This week, I have had two separate thoughts about Christian leadership… one is how we treat those that we have an advantage over and how well we feed those in our care. I will tell both in time, and talk about something that God has been working in me.
As many of you know, I am a huge fan of the book of Matthew. I probably reference it more than any of the three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) because I appreciate Matthew’s knowledge of Scripture and his focus on the teachings of Jesus. There is a lot of practical knowledge that can be gleaned from his works. The reading today illustrates Jesus claiming that a child is the greatest of those in heaven, and he talks about children in Matthew 18:1-6.
So lets look at what being like a child means. Jesus describes the child as humble in verse four. That is the one adjective that Jesus uses. When we expand on what it means to be a child, they are almost helpless without their parent. They need someone to protect them and to take care of them. They have no right to be arrogant, prideful, or demanding. They are dependent upon their caretakers. They hold no status, no qualifications, or title. This is no different than many Christians in the church.
The obvious sermon that stems from this verse is saying that we must be humble before God and before others. This is very true! However, I am going to look beyond that and read in verse 5. Verse 5 claims that those that welcome a child welcome Jesus as well, and verse 6 speaks of punishing those that corrupt the children. So this brings us to the two points, how do we talk and how do we take care of those in our care?
Since I have been a Christian, I have noticed that many pastors and leaders tend to overestimate their value to society. They like to think that they are too busy to meet with someone, or only give their time to people that matter in their eyes. I have noticed that consistently, and it bothers me because they become the children that are not welcomed. Jesus ties himself to that child. So when we take the time to acknowledge others and give them value, we are giving value to Jesus as well. This hit me this week as I thought about how “children” could be applied to other Christians as well, or those given authority to us. I am not trying to create new doctrine, I am just submitting this for your consideration!
The second thought that I had was concerning feeding the children. I spoke with a friend yesterday, and she told me that she stopped going to church because she did not like the new teacher at her church. She said that she was not getting anything from the messages, and felt that the new teacher was crass and inappropriate. I told her to keep looking for a church, and that it is much like going to a restaurant. If the chef keeps giving you bad food or food that is not good for you, you find a different chef. He is responsible for feeding you, and that you must find the chef that feeds you properly. I know that someone needs to do their own studying as well, but a pastor is the spiritual chef in which an individual guides their diet.
If an individual leads a younger Christian/child into a life of sin, the punishment is severe. This is why we must always remember that teachers are judged more harshly (James 3:1), and that we must never take our task lightly. Whether we like it or not, people watch us as Christians and judge us or mimic us. My goal is to give people no reason to judge me and be someone worth following. Not for my own glory, but for Christ’s glory and to try and establish a culture of peace and love. That being said, I hope that those that spend time in my life understand that I want to give them the best possible, rather than my left overs.
I have come to realize that after four years of seminary, that I am exhausted. I probably do not live up to the words that I write, but it is my goal to do my best to live up to these words. As I look for a job and a church to work for, I do my best to remember that often times children can still teach me things. In their simplicity, humility, and love, they can speak volumes more than the books in my personal library. It keeps me humble. The life that I signed up for is not a glamorous one being in the ministry, but at the end of the day, I hope that those in my care will know that they mattered to me and that I took care of them the best that I could.
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