ne of the most intriguing stories in the Bible is Jesus healing of the
paralytic on a Sabbath day (Saturday). The man had waited for
thirty-eight years beside the pool of Bethsaida to be the first person
to jump into the pool when an Angel stirs the water. After the
merciful act, the Pharisees (religious Authority) confronted Jesus and
questioned him why he did good on a Sabbath day. It provided another
opportunity for Jesus to teach them more truths about God in the hope
that they would see the light and abandon the traditions of men.
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This gentle man had spent thirty-eight years waiting to be the first
person to jump into the pool after an angel stirs the water. However,
every time he hears sound of the water being turned, before he could
drag himself to the pool, other people, less unwell than him or who had
people to help them would jump in. He was waiting to win in a race he
knew he will never win and he refused to quit. This is either adamancy
or faith depending on how you are looking at it and the purpose you
want to use the story for. Now and then, such unwavering stance is
rewarded. The religious leaders had created the myth of the pool
having a healing power and the place was marketed as a miracle centre
where people could get miraculous healing. However, the reality was it
was a place of pain suffering and exploitation. It was a place where
people scrambled to be the first in an event where they believed God
would heal only the fittest, the first to jump in. I do not think it
sounds like something God would be involved with. Why would God play
lottery with the lives of people and still claim to be a kind God?
No one asked if a loving God would like to see very ill people
struggling to be first to jump into a pool, and many of them being
crushed to death in the process. No one questioned this claim of
miraculous power in the pool. There was no evidence that those who
jumped into the pool lived to tell the tale. But like all religious
dogmas, myths, false beliefs and doctrines, the people believed it and
were committing suicide at intervals until the day Jesus saved a man
who had waited thirty-eight years to jump to his death, while hoping to
get healed. How often is our life like that of the paralytic? Waiting
many years to buy the car in which we will die because we were not
boarded to learn to drive properly and take a driving test. How many
times do people work hard to get that which they do not really need for
their life? The paralytic was lucky that Jesus happened to be passing
by. Many people like him were not that lucky.
You would think that since the religious leaders were concerned about
the plight of the sick, that they would have been excited about the
only case of healing that had taken place in thirty eight years.
Unfortunately, their very religious mind, consumed by what they think
is right and their self- righteousness, could not allow them to see
things the way they really were. Instead they were only concerned that
the good act was not done in the right manner. This is a perspective
which religion impact into thinking that has persisted until today in
almost all religious minds. Come to think of it, it is this way and
manner of thinking that is at the heart of all religious conflicts. A
belief that there is only one right way of doing good.
The argument of the Pharisees was that Jesus did the right thing at the
wrong time. They did not object to the healing, but that the healing
took place on the wrong day. How many times have we heard similar
argument about goodness? How many times have we heard Christians and
Muslims arguing that a particular good act was not done in the right
manner? That people do not pray the right number of times a day?
However, Jesus had a different view. His position was that it is good
to do good any time. In fact, he was saying that goodness has no law.
That the fulfilment of the law is well doing. Love is the fulfilment of
the law he said. Jesus said it is ok to do good no matter the
circumstance. The Pharisees felt that he was wrong and saw him as
person who had no respect for their religious traditions. They rated
their religious traditions over and above the love and laws of God.
There are many religious groups and sects, Islamic and Christian, who
still persist in this manner of thinking. They believe there is a right
way of marrying instead of respecting and celebrating the love people
feel for each other. Some believe that there is a right way of helping
people instead of allowing people to help in any way and manner they
can. Many believe that there is a right way of praying instead of
accepting that God can hear all prayers from every sincere hearts.
Many believe that theirs is the true religion, instead of accepting
that in every nation, God accept all who seek him with a sincere
hearts. All religions seem to lay emphasis on the way and manner an
act is performed instead of focusing on the outcome and motive of the
performer. No wonder Jesus was infuriated with them and called them
sons of vipers and hypocrites who lay heavy burden on the people and
would not even lift it with one of their fingers. Religion can blind
one to what is really important and allow one to focus on a set of
rules that has no bearing to reality. It can provide a mask for
selfishness and enable the religious to deceive themselves about the
unknown or mysterious.
How often do we focus on traditions instead of what is really
important. To many religious people, what is eaten and how it should
be prepared are more important than the fact that the hungry are
provided with food. They often disagree on methods instead of agreeing
on the aim. They fight because they disagree on the best way of serving
God, instead of celebrating the fact that they agree that God is love.
They focus on minor theological differences in interpretation and
forget that the call is for people to love others as themselves. In the
process the religious ends up washing the outside of the cup while the
inside remains dirty with hatred, intolerance, envy, deceit, jealousy,
pride, high minded and vengeful spirit. It is to open the eyes of
people to the truth of God that Jesus came. Unfortunately, it would
appear that his teaching has fallen victim to the traditions of men.
Today�s Nigeria is full of Millionaire pastors who make merchandise of
the word of God and speak to the people things they want to hear. They
tell the people that God will provide all their needs while they use
the offering the people give for the work of God to live as if there is
no heaven. They promise the people miracles, while they depend on
their wallets to solve the problems they encourage the people to fast
and pray for. They are blind men leading the blind and they have all
ended up in the ditch of ignorance, intolerance and delusional beliefs
in the traditions of men. They misuse religion and deceive the people
who perish for lack of knowledge. They claim God has sent them when
they are driven by the desire to be rich. They pressure the people to
give to God while the misuse the money to acquire the deceptive riches
of this world.
Nigerians are religious people but the country is known as very
corrupt. Nigerian government is made up Christians and Muslims but the
government is one of the most corrupt in world. The country has had
leaders who are religious, Christians and Muslims who all stole and
impoverished it. Many of the contracts of the roads that were awarded
and not executed were awarded to Christians and Muslims. Many of those
who kill their opponents are Christians and Muslims. Those involved in
oil bunkering, armed robbery, collection of bribes at check points,
embezzlement of the funds of associations like NURTW, Taxi drivers
association and many ethnic associations etc. are Christians and
Muslim. The crimes that are holding Nigeria back are committed by
Muslims and Christians. Those who amended the constitution to protect
corrupt politicians were Christians and Muslims. Those who have made
the prosecution of corrupt politicians impossible attend churches and
Mosques. Corruption in Nigeria is perpetrated by people who attend
churches and mosques and take Holy Communion and engage in Ramadan
fasting. Religion is not the answer to our problem although it has an
important role to play. The challenge is to find the right role for
religion.
I suppose it is time for Nigeria to move into the age of enlightenment.
To understand that God is the author of all knowledge that religion is
only the beginning of knowledge that the knowledge of the holy is
understanding. Perhaps, that is why Solomon pleaded for people to get
knowledge and that with it, they should get understanding. God help
them so that they would know that they themselves are like animals
Solomon said. We blossom and flourish and wither and perish but the
truth of God stands for ever. The truth is that a man at all times and
in all things should do unto others as he would like others to do unto
him. This is what God is all about. Anything more than this is
religion and it can have a very sinister, ugly and selfish face. Let
him who reads, understand.
