🙏 Mifano ya Biblia — Sehemu ya 11: Neema na Kujilinganisha🙏 Parables of the Bible — Unit 11: Grace and Comparison

UtanguliziOrientation

Mifano miwili katika sehemu hii ina jambo moja la kushangaza linalofanana. Katika mmoja, mtu wa dini anasimama hekaluni na kumshukuru Mungu kwamba yeye si kama yule mtoza ushuru aliyesimama karibu. Katika mwingine, wafanyakazi waliofanya kazi mchana kutwa wanawatazama wale walioajiriwa saa ya mwisho na kunung'unika kwamba mwenye shamba amewasawazisha nao. Katika hadithi zote mbili shida inaanza pale mtu anapoanza kujilinganisha na mtu mwingine.Two parables in this unit have something surprising in common. In one, a religious man stands in the temple and thanks God that he is not like the tax collector standing nearby. In the other, workers who labored all day look at the men hired at the last hour and grumble that the owner has made them equal. In both stories the trouble begins the moment someone starts comparing himself with someone else.

Katika Sehemu ya 9 tulikutana na yule mwana mkubwa, aliyelinganisha miaka yake ya utumishi na maisha yaliyopotezwa ya ndugu yake, akakataa kuingia karamuni. Katika Sehemu ya 10 tulikutana na mtumwa aliyesahau ukubwa wa deni lake mwenyewe. Hapa tunakutana na ndugu wengine wawili wa yule mwana mkubwa: Farisayo aliyekana kwamba anahitaji neema, na wafanyakazi wa mapema walioichukia neema waliyopewa wengine. Mifano yote miwili inafundisha funzo lile lile kutoka pande mbili tofauti. Neema haiwezi kupimwa kwenye mizani kando ya watu wengine. Inaweza tu kupokelewa kwa mikono mitupu.In Unit 9 we met the elder brother, who compared his years of service with his brother's wasted life and refused to go in to the feast. In Unit 10 we met a servant who forgot the size of his own debt. Here we meet two more relatives of the elder brother: the Pharisee who denied he needed grace, and the early workers who resented grace given to others. Both parables teach the same lesson from different directions. Grace cannot be measured on a scale beside other people. It can only be received with empty hands.

I. Farisayo na Mtoza Ushuru (Luka 18:9–14)I. The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9–14)

Luka anatuambia hasa kwa nini Yesu aliusimulia mfano huu: "watu kadha wa kadha wenye kujikinai ya kuwa wao ni wenye haki, wakiwadharau wengine wote" (18:9). Watu wawili walipanda kwenda hekaluni kusali. Farisayo "akasali hivi moyoni mwake": "Ee Mungu, nakushukuru kwa kuwa mimi si kama watu wengine, wanyang'anyi, wadhalimu, wazinzi, wala kama huyu mtoza ushuru. Mimi nafunga mara mbili kwa juma; natoa zaka katika mapato yangu yote" (18:11–12). Hakuwa mnafiki kwa maana ya kawaida. Sheria ilidai mfungo mmoja tu kwa mwaka, naye alifunga mara mbili kwa juma. Alitoa zaka ya kila kitu, hata zaidi ya kile sheria ilichodai. Lakini sala yake kwa kweli ilimhusu yeye mwenyewe. Alimtaja Mungu mara moja na kujitaja yeye mwenyewe mara tano, naye alimtumia yule mtoza ushuru kama kipimo cha kujifanya aonekane mwema.Luke tells us exactly why Jesus told this parable: "to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others" (18:9). Two men went up to the temple to pray. The Pharisee "prayed thus with himself": "God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess" (18:11–12). He was not a hypocrite in the ordinary sense. The law required only one annual fast, and he fasted twice a week. He tithed everything, even beyond what the law required. But his prayer was really about himself. He mentioned God once and himself five times, and he used the tax collector as a measuring stick to make himself look good.

"Lakini yule mtoza ushuru alisimama mbali, wala hakuthubutu hata kuinua macho yake mbinguni, bali alijipigapiga kifua akisema, Ee Mungu, uniwie radhi mimi mwenye dhambi" (18:13). Watoza ushuru waliwafanyia kazi Warumi na mara nyingi hawakuwa waaminifu; Wayahudi waliwahesabu kuwa wasaliti. Mtu huyu hakutoa visingizio wala hakutoa orodha ya matendo mema. Neno alilotumia kwa "uniwie radhi" linahusiana na neno la Kiyunani la kiti cha rehema, mahali ambapo damu ya upatanisho ilinyunyizwa. Alikuwa akimwomba Mungu ashughulikie dhambi yake kwa njia pekee ambayo dhambi inaweza kushughulikiwa: kwa upatanisho."And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'" (18:13). Tax collectors worked for the Romans and were often dishonest; the Jewish people considered them traitors. This man made no excuses and offered no list of good deeds. The word he used for "be merciful" is connected to the Greek word for the mercy seat, the place where the blood of atonement was sprinkled. He was asking God to deal with his sin the only way sin can be dealt with: by atonement.

Sala ni nini? Maneno ya Farisayo yalielekezwa kwa Mungu, lakini Luka anasema "akasali hivi moyoni mwake," na baadhi ya tafsiri zinasema "alisimama peke yake." Kwa vyovyote vile, sala yake haikuinuka kamwe kutoka ardhini. Alikuwa akizungumza juu yake mwenyewe kwa nafsi yake mwenyewe. Sala ya mtoza ushuru ndiyo iliyokuwa fupi kuliko zote katika hadithi, maneno saba tu kwa Kiingereza, nayo ilikwenda moja kwa moja mbinguni.What is prayer? The Pharisee's words were addressed to God, but Luke says he "prayed thus with himself," and some translations render it "stood by himself." Either way, his prayer never really left the ground. He was talking about himself to himself. The tax collector's prayer was the shortest in the story, only seven words in English, and it went straight to heaven.

Mazingira yanaweza kuifanya sala ya mtoza ushuru iwe na nguvu zaidi. Mara mbili kila siku, asubuhi na alasiri, mwana-kondoo alitolewa dhabihu hekaluni kama upatanisho kwa ajili ya watu, na makutano walikusanyika kusali wakati uvumba ulipofukizwa (ona Luka 1:8–10). Wafasiri wengi wanaamini kwamba Yesu anawaonyesha watu wale wawili wakisali katika mojawapo ya ibada hizi. Ikiwa ndivyo, wakati damu ya dhabihu ilipokuwa ikitolewa, mtoza ushuru aliitazama madhabahu, akajipiga kifua, akamwomba Mungu awe radhi naye kwa njia ya dhabihu ile. Farisayo alisimama katika ibada ile ile na hakugundua kamwe kwamba aliihitaji.The setting may make the tax collector's prayer even more powerful. Twice each day, in the morning and at mid-afternoon, a lamb was sacrificed at the temple as an atonement for the people, and crowds gathered to pray as the incense was offered (see Luke 1:8–10). Many interpreters believe Jesus pictures the two men praying at one of these services. If so, as the blood of the sacrifice was being offered, the tax collector looked at the altar, beat his breast, and asked God to be propitiated toward him through that sacrifice. The Pharisee stood at the same service and never noticed that he needed it.

Luka anauweka mfano huu mara kabla ya habari ya watoto wadogo walioletwa kwa Yesu, ambapo alisema, "Mtu yeyote asiyeupokea ufalme wa Mungu kama mtoto mdogo hatauingia kabisa" (Luka 18:17). Mtoto huja mikono mitupu, bila kuleta kitu ila mahitaji yake. Mtoza ushuru alikuja hivyo; Farisayo alikuja na mikono iliyojaa sifa zake.Luke places this parable just before the story of the little children brought to Jesus, where He said, "Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it" (Luke 18:17). A child comes with empty hands, bringing nothing but need. The tax collector came that way; the Pharisee came with his hands full of credentials.

Kisha ikaja hukumu ya Yesu ya kushtua: "Nawaambia, huyu alishuka kwenda nyumbani kwake amehesabiwa haki kuliko yule; kwa maana kila ajikwezaye atadhiliwa, naye ajidhiliye atakwezwa" (18:14). Wokovu hautegemei mimi ni nani wala kile ninachofanya, bali kile ambacho Mungu amenitendea. Mtume Paulo alikuwa na sifa bora kuliko Farisayo yeyote, lakini alizihesabu zote kuwa hasara "ili nipate Kristo; tena nionekane katika yeye, nisiwe na haki yangu mwenyewe ipatikanayo kwa sheria, bali ile ipatikanayo kwa imani iliyo katika Kristo" (Wafilipi 3:8–9).Then came Jesus' shocking verdict: "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (18:14). Salvation does not depend on what I am or on what I do, but on what God has done for me. The apostle Paul had better credentials than any Pharisee, yet he counted them all as loss "that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ" (Philippians 3:8–9).

II. Wafanyakazi katika Shamba la Mizabibu (Mathayo 20:1–16)II. The Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1–16)

Mfano huu unajibu swali aliloliuliza Petro. Baada ya yule kijana tajiri kuondoka kwa huzuni, Petro alisema, "Tazama, sisi tumeacha vyote tukakufuata; tutapata nini basi?" (Mathayo 19:27). Yesu aliahidi kwamba kila mtu anayejitoa kwa ajili yake atapata thawabu. Kisha akasimulia hadithi inayoishia kwa msemo ule ule unaokuja mara kabla yake: "wa mwisho watakuwa wa kwanza, na wa kwanza watakuwa wa mwisho" (19:30; 20:16).This parable answers a question Peter asked. After the rich young ruler went away sad, Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" (Matthew 19:27). Jesus promised that everyone who sacrifices for Him will be rewarded. Then He told a story that ends with the same saying that comes just before it: "the last will be first, and the first last" (19:30; 20:16).

Mwenye shamba mmoja alikwenda sokoni asubuhi na mapema, mahali ambapo vibarua wa kila siku walikusanyika wakitumaini kuajiriwa. Siku ya kazi ya Kiyahudi ilianza takriban saa kumi na mbili asubuhi hadi saa kumi na mbili jioni. Mavuno ya zabibu yalikuwa mashindano dhidi ya mvua za vuli, na kila mfanyakazi aliyepatikana alihitajika. Aliajiri watu alfajiri na kukubaliana nao kuwalipa dinari moja, ujira wa kawaida wa siku moja. Saa tatu, saa sita, na saa tisa aliajiri wengine, akisema, "na iliyo haki nitawapa." Saa kumi na moja, yaani saa ya kumi na moja ya siku, aliwakuta wengine wamesimama bila kazi. "Mbona mmesimama hapa mchana kutwa bila kazi?" "Kwa sababu hakuna mtu aliyetuajiri." Akawatuma nao pia shambani mwa mizabibu. Jioni aliwalipa wote, akianzia na wa mwisho, na kila mmoja alipokea dinari nzima. Wafanyakazi wa kwanza walipopokea vivyo hivyo, walinung'unika: "Hawa wa mwisho wamefanya kazi saa moja tu, nawe umewasawazisha na sisi tuliostahimili taabu ya mchana kutwa na hari yake" (20:12). Mwenye shamba akajibu, "Rafiki, sikudhulumu; hukupatana nami kwa dinari?... Si halali yangu kutumia mali yangu nipendavyo? Au jicho lako limekuwa ovu kwa sababu mimi ni mwema?" (20:13–15).A landowner went to the marketplace early in the morning, where day laborers gathered hoping to be hired. The Jewish working day ran from about six in the morning to six in the evening. The grape harvest was a race against the autumn rains, and every available worker was needed. He hired men at dawn and agreed to pay them a denarius, a normal day's wage. At nine, at noon, and at three he hired more, saying, "Whatever is right I will give you." At five o'clock, the eleventh hour, he found others standing idle. "Why have you been standing here idle all day?" "Because no one hired us." He sent them into the vineyard too. At evening he paid everyone, starting with the last, and each received a full denarius. When the first workers received the same, they grumbled: "These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day" (20:12). The owner answered, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?... Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?" (20:13–15).

Tahadhari chache zinatusaidia kuusoma mfano huu vizuri. Si somo kuhusu jinsi ya kuendesha biashara au kupanga mishahara ya haki; hakuna mwajiri duniani ambaye angeendelea na biashara akilipa hivi, na kuna hata chembe ya ucheshi katika jinsi hadithi ilivyo isiyotarajiwa. Pia si tamko kwamba kila mtu atapokea kitu kile kile hasa katika umilele, kwa kuwa vifungu vingine vinazungumza juu ya thawabu zinazotofautiana kulingana na uaminifu (1 Wakorintho 3:12–15). Mfano huu una hoja moja kali: ukarimu wa Mungu ni wake mwenyewe kuutoa, na hakuna aliyeupokea mwenye haki yoyote ya kuuchukia unapomwangukia mtu mwingine.A few cautions help us read this parable well. It is not a lesson in how to run a business or set fair wages; no employer on earth would stay in business paying this way, and there is even a touch of humor in how improbable the story is. It is also not a statement that everyone receives exactly the same thing in eternity, since other passages speak of rewards that differ according to faithfulness (1 Corinthians 3:12–15). The parable has one sharp point: God's generosity is His own to give, and no one who has received it has any right to resent it when it falls on someone else.

Msemo "saa ya kumi na moja" umeingia katika lugha nyingi kama njia ya kusema "katika dakika ya mwisho kabisa." Mfano ulio wazi zaidi katika Biblia ni yule mwizi msalabani. Hakuwa na miaka ya utumishi ya kutoa wala muda uliobaki wa kupata kitu chochote. Alisema tu, "Bwana, unikumbuke utakapokuja katika ufalme wako," naye Yesu akajibu, "Leo hivi utakuwa pamoja nami peponi" (Luka 23:42–43). Lolote lile jingine ambalo mfano huu unafundisha, unamhakikishia kila anayechelewa kwamba mlango wa neema uko wazi hadi mwisho wa siku.The phrase "the eleventh hour" has passed into many languages as a way of saying "at the last possible moment." The clearest biblical example is the thief on the cross. He had no years of service to offer and no time left to earn anything. He simply said, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom," and Jesus answered, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:42–43). Whatever else the parable teaches, it assures every late-comer that the door of grace is open until the end of the day.

Wafasiri wanauelewa mfano huu kwa njia kuu mbili, na zote mbili zinafaa kufundishwa. Wengi wanausoma kama picha ya neema ya Mungu katika wokovu: watoza ushuru, wenye dhambi, na Mataifa walioingia ufalmeni kwa kuchelewa wanapokea zawadi ile ile kama wale waliomtumikia Mungu maisha yao yote, sawa na yule mwizi msalabani. Wengine, wakizingatia kwamba mfano huu unajibu swali la Petro kuhusu kile ambacho wanafunzi wangepokea, wanausoma kama unaofundisha mtazamo sahihi katika kumtumikia Mungu: hakuna anayefanya kazi ili apate wokovu, na hatupaswi kutumika tukiwa na mkataba mkononi, tukiuliza, "Nitapata nini?" Tafsiri zote mbili zinakubaliana kwamba Mungu ni mkarimu kupita kile ambacho mtu yeyote anastahili, na kwamba wale wanaouchukia ukarimu wake wameuelewa vibaya.Interpreters understand the parable in two main ways, and both are worth teaching. Many read it as a picture of God's grace in salvation: the tax collectors, sinners, and Gentiles who came late into the kingdom receive the same gift as those who served God for a lifetime, just like the thief on the cross. Others, noting that the parable answers Peter's question about what the disciples would receive, read it as teaching the right attitude in serving God: no one works for salvation, and we should not serve with a contract in hand, asking, "What will I get?" Both readings agree that God is generous beyond what anyone deserves, and that those who resent His generosity have misunderstood it.

Mafunzo matatu yanafuata. Kwanza, uamini ukarimu wa Mungu. Wafanyakazi wa mapema walijadiliana bei na wakapata kile hasa walichojadiliana. Wafanyakazi wa baadaye hawakuwa na mkataba; walimwamini tu mwenye shamba kwamba angefanya lililo haki. Hatuhitaji mkataba na Mungu. Ungependa kupata kile unachostahili? Kama tungepata tunachostahili, tusingekuwa na baraka duniani, wala wokovu katika kifo, wala thawabu mbinguni.Three lessons follow. First, trust God's generosity. The early workers bargained and got exactly what they bargained for. The later workers had no contract; they simply trusted the owner to do what was right. We do not need a contract with God. How would you like to get what you deserve? If we got what we deserve, we would have no blessing on earth, no salvation in death, and no reward in heaven.

Pili, jihadhari na kuwatazama wafanyakazi wengine. Wanung'unikaji walikuwa wameridhika na dinari moja mpaka walipoona kile ambacho wengine walipokea. Petro alikuwa amejilinganisha na yule kijana tajiri. Baada ya ufufuo, Yesu alipomwambia Petro amfuate, Petro alimwonyesha Yohana na kuuliza, "Bwana, na huyu je?" Yesu akajibu, "Ikiwa nataka huyu akae hata nijapo, imekuhusu nini wewe? Wewe unifuate mimi" (Yohana 21:21–22). Mtu mmoja aliyekuwa akiendesha gari huko Chicago aliwahi kuzama sana katika kumtazama dereva mzembe katika njia iliyokuwa kando yake hata akakaribia kusababisha ajali yeye mwenyewe. Tunapoyaelekeza macho yetu kwa Wakristo wengine, sikuzote tutapata sababu za kulalamika. Yaelekeze macho yako kwa Yesu.Second, beware of watching other workers. The grumblers were content with a denarius until they saw what others received. Peter had compared himself with the rich young ruler. After the resurrection, when Jesus told Peter to follow Him, Peter pointed at John and asked, "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus answered, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me" (John 21:21–22). A man driving in Chicago once became so absorbed in watching a careless driver in the next lane that he nearly caused an accident himself. When we keep our eyes on other Christians, we will always find reasons to complain. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Tatu, tarajia mambo ya kushangaza siku ya hukumu. "Wa mwisho watakuwa wa kwanza, na wa kwanza watakuwa wa mwisho." Wengine walio wa kwanza machoni pao wenyewe watakuwa wa mwisho machoni pa Mungu. Fikiria kiongozi mashuhuri wa kanisa aliyekula chakula na marais na kunukuliwa magazetini, akifika mbinguni akitarajia thawabu kubwa. Mbele yake, Mungu anamheshimu mwanamke aliyekuwa kiwete kwa miaka mingi lakini mwaminifu katika maombi, na mlinzi-msafishaji wa shule mwenye haya, asiye na elimu, ambaye hakuweza kamwe kufundisha darasa lakini sikuzote alikuwa kwenye kiti chake kanisani, alitoa zaka ya mshahara wake mdogo, aliwatembelea wagonjwa, na aligawa vijitabu gerezani. Kiongozi aliyetafuta utukufu wake mwenyewe anagundua kwamba amekwisha kupata thawabu yake (Mathayo 6:2). Wengine watashtushwa na ukarimu wa Mungu; wengine watashtushwa na jinsi wanavyopokea kidogo.Third, expect surprises at the judgment. "The last will be first, and the first last." Some who are first in their own eyes will be last in God's. Imagine a famous church leader who dined with presidents and was quoted in the newspapers arriving in heaven expecting a great reward. Before him, God honors a woman who was crippled for years but faithful in prayer, and a shy, uneducated school janitor who could never teach a class but was always in his pew, tithed his small wages, visited the sick, and handed out tracts at the jail. The leader who sought his own glory discovers that he has already received his reward (Matthew 6:2). Some will be shocked at God's generosity; others will be shocked at how little they receive.

III. Kwa Nini Kujilinganisha Kunaua NeemaIII. Why Comparison Kills Grace

Paulo aliwaonya Wakorintho kuhusu watu ambao, "wakijipima nafsi zao kwa nafsi zao, na kujilinganisha nafsi zao na nafsi zao, hawana akili" (2 Wakorintho 10:12). Kujilinganisha sikuzote kuna matokeo mawili. Tukijilinganisha na mtu anayeonekana mbaya kuliko sisi, tunakuwa na kiburi, kama yule Farisayo. Tukilinganisha thawabu yetu na ya mtu anayeonekana hastahili kama sisi, tunakuwa na kinyongo, kama wale wafanyakazi wa mapema. Kwa vyovyote vile, tunaacha kumtazama Mungu.Paul warned the Corinthians about people who, "measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise" (2 Corinthians 10:12). Comparison always has two results. If we compare ourselves with someone who seems worse, we become proud, like the Pharisee. If we compare our reward with someone who seems less deserving, we become resentful, like the early workers. Either way, we stop looking at God.

Waandishi wengi juu ya maisha ya Kikristo wameona kwamba kiburi kwa asili yake ni cha ushindani. Hakipati furaha kubwa katika kuwa na kitu kizuri; furaha yake inatokana na kuwa nacho zaidi kuliko mtu mwingine. Wema wa Farisayo haukumpa furaha yoyote isipokuwa yule mtoza ushuru alikuwa amesimama pale kuthibitisha jinsi alivyokuwa mwema. Wafanyakazi wa mapema walikuwa wameridhika na dinari moja mpaka walipojua kwamba wafanyakazi wa mwisho walipata moja pia. Neema inaangamiza njia hii yote ya kufikiri, kwa sababu neema haipatikani kwa kustahili kamwe, na kisichopatikana kwa kustahili hakiwezi kamwe kulinganishwa.Many writers on the Christian life have observed that pride is essentially competitive. It takes little pleasure in having something good; its pleasure comes from having more of it than someone else. The Pharisee's goodness gave him no joy unless the tax collector was standing there to prove how good he was. The early workers were content with a denarius until they learned the last workers got one too. Grace destroys this whole way of thinking, because grace is never earned, and what is never earned can never be compared.

Dawa ni kuyakaza macho yetu kwa Mungu na kwa mahitaji yetu wenyewe. Mtoza ushuru hakumtazama Farisayo kwa pembeni; hata hakutazama juu. Aliutazama moyo wake mwenyewe na rehema ya Mungu. Yesu alipomwambia Petro, "Imekuhusu nini wewe? Wewe unifuate mimi," alikuwa akitoa dawa ya kujilinganisha kwa maneno machache. Na Paulo, aliyekuwa na sababu zaidi kuliko mtu yeyote ya kujisifu, alisema badala yake, "kwa neema ya Mungu nimekuwa hivi nilivyo" (1 Wakorintho 15:10).The cure is to fix our eyes on God and on our own need. The tax collector did not look sideways at the Pharisee; he did not even look up. He looked at his own heart and at God's mercy. When Jesus told Peter, "What is that to you? You follow Me," He was giving the cure for comparison in five words. And Paul, who had more reason than anyone to boast, said instead, "By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10).

IV. Kuhubiri Neema na KujilinganishaIV. Preaching Grace and Comparison

Mfano wa Farisayo na mtoza ushuru unaweza kuhubiriwa kama "Watu Wawili Wakisali": mtu aliyesali juu yake mwenyewe, na mtu aliyesali akiomba rehema, ukimalizia kwa hukumu ya Yesu kwamba yule mnyenyekevu alirudi nyumbani amehesabiwa haki. Wokovu hautegemei mimi ni nani wala kile ninachofanya, bali kile ambacho Mungu amenitendea. Mfano wa wafanyakazi unaweza kuhubiriwa kwa mafunzo matatu: uamini ukarimu wa Mungu, jihadhari na kuwatazama wafanyakazi wengine, na tarajia mambo ya kushangaza siku ya hukumu. Mifano hii miwili inaweza pia kuhubiriwa pamoja kama mahubiri juu ya kujilinganisha: kujilinganisha na wale wanaoonekana wabaya zaidi kunatufanya tuwe na kiburi, kujilinganisha na wale wanaoonekana kustahili kidogo kunatufanya tuwe na kinyongo, na ni kumtazama Mungu daima pamoja na mahitaji yetu wenyewe peke yake kunakoacha nafasi kwa neema.The Pharisee and the tax collector can be preached as "Two Men Praying": the man who prayed about himself, and the man who prayed for mercy, ending with Jesus' verdict that the humble one went home justified. Salvation does not rest on what I am or on what I do, but on what God has done for me. The laborers can be preached with three lessons: trust God's generosity, beware of watching other workers, and expect surprises at the judgment. The two parables can also be preached together as a sermon on comparison: comparison with those who seem worse makes us proud, comparison with those who seem less deserving makes us resentful, and only a steady look at God and our own need leaves room for grace.

HitimishoClosing

Watu wawili walipanda kusali, na mmoja tu alirudi nyumbani amehesabiwa haki. Wafanyakazi wengine walifanya kazi mchana kutwa, na wengine saa moja tu, na wote walipokea zawadi ile ile. Katika ufalme wa Mungu hakuna anayelipwa kile anachostahili, na hiyo ndiyo habari njema kuliko zote duniani. Kama tungepata tunachostahili, tusingekuwa na kitu. Farisayo alisimama kwa majivuno akarudi nyumbani mtupu. Mtoza ushuru hakuthubutu kuinua macho yake, naye akarudi nyumbani amesamehewa. Na tuache kujilinganisha, tuache kujadiliana bei, na tuje kwa Mungu kama yule mtoza ushuru alivyokuja, kwa mikono mitupu na sala rahisi: "Ee Mungu, uniwie radhi mimi mwenye dhambi."Two men went up to pray, and only one came home justified. Some workers labored all day, and others only an hour, and all received the same gift. In God's kingdom no one is paid what he deserves, and that is the best news in the world. If we got what we deserve, we would have nothing. The Pharisee stood tall and went home empty. The tax collector would not lift his eyes, and he went home forgiven. May we stop comparing, stop bargaining, and come to God as that tax collector came, with empty hands and a simple prayer: "God, be merciful to me a sinner."

— Dkt. Wayne Cook
Seminari ya Teolojia ya Chapala— Dr. Wayne Cook
Chapala Theological Seminary

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