Why the Clergy should be simple and own no property

By Dr Josue Okoth

Christian religion is a religion of simplicity. Christians should emulate Christ if they are his true followers. However, there has been many reports in the News Media about wealth creation and worship and many "God's people" have become really wealthy.  

Jesus himself was a simple man and his Apostles were also simple and they all died humiliating death. Jesus came to this world through a simple village girl, Mary, who lived in Nazareth, a small insignificant country village of semi-pagan Galileans. She was a girl of about 16-17 years of age preparing to marry another simple young man called Joseph, a simple village carpenter.  When they got the message from the angel about their call in redemption, little did they know that in this vocation they were accepting to carry a cross.

Jesus was not born in a palace but in a stable in Bethlehem. The first people who were given this information of the birth of the Redeemer by the angles were the shepherds who rushed and found him in the manger. The shepherds were simple people in those days. They were the first to spread the Good News. When Herod wanted to kill the child, Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night to Egypt. From the age of twelve years, Jesus stayed with his parents at Nazareth, obeying them and advancing in wisdom and age (Luke 2:51). Jesus started his public activity when he was about thirty years of age (Luke 3:23). John the Baptist, another poor servant of God, who wore clothing made of camel's hair and fed on locusts and wild honey (Mt 3:4) introduced Jesus as "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29) and also as the one who "will baptize with the Holy Spirit"(Mk 1:8).

Immediately after Jesus was baptized by John and the Spirit revealed him as "my beloved Son", he was tempted by devil before he started his public ministry.  He started recruiting simple everyday life people as his disciples/apostles. However, without going through the details of their call, let us not try to understand vocation as a search to fix the world or to settle down in the world, because vocation is not the result of a human project or an organizational strategy. Vocation is Love, received and given. Vocation is not a choice, it is being chosen: "You did not choose me, but I chose you" (Jn 15:16).

Many ‘men and women of God' have interpreted the Bible for their own interest. For many Christians, because of their desire to be wealthy have fallen victims of exploitation by these men and women of God. I have read for instance, a book entitled "Desire Dream and Destiny" published by Robert Kayanja, Highway of Holiness International, 2nd Printing 2005. This book is about how we can desire positively and dream powerfully for a wealthy destiny. This dream is based on what Jesus said, "Therefore I say unto you, Whatever things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mk 11:24).

Most Bible versions do not even use the word "desire": some say for example, "all that you ask for in prayer…" (New African Bible); "you can pray for anything…" (New International version); "whatever you ask for in prayer…" (Application Study Bible). With due respect to the author, Mark 11:24 is quoted out of context. This statement was made by Jesus following the story of the fig tree which Jesus cursed and the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. Peter exclaimed that the tree had withered and died! Here Jesus took it up and told the disciples, "Have faith in God….you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea, it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart" (Mk 11: 20-23). The story is not about earthly DESIRES, DREAMS AND DESTINY as the author of this book proposes.  

Throughout his teachings, Jesus demonstrated a simple lifestyle. At one time he humbled himself and took the form of a slave, washing the feet of his disciples (Jn 13:1-17). After washing the feet he asked them, "Do you realize what I have done for you? Without waiting for an answer, he continued: "You call me ‘teacher' and ‘master ‘and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet.

I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do (Jn 13:12-15). In another occasion, Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them: "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" Mk8:34-35).

Here Jesus is saying that if you want to be his follower, then be prepared to suffer for the spread of the Kingdom of God. Indeed all the Apostles suffered martyrdom.

The people of God cannot forgive a bishop, priest, pastor or consecrated men and women attached to money. You can recall that Jesus drove out the merchants from the Temple, "It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it den of thieves," he said to merchants (Mt 21:12-13; Mk 11:15-17). Either you worship the living God, or you worship money and you cannot have two masters. Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God (Lk 20:25).

Why does Jesus have an issue with money? It is because redemption is free. It is God's free gift, He comes to bring us the all-encompassing gratuity of God's love. When Churches start doing business, then salvation is not free. In the story of the rich man (Mt 19:16-30) when Jesus told him to ‘go, sell your possession and give the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me," he went away sad. Tragically his wealth and power meant more to him than God.

Jesus explained how hard it is for a rich man to enter heaven comparing it with a camel entering the eye of a needle. This prompted Peter to ask Jesus, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth …..And everyone who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life (Mt 19:27-30); Mk 10:28-31). In Luke 14:26, he included ‘wife' among those to be left.

Jesus concluded by saying that by giving up everything now they are last, but they will be given everything eternally and will be the first. Conversely those, like the rich  young ruler, who appear to have everything now (the first) will discover one day they have lost everything (they will be last) (Mt 20:16). The Apostles demonstrated this by leaving everything including their families and followed Jesus.        

The writer is a concerned Christian
Email: okothjosue@yahoo.com