Tag: leadership

It Is Not Yet My Time (John 7:1-9)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

Later Jesus was going about his business in Galilee. He didn’t want to travel in Judea because the Jews there were looking for a chance to kill him. It was near the time of Tabernacles, a feast observed annually by the Jews.

His brothers said, “Why don’t you leave here and go up to the Feast so your disciples can get a good look at the works you do? No one who intends to be publicly known does everything behind the scenes. If you’re serious about what you are doing, come out in the open and show the world.” His brothers were pushing him like this because they didn’t believe in him either.

Jesus came back at them, “Don’t pressure me. This isn’t my time. It’s your time—it’s always your time; you have nothing to lose. The world has nothing against you, but it’s up in arms against me. It’s against me because I expose the evil behind its pretensions. You go ahead, go up to the Feast. Don’t wait for me. I’m not ready. It’s not the right time for me.”

He said this and stayed on in Galilee. (The Message)

For some Jews in the ancient world, if the Messiah were to come, it would certainly happen in the most celebrated month of the Jewish year (Tishri, in the Fall season).

The New Year celebration happens on the first and second of the month; the Day of Atonement on the tenth day (Yom Kippur); and leads to the joyous celebration of the fifteenth to twenty-second days in the Festival of Tabernacles (Booths or Shelters, also known as “Sukkot”).

That is the time of year in which faithful followers of God leave their homes and live in temporary shelters. It serves as a powerful reminder of their deliverance and divine preservation in the wilderness. It’s a celebration of the harvest, a time to remember the Israelites’ journey through the Sinai desert and God’s protection throughout that time. 

This festival also symbolizes unity and inclusivity, and looks forward to the Messianic age when all nations will come to Jerusalem to worship God.

The Feast of Tabernacles, by Bible Art

So, it only made sense to the people who knew Jesus, that he would want to make a big splash during the month of Tishri – a time of high celebration where everyone is together, recalling God’s gracious actions.

Christ’s own family were insistent that he take advantage of the festival’s timing and clearly show himself to the world. But Jesus wasn’t having it. Why not?

Jesus responded that it is not yet his time. By that he meant it wasn’t the right festival season. The timing of Christ would be for Passover, not Tabernacles. His role was not as the Divine Warrior who would beat up the Romans and establish an earthly rule in the vein of King David.

Instead, Christ’s purpose was to take on the role of the Suffering Servant, the dying Messiah. A joyous public spectacle during Tabernacles to announce deliverance from Roman oppression was not the reason he came to this earth.

Jesus had no intention of being pressed into something that wasn’t his understanding of God’s will.

Indeed, Christ’s time of glorification would come. But at the time of Tabernacles, when the feelings of the people were drawn to Jesus, and expectations were high for divine deliverance from Gentile rule, a capitulation to the crowd would be akin to the devil’s temptation of throwing himself from the Temple, so that everyone could see the Jewish Superman in action.

Jesus is not that sort of Messiah. Ostentatious displays of power and authority were not his path for the people’s salvation. That is the way of the world, not heaven; it’s the concrete road of the proud, not the dirt path of the humble.

Evil needed to be dealt with, once and for all – and not only for the sake of the Jews, but for all creation. And it had to have to divine effectiveness, not a worldly solution.

It still remains yet to this very day, that those with unbelief demand a strong leader and a powerful sign of authority. They want a take-charge sort of person who looks good and has style.

Such worldly-minded persons insist that the strong leader get out there and have lots of exposure. Pay attention to the optics, and engender supreme confidence in others. Engage and change the situation with all of the proven tactics of the world’s power base.

Yet those who truly believe, discern that life does not consist of grand imperial displays of opulent strength and worldly control. Rather, the heavenly virtues of wisdom, patience, and a settled hope surround them. They pay no attention to bombastic pronouncements and empty promises.

The believer is able to see Jesus for who he truly is, and not for what they want him to be.

In other words, up is down, first is last, suffering before celebration. These are not the ways of the unbelieving world; they are the practices of the faithfully devoted ones.

Even though Christ’s brothers strongly urged him to openly show himself in an ancient version of mass marketing, Jesus patently forsook it. He was not seeking to enhance his own reputation, to get his brand recognition out there and impress the crowd.

Jesus Christ will only act as his heavenly Father commands and wills him to – even if his own family want him to do different.

And that is why the world “hates” Jesus. Because he will neither operate according to, nor submit to, its prevailing cultural, political, and familial standards. Pride mocks humility. Arrogance disdains the meek and gentle. Worldly strength wants nothing to do with any sort of perceived weakness.

Metamorphosis of Narcissus, by Salvador Dali, 1937

Yet, the world does not realize that ultimate power, control, and authority comes not through public shows of toughness, but by private practices which embrace spiritual disciplines and knowing oneself.

I myself have no stomach for the supposed follower of Christ who merely seeks to honor Jesus in order to make the Name of Jesus serve their own name’s purpose.

And I gag every time I observe the self-centered leader try and act as if they care for important things, when in reality their only concern is self. Their worldly actions and attitudes betray their true feelings and purpose.

“It is better to incur the world’s hatred, by testifying against its wickedness, than gain its good will by going down the stream with them.”

Matthew Henry

We live in a world of indecision; there is no real decisive action which champions the common good of all citizens. We stick our finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing. Our insecurity as a people is profound and palpable.

We seem incapable of sound and just public decision-making, let alone making personal choices which foster and engender spiritual and emotional growth.

This world is in desperate need of good, right, and just people who will faithfully occupy places and positions of trust. For me, that means following the narrow way of Jesus, and not the broad highway of destruction paved by narcissistic leaders.

Do you and I have the courage to take a hard look at ourselves, our relationships, and most of all, Jesus? Will we seek discernment as to what is really the world, and what is truly the words and ways of Jesus? Can we gain a sense of divine timing?

Almighty and ever-living God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth: Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Ruler for the Good of the People (2 Samuel 5:11-16)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
King David, by Sefira Lightstone

King Hiram of Tyre sent some officials to David. Carpenters and stone workers came with them, and they brought cedar logs so they could build David a palace.

David knew that the Lord had made him king of Israel and that he had made him a powerful ruler for the good of his people.

After David left Hebron and moved to Jerusalem, he married many women from Jerusalem, and he had a lot of children. His sons who were born there were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. (Contemporary English Version)

Once David became ruler of a united kingdom – Israel and Judah – he established the capital in a central place between the two (much like how Washington D.C. was built at a geographical juncture between North and South of the United States).

The Jebusites were firmly lodged within Jerusalem. Yet, with a good deal of ingenuity, David and his men found a way into the formidable stronghold of Jerusalem and took it. It then became the City of David. (2 Samuel 5:8-10)

King David has the spiritual sense to understand that the Lord was with him; and that his own greatness was directly tied to the greatness of God. The Lord is concerned for the divine/human covenant, and for the glory of Israel and Judah. David did not believe that his success was in any way tied to his own personal skills or abilities.

In light of David’s spiritual stance, it seems a bit strange that today’s text then turns to David’s response of taking more women as wives in Jerusalem. The text also lets us know that David established diplomatic ties with Tyre and worked toward building a royal palace in the new capital.

Typically, Old Testament stories don’t give us explicit moral commentary, telling us what is good and what is bad. Sometimes they inform us of people’s motives, but usually not. So, what was David up to, and why was he doing it? The story invites us to offer up an answer from our own consideration. So, here’s mine…

All of us do the best we can, with what we know at the time. That’s why it is so important to be continually cultivating and nurturing a life of wisdom.

Most things in life don’t have ready-made answers for us. David certainly didn’t Google how to capture Jerusalem, or how to establish a kingdom. He instead had a lifetime of walking with God, learning God’s law, and experiences which God brought him through. And that is exactly what all of us need to do for just about everything.

If you and I were in David’s shoes, within his culture of the ancient world, we might very well do what he did by marrying up and bringing political stability to a new united kingdom that was surrounded by non-Jewish nations.

King David, by Adamo Tadolini, on the Colonna dell’Immacolata, Rome, Italy

Trusting the Lord doesn’t mean that we become passive; it isn’t a let go and let God attitude. Faith requires actively pursuing justice and righteousness for the good of everyone. It takes creativity and a wise mind, a compassionate heart, and a well-attuned sense of one’s own gut.

This approach to life indeed requires a lifetime of learning, growing, and experiencing new things. The following are some ways of developing the experiential knowledge that we understand as wisdom:

Pursue and be open to new experiences

If you don’t like the experience you’re having, create a new one. David was open to following God and engaging in whatever new experiences required fulfilling the will of God. To keep growing as an individual, it’s important to explore unfamiliar and sometimes uncomfortable things; those experiences can teach us how to be more humble and honest, which is especially important for leaders.

Show empathy and be compassionate

This was at the heart of David’s rule as king. He showed steadfast love and commitment to Israel and Judah. Yes, he was a man of war, and did his share of soldiering. And, at the same time, David valued life and went out of his way to show mercy.

After becoming king, instead of wiping out all of King Saul’s family (as was custom for many kings in the Ancient Middle East) David looked for anyone in the family of Jonathan (Saul’s son) to which he could show kindness to (2 Samuel 9:1). There is no path to wisdom that doesn’t go through the land of compassion.

Don’t be afraid to fail

Growth in wisdom usually comes from messing up. How we respond to failure and/or imperfection influences our decision-making and problem-solving skills. A significant part of self-development is learning how not to repeat mistakes. But to do that, you have to make them first.

David made plenty of mistakes, and even outright sinned in ways that effected all Israel and Judah. Yet, he learned his lessons by turning away from the mistakes (repentance) and moving forward (faith).

Ask for help when you need it

A wise person doesn’t have all the answers. They are wise because they know when to consult others and ask for resources. David always had counselors in his court who he knew could give him sage advice whenever he needed it.

Mentor others

One of the best ways of learning and developing wisdom is by coming alongside others and helping them become successful in life. This is one of the main reasons I enjoy teaching and discipling others – so that I can learn from the process, and from the people I mentor. Since David was attuned to this, Israel and Judah had the wisest king in history, his son, King Solomon.

Wisdom is a virtue that goes beyond knowledge. Wisdom is really the study of life. And only by wisdom’s experiential understanding can we make effective changes, influence others, and please God. David was a king for the good of the people.

O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us to do, so that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path, we may not stumble. Amen.

The “Fool’s” Speech (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!

Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands. (New International Version)

Paul escaped the city of Damascus by being lowered in a basket at night (Acts 9: 23-25)

At this point in the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian Church, he levels a direct and devastating attack on his proud, arrogant, and boastful opponents in the church. He points out the foolishness of their boasting, by means of playing the fool himself.

The gist of Paul’s argument was to boast of his humiliating experiences. In truth, Paul had plenty of glorious accomplishments he could have droned on about. Instead, he sought to expose the wide gulf that separated his understanding of apostolic ministry, and theirs.

With some rather hefty sarcasm behind his words, Paul offered some foolish boasting according to the human standards of his opponents. The Corinthians believed themselves to have superior strength and wisdom. Surely, they’re able to put up with these pathetic apostolic weaklings!

In reality, it is Paul’s weakness – and not humanly contrived understandings of strength – which establish his credibility and superiority as a minister of Christ’s gospel. The evidence is his hardships and trials – not his many triumphs. Paul intended for this irony to be felt by the Corinthians.

The Apostle’s litany of woes and adversities wasn’t meant to one-up the Corinthians. Rather, it was intended to be a parody of the Corinthians’ claims to superior wisdom and spiritual power.

While the church boasted of all the things that showed their strength, Paul boasted of his weaknesses – because it’s truly in weakness that the transcendent power of God is made known and manifested in this world.

Paul’s experience in Damascus not only illustrated the extreme danger he was in, but it served as an example of his weakness in contrast to the mighty strength of the Roman Empire.

In the Roman army, the soldier with the greatest strength and valor was the one who scaled the enemy wall first. The courageous ascent of the Roman soldier is viewed alongside the inglorious descent of Paul along the wall in escaping.

Christianity grew, flourished, and thrived not because of superior earthly strength, but because of humiliating weakness which allowed the power of heaven to work through it.

In light of Paul’s view of leadership and ministry, I find that many contemporary leadership theories are woefully lacking in an understanding of how people tick.

For example, some philosophies treat humans as if they were machines, and treat workers as cogs or parts in a larger mechanistic worldview, as if they could be replaceable.

Yet, leadership that relies on the factory system will inevitably demean a person’s basic humanity and see nothing of their inherent uniqueness and deserving of respect.

Instead, a more biblical, compassionate, and practical leadership style discerns that relationships are key; and that individual persons bring something special to their work, even if they are doing the same job as others.

In this understanding of leadership, every single person does their work or ministry in a way that isn’t fully reproducible by others. Our individual human uniqueness ensures that our place in the world is needed, and that what we bring to every endeavor we do is a special one-of-a-kind offering that no one else can do.

What’s more, in this view of leadership, there’s no room for boasting, at all. And no place for arrogant pride, because boasting is based upon comparison.

If every person is a unique creation of God, and everyone brings something individually special to their efforts, then comparison is a foolish waste of time, and boasting is nothing more than a fool’s game.

You can always tell the fool by how they keep talking and cannot keep their mouth shut about all of their accomplishments and everything they know. If they believe they’re right, and try and prove it with their comparative superiority to others, then you can bet that what you have in front of you is a card-carrying honest-to-goodness genuine Fool, with a capital “F.”

We can do better. And we can be better leaders and offer better leadership philosophies which are based in humility, the value of each person, sound relationships, and effective peacemaking.

Anything less than that will likely get a sarcastic comment from the Apostle Paul in heaven.

Give us, O God,
leaders whose hearts are large enough
to match the breadth of our own souls;
and give us souls strong enough
to follow leaders of vision and wisdom. Amen.

Who Would You Follow? (2 Samuel 3:1-12)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.

Sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; his second was Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third was Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; the fourth was Adonijah son of Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah son of Abital; and the sixth was Ithream, of David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ishbaal said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” 

The words of Ishbaal made Abner very angry; he said, “Am I a dog’s head for Judah? Today I keep showing loyalty to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends and have not given you into the hand of David, yet you charge me now with a crime concerning this woman. So may God do to Abner and so may he add to it! For just what the Lord has sworn to David, that will I accomplish for him: to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba.” And Ishbaal could not answer Abner another word because he feared him.

Abner sent messengers to David where he was, saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and I will give you my support to bring all Israel over to you.” (New Revised Standard Version)

Our basic inner character as people is a combination of:

  1. What we do (actions and inactions)
  2. Why we do it (attitudes and motives)
  3. How we go about doing it (means and methods)

We can observe one’s personal character by the reactions and responses to their life events and situations. In addition, Holy Scripture is also concerned and attentive to all of our actions, interactions, inactions, and reactions in the world.

Stories in the Old Testament are largely designed to help us, as readers and listeners, to compare and contrast the mindsets, motivations, and morals of the principal actors in those narratives. We are meant to understand the difference between godly and ungodly people through how the story shakes out.

Three leaders are paraded before us in today’s Old Testament lesson. The story is arranged so that we will take a look at their manner of life. The lesson invites us to implicitly ask ourselves, “Which of the three characters would I follow?”

David

King David was the sort of leader who inquired of God continually, listened to God’s voice, and used his authority to extend kindness and justice, like God does. Because of David’s character, his reign became stronger and stronger.

David was also the sort of leader who had no intentions nor plans to annihilate all of Saul’s heirs as rivals to this throne. Neither did David set out to make their lives miserable – despite the fact that most people of the time would actually expect him to do that.

Ish-Bosheth

Whereas David was initially ruling only over Judah, Ish-Bosheth was a son of Saul and king of Israel. But he was a mere figurehead. Abner, the army’s general, was the one really calling the political shots in Israel.

Ish-Bosheth was too fearful to challenge Abner, and so, never exerted a significant influence in Israel. Instructive for us as readers, is the absence of this king’s prayers or efforts to do anything helpful or constructive for the Israelite people.

The name “Ish-Bosheth” essentially means “Master,” a dignified word which is meant to communicate respect. The incongruence between Ish-Bosheth’s ascribed name, and his actual attitudes and lack of action, betrays a double-minded person, divided in decision-making, not knowing quite what to do. And so, he pretty much did nothing, at least nothing that truly helped anyone in the kingdom.

Contrasting Ish-Bosheth with David, we can clearly see that David was no figurehead, but was the leader of his people. Unlike Ish-Bosheth, David was also no washrag, and no one’s puppet. Instead, David took charge of situations by inquiring of God, then acting.

Confidence comes from knowing the Lord and stepping out in faith, which is precisely what David’s pattern of kingship was like – and exactly what the reign of Ish-Bosheth was not like.

Abner

Israel’s general, Abner, was neither like David nor Ish-Bosheth. Although Abner had qualities of confidence and initiative, unlike David, he was a self-serving leader.

Abner used his position to gain for himself power and prestige. He was willing to quickly switch his loyalties when it was no longer helpful for him, personally. Although Abner did right by working toward uniting the kingdoms of Israel and Judah (a good thing) he did it for all the wrong reasons (a bad thing).

Compared to David, Abner had only self-interest, and not the common interest of all citizens in mind. He acted for what he could personally get out of it – which is just the opposite of David, who had an eye which scanned the horizon to do what was best for the common good of all the kingdom’s subjects.

Conclusion

When we read today’s story, the guided narrative wants us to arrive at the conclusion of saying, “I don’t want to become, or follow, somebody like Ish-Bosheth or Abner. I want to become and to follow someone like King David.”

David listened to God, prayed to God, and acted with justice and kindness because of God. There’s likely no better approach to the spiritual life than that.

Grant us, Lord God, a vision of our world as your love would make it: a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor; a world where the benefits of abundant life are shared, and everyone can enjoy them; a world where different races and cultures live in tolerance and mutual respect; a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love. And give us the inspiration and courage to build it. Amen.