THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH AND THE NIGERIAN EUNUCH

(Acts 8:26-40)

The Ethiopian Eunuch was one of the persons that attended the great prayer convention that took place in Jerusalem soon after the resurrection of Christ. What could have made him to embark on this journey all the way from Ethiopia in Central Africa to Asia? The journey that could have taken him months because to move from one continent to another on a cart drawn by a horse cannot be expected to be a dash race. He must have gone there to give meaning to his life and find joy in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and in the resurrected Christ. Though he had a lot of money, there was no joy in him because he had no children of his own having been made a eunuch in order to serve the Queen of Ethiopian in her court. This goes to show that money alone cannot bring joy, peace and consolation. It can only help. We cannot abandon all our friends, brothers and sisters and even God in pursuit of money and expect to be happy. He needed consolation and new hope that can only come from God. After the prayers, at the arena, he met people selling sacramentals and other spiritual items. He decided to buy a Bible. What do you consider important when you are expected to make choices, spiritual or mundane things? Things that will benefit your soul or your flesh?

Who is a eunuch by the way? It is a person that has lost his manhood and cannot procreate because he has been rendered impotent. Jesus identifies three types of eunuchs – those who were made eunuch by nature, those who were made eunuch by their fellow human beings (the Ethiopian eunuch) and those who made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Gods (those who refused to marry in order to serve God more effectively) (Mtt. 19:12). The Ethiopian eunuch having purchased the Bible and entered his chariot, set out for home. He opened the book he bought and started reading even though he was not understanding. There are many we learn by doing. We must not wait until we become experts before we begin to make attempts. You learn to become pregnant by being pregnant. Moreover, there are many things we do not understand in this world but we will continue go around until we understand better. The world itself is a mystery. After all, how can you explain a situation where a harlot will marry and deliver twins while a virgin will marry and begin to look for a child. Where the righteous and prayerful man will be poor and wretched while a godless man will be stupendously rich and prosperous. We do not understand why an only child of a widow will die while her neighbor will be having ten living children. Indeed, there are many things we do not understand. But we know that God is still on the throne and that He is just in all that He does.

Soon after God remember that Ethiopian eunuch. He instructed Philip to reach him. First, to instruct him and help him to understand the Bible and other things of life and then to baptize him. Philip obeyed and accomplished the two ministrations. Soon after that, he was taken away from the sight of the Ethiopian eunuch. The new convert, in unquantifiable joy, continued his journey home. What are those things that make you happy the most? For some of us, it is drinks, women, money, new apartment, higher education, new plots of land, winning election cases or humiliating our enemies. Remember that these can only give you happiness but can never give you joys which can only be given by doing good to others, loving genuinely, confessing our sings, going to Church and worshipping devotedly and enduring for the sake of peace.

We have met with this Ethiopian eunuch and have identified him. Who is then the Nigerian eunuch? A Nigerian eunuch is that man who refuses to go church on Sunday even when he looks at the church from his house. If he has any problem, he would rather go to consult a cultist, Babalawo, evil temple, fortune-tellers or a deity. If these are unable to help him out, suicide becomes an option. He has nothing to do with prayers has never read the bible for five years and gets irritated when divine matters are raised.

The Ethiopian eunuch admitted that he did not understand what he was reading, a Nigerian eunuch will never admit that he does not know everything even when he knows nothing. He will continue to pretend until everybody realizes that he has nothing to offer. Instead of allowing himself to be made a eunuch, a Nigerian brand will be the one to make his senior brother, cousin, best friend or even his father eunuchs. He financially ‘incarcerates’ his siblings and empowers his own children. He sits in the palace of their father’s wealth and refuses to give anyone his own fair share.

If a woman ruled Ethiopia more than two thousand years ago, anybody who oppresses his brother’s widow and refuses her access to what belongs to her husband is a Nigerian eunuch. If the Ethiopian eunuch went to Jerusalem with only one chariot, anyone who moves about in a convoy of many cars that are fueled with public fund is a Nigerian brand of Ethiopian eunuch. Those who render their fellow human beings useless after they have served them for eight years by sending them home empty handed is modern Nigerian eunuch. Among them also are all those who are serving in the civil service and have continued to falsify their age each time they are due for retirement are in that category.

This eunuch returned to Ethiopia after the pilgrimage, his Nigerian counterpart will disappear from there into Japan or Thailand and make the Interpol appear very inefficient. This Ethiopian allowed himself to be made a eunuch by a woman, his Nigerian counterpart will not even allow a woman to speak in his house even as his wife, no woman will be allowed to win governorship primary election and if he has his way, no woman will be allowed to win any election at all even in the women societies.

May God grant us the humility and the vision of the Ethiopian eunuch when we are depressed or in any form of trouble or when things do not go our way so that can go to God’s house for solution. If you do, he can dispatch another ‘Philip’ to attend to you no matter the situation and will locate you wherever you are. Do not consult any power or force that can only complicate your situation and increase your sorrows (Ps. 16:4).

From the Village Elder,

Okenye

(Rev Fr F.O.F Onwudufor)

Ụkọchukwu Osebụrụwa