Mark 10:42-45 (NKJV) 42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
I believe leadership is one of the rarest commodities in the world today. There are many who seek power over others. There are many who crave influence in the world. Some even desire these things for the right reasons. Too many desire power and influence over others for their own gain or to feel self-important. Still others may want it to compensate for experiences in their own life that made them feel powerless. None of these motivations, even when they are for good reasons, are the reason to lead.
Look at these words from the apostle Paul.
Colossians 2:8-10 (NKJV) 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.:
Paul warns us about being spoiled by the philosophies of men. He tells us that such teachings are full of the man’s view of the world. This view is grounded in worldly wisdom, traditions and cultures. He tells us that the place we need to look for understanding is Jesus himself. He is the fullness of the Godhead manifested in a physical body.
I believe Jesus was all that God could be through the limitations of human flesh. Jesus was not only the Son of God; he was also the son of man. He took on the limitations of flesh by his birth through a human mother. However, Jesus was whatever God almighty could be through a human being. We need look to no other source for wisdom, insight or example.
Jesus was a teacher. He was the greatest teacher of all times. Jesus was a shepherd. He cared for the sheep at a deeper level than any pastor since he walked the earth. He was the apostle and prophet upon whom the church is built. He drew multitudes to God. What evangelist can claim a better record than the Savior himself? We do not question these ideas because they are in the spiritual realm. I believe we could extend this thought to all realms.
If Jesus had been a musician, Mozart would have paled in comparison. As an athlete, he was a perfect physical specimen. If he had been a mathematician, no one would have matched his understanding. He created mathematics. As a physicist he set in motion the laws of physics. As an astronomer he set the universe into motion. There is nothing that a human being can do in which he would not have been the best to ever live. That includes leadership.
Jesus never led a nation. He was never a general leading troops into battle. There is little that we can credit to him that we usually attribute to great leaders. Nevertheless, time is marked by his life. The educational system has changed the designation from BC, before Christ, and AD, which stands for the “Year of our Lord” in Latin to before and after the “Common Era.” Nevertheless, the dates remain the same. Time is marked by the birth, burial and resurrection of one man.
Multitudes followed Jesus in his lifetime. Had he called for rebellion in Israel they would likely have followed him to the death. Instead he chose to lead the way by dying for them. After his sacrifice, so many people followed him that the religion they founded became the greatest in the history of the world. Nothing has so defined the world as the followers of Jesus of Nazareth.
His example of leadership inspired people to lay down their lives for his message. Some died as martyrs. Many more lost wealth, family and position because they choose to follow the leadership of this one man. Even today there are people who are being crucified and beheaded because they refuse to renounce his leadership.
It seems to me that if we want to study the best example of leadership in history, we need to look no farther than Jesus. What are the principles of leadership he displayed in his life? What did he teach those closest to him about leadership? If we want to be good leaders, we should start there and make those principles the foundation upon which we build.
Of course this applies to leaders in the church. I have traveled to many countries and I have seen many leaders. Some are good and some are not so good. I think I can say without doubt that the biggest problem in the church today are its leaders. I do not mean to judge anyone’s motivation. However, it seems that in many cases we have done exactly what Paul said not to do. We lean to the wisdom of men and apply the principles taught by society instead of majoring on what Jesus taught about leadership. The result is a church that looks more like the world.
Although I am most concerned about the church, I think that these principles can be applied to all leadership. Business is under fire today because of leadership principles founded in greed. What if the principles Jesus taught were applied to business? I believe we would find a new level of Godly prosperity.
Government is one of the prime examples of wrong leadership. We have dictators who think it is their right to rule everyone else. Their motivation is money and power. We have politicians who have made it their life’s work to govern. They spend much of their time trying to be sure they stay in power. There are others who try to do good. Many of them have rejected Jesus all together. Their leadership is weak and misguided most of the time.
There are exceptions of course. However, most of what I see in the world today is a leadership that is far inferior to that displayed by Jesus. There are those who try to minimize his role. There are those who even say his influence has been negative and not positive. History does not bear out that opinion.
There are certainly some who have done many wrong things in his name, but those who truly commit to what he taught have changed the world for the better. They have also opened up relationship with God at a level that no one else can.
What made Jesus’ leadership different. There are a few words in today’s scripture that we must examine. Those words are “It shall not be so among you.” As long as we define leadership by the standards of the world we will fail. Jesus gave us another way to lead. That is what we want to learn and apply.
Come back tomorrow.
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