The story in the passage above typifies how failed elders, in this case government and religious executives, manufactured lies to bury the truth. The elders in Jerusalem called the soldiers positioned at the tomb of Jesus Christ to ensure nobody came close the tomb; bribed them and told them to go out and spread lies that Jesus’ disciples came at night and stole His body. This lie, as reported, spread very fast like wild fire across the territories. Nobody cared to investigate because the source by which the story was cooked was credible. It was credible because leaders of such repute then do not lie. Lying to the general public by elders portend danger for upcoming generations. In this our days, we hear of elders with these shameful traits. They use their position and wealth to initiate lies and sponsor its spreading. Elders in the government, religious organization as well as traditional who cherish lies, sponsor lies and spread lies the are failed elders. Elders who tell lies to cover their failures do it in such a way that they never believe the led under them can discern their lies. In the case of stealing the body of Jesus Christ, the leaders failed to think that rational minds will discredit the plausibility of their claims. For instance, the soldiers were told to tell the world that they were sleeping at the time the disciples came to steal Jesus’ body. How can all the soldiers sleep at the same time? It is very worrisome to hear senior leaders in our societies formulating lies and build them up, forcing the led under them to agree.
Today’s devotional sees great danger engulfing the world of tomorrow given presence of political and professional lies stocked together for the youths of today as well as of tomorrow. Genuine and trusted elders of Job’s days neither twist truth nor ignore the suffering masses. They saw themselves as justice givers, feeders of the less privileged, protectors of the orphans and widows in the society. Job pointed this out as one of those things he did for his people, which are the dominant characteristics of elders of his days (Job 29: 13 – 17). Elders who build themselves mansions in distant nations away from their place of origins are failed elders. Elders who formed group of killing squads going about intimidating the less privileged are failed elders. Elders who close their ears to the cries of the forsaken citizens are failed elders. As it was in the Old Testament Days, elders at times deliberately sit at the city gates to see a foreigner arriving late, seeking for hospitable person to assist him. This means elders of those days put their eyes to seeing who to assist out of problems whether a native or foreigner. These days, we have elders who sponsor criminals to look for one stranger or one lost in transit to grab, kill and export the parts to elsewhere for commercial purposes.
With these type of elders in the governments, religious climes and traditional kingdoms, the world will continue to groan in pains. Nations will continue to grope with poverty and inflation. There is a saying that the riches and wealth of the world are in the hands of just 10% of the general world populace. This 10% of the populace can still overturn the economies of the world for good. But can they? These people within this percentage can be no doubt, grouped as “failed Elders” too. They are failed elders because they deliberately subject the world to sufferings and pains so that they can remain as controllers and owners of the world. The beloved, this devotional feels that those seeing these dangers can still speak out for a better change for the world at large. Blessed is he or she who will make our failed elders do the right things.
PRAYER:
Pray, asking God to breath upon the political, religious and traditional elders of the world, wisdom to do good works and concern for the suffering masses, so as to alleviate them of sorrows and pains in Jesus name.
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch