I came to know of the hullabaloo surrounding the car gift received by Bishop David Oyedepo coming across a post from my pastor friend.
Satirically he posted, “na Bishop Oyedepo de receive gift na him enemies de cry all over the place”
For context, the Bishop had a week-long birthday celebration to mark his 70th year on earth.
One of sons had gifted him a brand new 2023 Rolls royce cullinan worth about 1.5 billion naira.
Another son of his had also gifted him 1 billion naira to feed over 50,000 people during the celebration.
These aside other gifts in both cash and kind.
Following this, the Internet has been agog with criticism from different people. From the cessationist group popularly called Reformed who made it a duty to mock every highlights of the event. To the Daminite who said such huge gift could have been rejected or sold to feed the poor.
In all these, our focus should be on what Jesus would have done finding himself in Bishop’s Position.
JESUS: TWO ACTIONS, DIFFERENT SPIRITS
LET’S look at two scenarios where Jesus dealt with the issue of money.
Scenario1: in Mathew 19:16_23, a young rich ruler came to Jesus enquiring what he must do to be perfect. Jesus asked him to keep the commandments which he said he had fulfilled.
Testing the conviction of his heart, Jesus asked that he sold his properties and give to the poor then he can return and follow him.
The end is predictable, the man went sorrowful because his heart was greatly tied to his great possessions.
Now, are the possessions owned by this man the problem with Jesus?
Absolutely Not! Jesus had no problem with having any possession as long as they do not take our heart away from our only possession which is Jesus.
Jesus instructions was to test the condition of his heart which he failed on.
Suffice, a man’s life is not contained in the abundance of his possession.
Scenario 2: In Mathew 26:7-10, a woman came to Jesus in worship anointing his feet with a very expensive alabaster jar of oil.
His disciples became angry and protested that Jesus would have cautioned her against such waste, encourage her to sell it and feed the poor.
Jesus rebuked them and reminded his disciples that the poor will always remain till eternity.
Now, juxtapose the two positions from Jesus. The same Jesus who asked the rich man to sell off his possessions knowing his heart was tied to them is same man who received expensive gift from the woman.
The same way his disciples consider such honour on him as waste is same way Oyedepo’s critics consider the gift without minding the significance of his special day.
Mind you, not that his disciple who spoke out in protest believed to be Judas truly care about the poor.
Since Judas was Jesus treasurer, it is believed that he knew how much he was going to make selling the Jar.
The people who have asked Oyedepo to sell his various gifts to feed the poor today have not fed any poor child on their street.
They have never even for once consider giving decent weekend meal to the security personnel in their estate gate.
Yet, when those who these men have impacted and raised over the years return the honour they suddenly remember the poor.
Mean and malicious people and “Christians” who maltreat their house maids and slap their drivers at the slightest provocation are online teaching us charity.
From available fact, Bishop has been offering scholarships to indigent folks for over 3 decades with other charity projects to his name.
The said lovers of the poor wouldn’t celebrate the good they do because Bishop and other pentecostal pastors are their sworn enemies no matter the good they do.
Interestingly, I have never thought a day will come when I will be convinced to put up a defense for the Bishop.
The fact that I don’t subscribe to his kind of doctrine of material or prosperity gospel wouldn’t make me invalidate the good he has done so far.
I have written severally against his doctrine and the danger it portend to the body but I won’t allow hate drive me against a fellow believer let alone human being like myself.
Oyedepo has no reason to be dictated to how he uses his gift and nobody has a right to dictate that to him.
You must not align with his doctrine but don’t allow hate drive you into condemning everything about him.
Remember, the anger of man works not the righteousness of God.
