Keeping An Eye On Our Leaders

I am really bothered and irritated when leaders lay rules, expectations or obligations on the people they serve but do not expect those rules, expectations or obligations to apply to themselves.  I understand there are many unusual and exceptional kinds of circumstances that can occur in life and there may, therefore, be a situation in which what applies to those who are being led does not apply to the leader.  

But, in general, when leaders take a “this-applies-to-you-people-but-not-to-me” approach it is an example of selfish, arrogant, inexcusably pitiful leadership.  In fact, if this type of thing begins to happen a lot, the person in charge is no longer a leader, he or she is something more like a tyrant. This approach is typically an example of everything true leadership is not!

Yet, this type of selfishness happens all too often among leaders in all kinds of fields: business, government, religion, education, etc.  (I started to write a few examples of how our political “leaders” do this but I got so irritated just starting to write about it that I stopped because I think I my head was getting ready to explode.)

Jesus castigated the religious leaders of His day for this type of behavior:

“‘Yes,’ said Jesus, ‘what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden…’”   Luke 11:46

Those of us who are leaders [and many of us serve in a leadership role in some realm in our lives] are called to a high standard.  We are called to be the loving servants of those we lead.  We are called to lead by example. This is the model Jesus gave us.  It is a model that is not followed frequently enough.  I will admit I have not done it as well as I should have.  If we look around our world with discerning eyes we will see that one of the important aspects of the problems we face has to do with selfish, arrogant, corrupt, incompetent leaders.

One of the remarkable differences we have now, unlike previous generations, is access to information.  Now, leaders are not able to hide what they are doing or block the flow of information as effectively as they could in the past.  Those of us who are being led have access to info and ways to communicate info which are, genuinely, revolutionary. 

Let’s open our eyes.

Religious Leaders Can Still Come Off Looking Bad... If We're Not Focused On Him

There were times that Jesus healed people and the “religious leaders” got angry and bothered.  Several times, they objected that Jesus shouldn’t have healed the person because it was the Sabbath.  The religious leaders were nit picky and legalistic.  They come off looking small, uncaring, arrogant and clueless.  As a person who is a “religious leader” I believe it’s helpful to be very cognizant of the truth that the characteristics and attitudes of religious leaders in Jesus’ day can all too easily be held by religious leaders, today, as well.

“Lord, help us to be humble and loving…and to keep our eyes fixed on you.”

Spiritual Leaders Who Don't Really Like Jesus

The Sanhedrin was the religious ruling body during the time of Jesus.  They were comprised of two groups, the Sadducees and the Pharisees.  They were the spiritual leaders.  Interestingly, they didn’t like Jesus.  It seems that people who are “religious”—but their religion is primarily an outward show and not a matter of the heart—don’t tend to like Jesus that much.