No More Mr. Nice Guy (Matthew 23:1-39)

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. "Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called 'Rabbi' by others. "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12 NIV)

One person from Life Bridge shared a conversation with me that they had with a friend.  In the conversation, the friend asked who the Priest or Reverend was.  
The Life Bridge person said, "We don't have one."  
"What do you have," the friend replied. 
"We have a 'Pete.'"  
"What's a 'Pete?'" 
"I can't really describe it.  But, every church should have one."

The Life Bridge person wasn't trying to be difficult and I'm not trying to be coy.  We're both just trying to remain true to our Savior/Messiah's teaching about leadership.  While teaching is a Spiritual gift to be used to build up the church, it's no better than any other Spiritual gift given for the same reason.  We all report to and follow the same One.  Titles that put us above other members of His Body, then, are not a part of our culture.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.' You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation. (Matthew 23:13-36 NIV)

Yesterday we got a chance to learn what kind of leaders we are called to be.  Today, we get to read specific examples of ways leaders fell short in Jesus' day...and in ours.  Lists like these, both the positive and the negative, can be helpful in two ways.  First of all, they help us choose to follow leaders wisely.  We should look for the "fruit" in their lives.  They should practice what they preach.  Secondly, it helps us learn how to lead wisely.  You may think this second one does not apply to you because you're "not a leader," but that's simply not true.  All of us are called to go and make disciples of all nations.  That takes leadership.  We must start, then, by leading ourselves to be good followers of Jesus.

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Matthew 23:37-39 NIV)

Jesus is getting ready for his main ministry: to die on the cross.  He knows that he will not return to Jerusalem until the day he rides in on a donkey's colt - fulfilling yet another prophecy about the Savior/Messiah.  He also knows that this will be, for him, the beginning of the end.  Jesus will be killed just like the prophets of old.  His death would be different, though.  It would save the world.

How about you?  Do you see the ministries that God has called you to fulfill?  Do you accept your role of leadership in those ministries?  Do you start by leading yourself?