Lead from the trenches

The Worldly Leader

The worldly leader gets into leadership to benefit themselves (Luke 22:25). This manifests in them creating distance between them and those they lead. They measure their worth by this distance.

In Jesus' day, the religious leaders created distance by:

• Telling people what to do but acting as if they were above the work themselves (Matthew 23:3-4)
• Doing good deeds in front of people to look better (Matthew 23:5)
• Dressing differently to look more spiritual (Matthew 23:5)
• Sitting in exclusive and honorable places (Matthew: 23:6)
• Insisting that people treat them differently with honorable ceremony (Matthew 23:7)
• Emphasizing exclusive and honorable titles (Matthew 23:7-11)

Thy stayed at a distance to feel special. They stayed at a distance so people couldn't see that they just look clean on the outside but their life is a mess (Matthew 23:25-26).

The Worldly Leader's Fruit

What is the result? That the people they lead are weighed down with heavy burdens (Matthew 23:4). Why?

• If you tell people that something is good but do not choose it, then they naturally find it hard to value and seek it.
• More is caught than taught. Taking something from the theoretical to the practical is difficult. A good example can be both educational ("how do I do it") and inspirational ("I want to be like that"). If you just tell people what to do but don't show them how to do it, then you generally just make them feel guilty.
• It is easy to judge someone as weak when they fall under a burden that you don't lift yourself. If you bear the same burden, then you tend to be more merciful and measure out reasonable weights.
• They feel better about themselves if you fail to live up to their standard. So they make it heavy.

The Godly Leader

One of Jesus' name was Immanuel, meaning "God with us". Not "God sent us some help" or "God told us what to do" or "God asked us what life was like", but "God with us"! He didn't come down like Thor in the Marvel movies with lightning and power. He left that in heaven. He came as one of us.

He closed the distance by experiencing everything we experienced. It is still hard to wrap my head around how human He was but the author of Hebrews says:

Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Hebrews 2:17-18

And again:

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16

We can have confidence before a perfect and holy God because we know that our mediator gets us. He knows us and not just theoretically but experientially. He was not hansom or attractive (Is. 53:2). He was despised and betrayed and knew much sorrow and grief (Is. 53:3). He experienced pain, oppression, and injustice and took our punishment (Is. 53:4-12). He came near and touched the dead, the sick, the lepers, and the unclean.

The Godly Leader's Fruit

What is the result? His burden is light.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
- Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30)

We still need a yoke to instruct us so we can be what God designed us to be. It is a yoke that is intended to be satisfying and light. But why is it light?

• He served us by doing what we couldn't. In God's kingdom, the greater serve the lesser because they are stronger. He lifted the weight of sin that we could not bear.
• He lived out what He told people to do. We see a beautiful picture of this when the disciples were arguing over who was the greatest and He got down and washed their feet (John 13:1-20) and taught them about leadership (Luke 22:24-27). Teachings change minds and examples change hearts. Jesus helped with both.
• He is gentle and humble because He is leading out of love for you rather than out of pride. Prideful people are harsh and judgmental because it makes them feel better about themselves.
• He carried the burden too. As a human. He knows what it is like so He fit the burden to our frailty. He is merciful and also provides help through His Holy Spirit.
• He isn't putting on a religious show or teaching you to. He is doing and teaching things that make a real difference in your life. Just doing things because you are supposed to is exhausting. He has us do things that give life!

Conclusion

Everyone leads even if they don't have a title. What kind of leader do you want to be?

It is tempting to stay at a safe distance. To keep our lives clean. We just step into their mess and then return to our clean, orderly life. Trying to fix it from the outside.

Jesus came to live in our mess, experience our frailty, and fix it from the inside out.