakuba ukungqubuzana phakathi kuka-Israyeli noMbuso Wase-Asiriya kwakha isizinda sendaba kaJona, izifundo ezibalulekile zalendaba ngezomuntu siqu; ziyizifundo zikaJona. Futhi, njengakulo lonke iBhayibheli, ngawethu, futhi, ngisho nangezinkulungwane zeminyaka kamuva.
Ngenkathi iNkosi ibiza uJona ukuthi aye edolobheni laseNineve, kwakuyinhloko-dolobha yoMbuso Wase-Asiriya, umbuso omkhulu kuleyo ngxenye yomhlaba ngekhulu lesi-8 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKristu. UJona wayemanqikanqika ukuya eNineve okungenani ngenxa yokuthi uMbuso Wase-Asiriya wawuyisitha esatshwayo sika-Israyeli, esasivame ukusongela futhi silwe no-Israyeli noJuda (futhi lokho kwakuzogcina kubhubhise umbuso wasenyakatho futhi kuvimbezele iJerusalema).
Njengoba kulandiswe encwadini kaJona, uJehova watshela uJona ukuba aye eNineve ayobizela abantu bakhona ekuphendukeni. Ukungabaza kukaJona kwasekuqaleni kwaholela ekubalekeni kwakhe, nokuhlangana kwakhe nenhlanzi enkulu (bheka Jonah 1). Ekugcineni uJona waya eNineve ngemva kokuba iNkosi imbizile futhi (bheka Jonah 3:1-3) washumayela khona. Okwamdumaza ukuthi abase-Asiriya basabela obizweni lwakhe, futhi baphenduka! Ngenxa yalokho, uJehova akazange ayibhubhise iNineve (bheka Jonah 3:10).
UJona akazange ajabule ngokuthi izitha zika-Israyeli ezinamandla amakhulu zazizosindiswa. Ngempela, “wathukuthela kakhulu,” (Jonah 4:1) wacasuka waze wafuna ukufa (Jonah 4:3). INkosi kayivumanga isicelo sakhe sokufa. Wamane wabuza umbuzo: “Ingabe kufanele uthukuthele kangaka?” (Jonah 4:4).
Impendulo kaJona yaba ukumisa amatende ngaphandle kwaseNineve, mhlawumbe enethemba lokuthi inhloko-dolobha yezitha zika-Israyeli yayisazobhujiswa. Kodwa lapho uJehova enikeza isihlahla somthunzi esafa, intukuthelo kaJona yaphinde yavutha futhi wacela ukufa okwesibili. INkosi yamane yabuza futhi ukuthi uJona kufanele athukuthele kangakanani. Impendulo kaJona yaba ukuthi, yebo, kufanele athukuthele “kuze kube sekufeni” (Jonah 4:9).
Incwadi kaJona iphetha ngokuthi iNkosi ibuza ukuthi uJona kufanele yini akhathazeke kangangokuthi uJehova welulela umusa kubantu abaningi kangaka (Jonah 4:10-11), sigqamisa amandla okucasuka kanye nentukuthelo kulabo esibabona bengeyona ingxenye yeqembu lethu, ngokwepolitiki noma ngokwenhlalo. Ingabe sike senze njengoJona? Ingabe siyacasuka uma kukhona okuhle okwenzeka kwabamelene nathi?
Cishe kuwufanele ukucabanga ngomthombo wentukuthelo. Zulu nesi Hogo 562 isikisela ukuthi “ukudelelwa abanye; umona; ubutha kunoma ubani ongekho ngakubo, kanye nobutha obuwumphumela; izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zenzondo; impindiselo; umsebenzi wezandla; inkohliso; ukucasuka; nonya” konke kunomsuka wakho ekugxileni ekuzithandeni. IZwi livame ukubiza lolo thando “ngogibe” noma “ugibe” olusetshenziswa imimoya emibi ukuze ibambe abantu futhi ibangenise njengamalungu “eqembu likadeveli” (bheka I-Arcana Coelestia 9348:6).
Leyo ngxenye iyaqhubeka, ithi ukuzithanda kuwumthombo wabo bonke ububi futhi kukho “kuvela ukudelela abanye uma kuqhathaniswa nobumina, bese kuba usulu nokululazwa kwabo, okulandelwa ubutha uma bengavumelani, futhi ekugcineni kube injabulo abayitholayo. ihamba nenzondo, impindiselo, kanjalo nonya, ubulwane ngempela” (I-Arcana Coelestia 9348:7).
Ukuqhubekela phambili kokudelela kube ukubhuqa, ubutha, inzondo kuze kufike ebulwaneni kuyethusa. Isicupho sicushiwe, silinde isisulu saso esilandelayo. Umfanekiso wesicupho esibanjiwe wenza umbuzo weNkosi ophindaphindwayo kuJona uthandeke nakakhulu: “Ingabe kufanele uthukuthele kangaka?”
