JESUS WALKS ON WATER (PART III)

“Jerry Eze, the Water Walker”

By Akin Ojumu

Wolves in sheep’s clothing don’t want you studying the Bible. Their mission is to keep you stupid. In their greed, these false teachers exploit your ignorance. Because those who do not know what the Bible actually says are the easiest to manipulate by those who twist and misuse it, charlatans would prefer you remain perpetually naïve of the truth of Scripture.

One of the ways erroneous preachers twist and misuse Scripture is by interpreting it in a way that makes you the hero of the story. In their presentation of the Gospel, man, not God, is the superstar. They exalt man to god-status and reduce God to man-status.

Cynically, they take every Bible passage and make it all about themselves and their worldly desires. They turn the Word of God into magic words that people speak to get the Genie out of the bottle to grant their wishes. 

There’s no piece of Scripture that is sacrosanct to false teachers. Bible texts that speak of spiritual healing and blessing are twisted by greedy preachers to mean physical healing and abundance of material possession. Bible parables that point us to Jesus are distorted to turn people’s eyes to mammon.

A typical example of misused Bible texts is John 10:10. 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Whereas the abundant life spoken of in this verse is in the context of salvation from sin and attainment of eternal life, false teachers misappropriate it, turning it into the go-to text for material wealth. As The Tyndale Commentary explains it, “He does not offer them an extension of physical life nor an increase of material possessions, but the possibility, nay the certainty, of a life lived as a higher level of obedience to God’s will and reflecting his glory.”

This is the case with the story of Jesus walking on water. False teachers take this supernatural phenomenon, which came about so that the disciples of Jesus would believe that He is the Son of God and the Messiah, and they misuse it to preach messages of self-glory. 

Instead of focusing on the Lord Jesus who is the real hero of the story, they make it all about Peter, the ordinary man of little faith. In their retelling of the story, the focus is Peter walking on water. On that false premise, they concoct a man-centered glory story which scratches the ear but leaves the soul without even the slightest scratch.

A classic example of this “It’s-All-About-Me” spin to the Jesus walking on water story is this video clip of Jerry Eze, the Benny Hinn wannabe of Umuahia. Preaching on Jesus walking on water, Jerry Eze tells his audience the important lesson of the story.

“Don’t imagine Jesus was walking on the sea. Ah pastor, Jesus was walking on the sea. Jesus was teaching a rather important lesson.”

And what is this “rather important lesson” that Jesus walking on the sea is supposed to teach?

“The natural is under your feet. It wasn’t just walking on the water, but he is reminding you that everything called natural is under your feet.”

That’s right. In Jerry Eze’s haughty mind, the real lesson of this story is that everything natural is under your feet. If you are wondering what that really means. Well, that makes two of us.

But Jerry Eze continues.

“People of God, one thing that shows you’ve understood dominion mandate is your capacity to walk on top of the water even when it is turbulent. In other words, keep moving even if it’s not calm.”

Eureka! Eureka! Archimedes, the famous Greek mathematician, has met his match. Jerry Eze has found a new formula for the buoyancy of objects immersed in water. This is revolutionary. There’s no other way to describe it. 

Or is there?

As this pseudo-profound bovine scatology – my French word for arrant nonsense – coming out of Jerry Eze’s mouth sinks into the gullible minds of the gathered crowd, you could hear them greedily lap up the garbage.

Not done, Jerry Eze proceeds to dangle the alluring bait of self-importance in front of the crowd.

“Dominion is not that the situation has submitted. But dominion is your ability to move in spite of the opposition.”

By this time, the hypnotized crowd is rocking back and forth in their seats like zombies. They are nodding their heads in wonder and amazement. Jerry Eze has them hooked on his bait of deception and manipulation.

But Jerry Eze is not finished with them yet. He goes on to let his audience know that he is the man – a man who walks on water.

“I wish you got this. So, sir. I’m not…I’m…I mean there are days when he will calm the waters for me to walk, but there are days when I need to calm myself to walk on the water.”

Seeing quizzical looks momentarily flash across the faces of the crowd who are now having a hard time processing what they just heard, that a human being can actually walk on water, Jerry Eze sensed some in the crowd are not fully buying his bull pucky. So, he does what all false teachers usually do. He doubles-down on the mendacity and he repeats the lie for maximum effect.

“Did I confuse you now? So, there are days he will calm the water for me to walk, but there are days I need to calm myself to walk on the water. So, Sir, the water is not calm but I’m calm.”

Deploying the tried and true technique of all manipulators, Jerry Eze then takes his audience on the “say to your neighbor” mind-numbing and thought-stopping routine.

“Look at your neighbor and tell your neighbor, “Walk on the water.” No…not…that…that was the wrong neighbor for this service. Leave that neighbor and tell your neighbor, say, “Walk on the water.” Tell your neighbor, say, “Neighbor, whether the water is calm or not,” tell your neighbor, “I say walk on the water.” Tell your neighbor, say, “I say walk on the water.” if I spoke about you let your Amen thunder loud.”

This horrendous display by Jerry Eze is fiendish and cruel. It’s the way charlatans manipulate and brainwash gullible people. Such gross abuse and misuse of the Word of God is contemptible. The cynical mishandling of the Word of Truth is beyond despicable.

What Jerry Eze is doing here is reading his ear-scratching make-me-feel-important-about-myself opinion into a Bible story (i.e., eisegesis) instead of drawing out the intended meaning from it (i.e., exegesis).

The story of Jesus walking on water is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John. Of the three recorded accounts, only one, Matthew, even mentioned the fact that Peter walked on water.  The remaining two Gospels didn’t consider it important enough to deserve any mention.

What this shows is that the emphasis and the lesson in the story is not Peter walking on water. Of much greater importance, and the whole point of the story, is the Lord Jesus demonstrating to His disciples that He is the God-Man, the Anointed One, who has power over the forces of nature. This incident is one of those instances when Jesus reveals a bit of His divinity to His disciples.

When the disciples of Jesus saw Him display such supernatural power, they all bowed down and worshiped Him, declaring, "Truly you are the Son of God."

“Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:33).

Contrary to the nonsense spewed by Jerry Eze, the story of Jesus walking on water has got nothing to do with you having everything natural under your feet. Anyone who tells you this supernatural account is proof that you too can walk on water is a manipulator and a liar. 

If you don’t believe me, well, a trial will convince you. All you need to do is to go to the nearest river and try walking on it. Let’s see you come back to give the testimony.

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27).

Scripture is all about Jesus and not about you or me. Everything written in the Bible points to Our Lord and Savior. The lesson of the story of Jesus walking on water is to prove His sovereignty over all things. It’s the evidence the disciples needed to be convinced that Jesus is God.

If you are reading this, this is my advice to you. Stop listening to pre-packaged lies presented as Gospel truths. The sooner you tune out the false teachers and the manipulators in the House of God the better it is for your soul.