Sunday 7 September, 2014

23 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples. 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat,” he said. 3 “So you must obey them. Do everything they tell you. But don’t do what they do. They don’t practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on other people’s shoulders. But they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for others to see. On their foreheads and arms they wear little boxes that hold Scripture verses. They make the boxes very wide. And they make the tassels on their coats very long. 6 “They love to sit down in the place of honor at dinners. They also love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. 7 They love to be greeted in the market places. They love it when people call them ‘Rabbi.’ 8 “But you shouldn’t be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have only one Master, and you are all brothers. 9 Do not call anyone on earth ‘father.’ You have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 You shouldn’t be called ‘teacher.’ You have one Teacher, and he is the Christ. 11 The most important person among you will be your servant. 12 Anyone who lifts himself up will be brought down. And anyone who is brought down will be lifted up.

I see Jesus preparing His disciples for the new roles they will shortly have and He is giving them a class on leadership. The current models they have do not live out what they teach. Jesus affirms that what the scribes and pharises teach is good for the disciples to follow – but they are not to follow their actual life behaviour.

The new model of a leader is to be a perpetual student or learner and a servant.

The model Jesus outlines here hasn’t changed. This is to be my standard for any leadership or teaching role I have. The challenge he gave the disciples is our challenge. I am not to teach anything from God’s word I am not prepared to live out on a daily basis, I am to be a continual learner and most of all, a servant with a heart to serve those I lead not to be served.

Father, I want to live consistent with your Word – I ask your help that I would be a leader who is always prepared to live what I teach, to serve and to be a life long learner.

Written by Suzie Hodgson