“ʻI he hili ʻa e hiki vave e totongi ʻo e koloá ʻi homau fonuá, naʻe kamata ke mamafa mo siʻi ange ʻa e meʻakaí,” ko e lau ia ʻa Paul, ko ha husepāniti mo ha tamai ʻa ha toko ua. “Naʻa mau tuʻu laine ʻi ha ngaahi houa, ka ʻoku faʻa ʻosi ʻa e meʻakaí ia teʻeki ke mau aʻu ki muʻa. Naʻe tutue ʻaupito ʻa e kakaí ʻi he fiekaiá, pea pongia ʻa e niʻihi ʻi he halá. Ko e ngaahi totongi ki he ngaahi fiemaʻu tefitó naʻe vave ʻene hiki mei he laui milioná ki he pilioná. Naʻe tōlalo leva mo e tuʻunga fakapaʻanga fakalotofonuá. Naʻe mole ʻeku ʻakauni ʻi he pangikeé, maluʻí mo e penisoní.”

Naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe Paul ke moʻui ʻa hono fāmilí, kuo pau ke ne ngāueʻaki ʻa e “boto mooni.” (Palōveepi 3:21, PM) “Naʻá ku ngāue ki ha kautaha ʻuhila, ka naʻá ku fai ha ngāue pē naʻá ku lava ʻo maʻú ʻi ha totongi siʻisiʻi ange ʻi he totongi anga-mahení,” ko ʻene fakamatalá ia. “Naʻe totongi ʻe he niʻihi ʻeku ngāué ʻaki ʻa e meʻakai pe ngaahi koloa fakaʻapi. Kapau naʻe ʻomai ha pā koa ʻe fā, te u ngāueʻaki ha ua kae fakatau atu ʻa e toengá. Naʻe aʻu ʻo u maʻu ha fanga kiʻi moa ʻe 40. ʻI heʻenau lalahí, naʻá ku fakatau atu ia ke fakatau mai ʻaki ha moa ʻe 300. Ki mui ai, naʻá ku fakafetongi ha moa ʻe 50 ki he ongo tangai mahoaʻa koane pāuni ʻe 110 (kilokalami ʻe 50). Ko e ongo tangai ko ení, naʻe maʻu meʻatokoni mei ai hoku fāmilí mo ha ngaahi fāmili kehe ʻi ha taimi lōloa.”

Naʻe toe ʻilo ʻe Paul ko e meʻa mahuʻinga taha ʻe lava ke fai ʻe ha taha ko e falala ki he ʻOtuá. ʻI heʻetau fai ki he ngaahi fekau ʻa e ʻOtuá, te ne tokoniʻi kitautolu. ʻI he fekauʻaki mo hono maʻu e ngaahi fiemaʻu pau ʻi he moʻuí, naʻe pehē ʻe Sīsū: “Tuku ā ʻa e loto-moʻua tōtuʻá, he . . . ʻoku ʻafioʻi ʻe hoʻomou Tamaí ʻoku mou fiemaʻu ʻa e ngaahi meʻá ni.”—Luke 12:29-31.

Ko e meʻa fakamamahí, ko e fili lahi taha ʻo e ʻOtuá, ʻa Sētane, kuó ne kākaaʻi ʻa e tokolahi taha ʻo e māmaní ke fakatefito ʻenau moʻuí ʻi he meʻa fakamatelié. ʻOku hohaʻa tōtuʻa ʻa e kakaí ki heʻenau ngaahi fiemaʻu  moʻoní mo e fakaʻānauá, pea nau feinga lahi ke maʻu ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku ʻikai ke nau fuʻu fiemaʻú. ʻOku lahi ʻa e moʻua ʻa e tokolahi, pea nau toki ʻilo ai “ko ia kuo ne fai ha no, ʻoku ne tamaioʻeiki ki he tangata kuo tali ʻa e no.”—Palōveepi 22:7.

Ko e kakai ʻe niʻihi ʻoku nau fai ha ngaahi fili hala. “Ko e ngaahi kaungāʻapi lahi ʻoku nau mavahe mei honau fāmilí mo e ngaahi kaungāmeʻá ke kumi ki ha moʻui ʻoku lelei angé,” ko e lau ia ʻa Paul. “Ko e niʻihi ʻoku nau folau taʻefakalao pea ʻikai lava ke nau maʻu ha ngāue. ʻOku nau faʻa toitoi ai mei he kau polisí pea mohe ʻi he halá. ʻOku ʻikai ke nau ʻoange ki he ʻOtuá ha faingamālie ke ne tokoniʻi kinautolu. Ka naʻa mau fakapapau ke fehangahangai mo e palopalema fakapaʻangá ʻi he tuʻunga ko ha fāmili, mo e tokoni ʻa e ʻOtuá.”

Naʻe hoko atu ʻa Paul: “Naʻe pehē ʻe Sīsū: ‘ʻOua ʻaupito naʻa loto-moʻua fekauʻaki mo e ʻaho hono hokó, he ko e ʻaho hono hokó ʻe ʻi ai pē hono ngaahi loto-moʻua ʻoʻona. ʻOku feʻunga pē ki he ʻaho taki taha ʻa hono kovi ʻoʻoná.’ Ko ia ko ʻeku lotu fakaʻaho ki he ʻOtuá ke ‘ʻomai muʻa he ʻahó ni haʻamau mā ki he ʻaho ko ení’ koeʻuhi ke mau moʻui. Pea naʻá ne tokoni mai, hangē pē ko e talaʻofa ʻa Sīsuú. Naʻe ʻikai ke mau maʻu maʻu pē ʻa e meʻa naʻa mau saiʻia taha aí. ʻI he taimi ʻe taha, ʻi heʻeku aʻu ki he lainé naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻilo e meʻa naʻe fakataú. Ka ʻi heʻeku aʻu ki muʻá, naʻá ku sio ko e iōketi. ʻOku ʻikai ke u saiʻia ʻi he iōketí. Ka ko e meʻakai ia, ko ia naʻa mau kai iōketi ʻi he pō ko iá. ʻOku ou fakamālō ki he ʻOtuá ʻi he lolotonga ʻa e taimi ko iá, naʻe ʻikai ʻaupito mohe fiekaia hoku fāmilí.” *

“ʻOku faingofua ange ʻa e ngaahi meʻa fakapaʻangá ʻi he taimí ni kiate kimautolu. Ka ʻi heʻemau ngaahi hokosiá kuo mau ʻiloʻi ko e faitoʻo mahuʻinga taha ki he loto-moʻuá ko e falala ki he ʻOtuá. Ko Sihova * te ne tokoniʻi maʻu pē kitautolu ʻo kapau pē te tau hanganaki fai ʻa hono finangaló. Kuo mau fakamoʻoniʻi ʻa e Saame 34:8: ‘Mou kamata ki he ʻEiki, ʻo ʻilo ʻoku sai; monuʻiaā ka ko e toʻa ʻoku hufanga ki ai.’ Ko hono olá ʻoku ʻikai ke mau manavahē ke toe fehangahangai mo ha tuʻunga faingataʻa fakaʻekonōmika.

“ʻOku mau mahinoʻi ʻi he taimi ko ení ko e meʻa ʻoku fiemaʻu ʻe he tangatá ke moʻuí ʻoku ʻikai ko e ngāué pe paʻangá, ka ko e meʻakai. ʻOku mau tatali vēkeveke ki he taimi ʻe fakahoko ai ʻe he ʻOtuá ʻene talaʻofá: ‘Ke mafola mai ʻa e koane ʻi he fonua.’ ʻI he taimí ni, ‘ʻi hono maʻu ha meʻakai mo ha vala, ʻoku totonu ke tau fiemālie pē ʻi he ngaahi meʻá ni.’ ʻOku mau maʻu ʻa e mālohi mei he ngaahi lea ʻi he Tohi Tapú: ‘Tuku ke hoko hoʻomou founga moʻuí ʻo ʻataʻatā mei he ʻofa ki he paʻangá, lolotonga ia hoʻomou fiemālie pē ʻi he ngaahi meʻa lolotongá. He kuó ne pehē: “ʻE ʻikai ʻaupito te u mavahe meiate koe pea ʻe ʻikai ʻaupito te u liʻaki koe.” Ko ia te tau mātuʻaki loto-lahi ai ke pehē: “Ko Sihova ʻa hoku tokoní; ʻe ʻikai te u ilifia.”’” *

ʻOku fiemaʻu ʻa e tui moʻoni ke ‘takaua mo e ʻOtuá’ ʻo hangē ko ia naʻe fai ʻe Paul mo hono fāmilí. (Sēnesi 6:9) Pe ʻoku tau fehangahangai mo ha faingataʻa fakapaʻanga ʻi he taimí ni pe ʻi he kahaʻú nai, ko e faʻifaʻitakiʻanga ʻo e tui mo e poto ʻaonga ʻa Paul ʻoku akoʻi mai ai ha ngaahi lēsoni mahuʻinga.

Fēfē kapau ʻoku fakatupunga ʻe he ngaahi palopalema fakafāmilí ke tau loto-moʻua?