Bought for the wrong price
This week is on Luke 16:13-15:
This week is on one of the pitfalls of leadership: Being bought by the generosity and obedience of those under your care. In this case, the people in bondage were the Pharisee leaders, who had grown accustomed to the tithes and deference of the Jewish people in Roman Palestine. Equally vulnerable in our modern day are politicians, professional clergy, non-profit board members, etc.
The issue comes from the conflict between being a public servant and being a leader. The Pharisees were supposed to serve the people by helping them to understand God's law and to interpret his will. They were given money so that they could devote themselves to full time ministry and not be distracted by secular work. People honored them for doing that. The problem is, after a few generations, they forgot that it was compensation, and began to view it as just another career paycheck. In a career, you ultimately do what you do in order to get paid. Whatever gets you paid more is evidence you're doing a good job. And so, where in the beginning it was all about serving the people, in the end it's all about the tithes, the taxes, and the administrative stipends. You can't serve both money and God.
We read almost daily about police arresting people for filming them, about the Obama administration's record-breaking prosecution of whistle-blowers, and about all of the companies suing reporters who expose their backroom deals. Truth is clearly not just a problem for religious people. Did these people start off evil, or did it happen to them over time? What about the Baby Boomers, the generation who were desperate to end warfare and poverty when they were young, but as adults have put us in the longest period of sustained warfare in all of American history, and who run billion dollar companies that actually own slaves in third world countries? Self-image is more important than truth when it affects the bottom line, and time erodes all values if they are not maintained.
I don't mean to get all political, but these circumstances are a really good modern illustration of what happened to the Pharisees and teachers of the law. You could also look at non-profit charities whose part-time board members make six figure salaries, while their advertised recipients only get about 20% of what is donated. Do you think they started like that? "Hey, if you give me ten bucks, I'll keep five, then I'll put an ad in the paper for three dollars asking for more donations, and then I'll spend two dollars on food for the hungry!" Nobody starts off thinking that's going to happen. They just get used to the lifestyle, the income, or the praise.
It's fantastically dangerous to be in the position of servant leadership. The thing that makes you money may not always be the thing that gets the job done. A compromise here, and an indulgence there, and pretty soon you're a parasite. No area is immune. Missionaries who live in giant air-conditioned compounds who refuse to shake hands with the dirty people living in the tin shacks down the street? Street pastors in fancy suits who preach the tithing message every couple weeks, while their congregation can barely afford rent? Who is serving whom?
God calls us to pour ourselves out for those we serve. It gives me such hope to read about people who go without stuff they could rightfully obtain on their own, in order to help those who need it more than they do; Rich men's sons and daughters who live in tin shacks in order to be the brothers of people who never knew anything better. Some people still get it. It is still possible to be a leader and a servant. Jesus managed to not sell out, despite the gifts the Father had given him. We can too.
The sheep God puts under our watch are also our brothers and sisters. It's not their job to exalt us over them, or to fund our dreams. God can provide those things if we need it. But when he starts to provide some of our needs through the people in our care, it's a real danger that we'll become confused and dependent. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were some of the best and brightest of their time, but they fell into the trap of justifying themselves in the eyes of the people they served, and of craving their money. If ever there was a living example to make us leaders fear God, that would be it.
So, what do we do? Figure out what you really need. Not what you want. Not what others get. What do you really need in order to get the job done? That's your baseline. Trust God for that. Push for that. If you get anything else beyond that, consider it a blessing. Be thankful. Nobody's saying you can't have nice things, but don't pry them out of the hands of the needy with manipulation or force. Enjoy your blessing. Share it. Don't get used to it. Don't get indignant when it threatens to go away. Trust God for your needs. He is the ultimate source.
I don't say this to condemn anyone, just to point out how dangerous this stuff is. People step into leadership without considering what corrupting effect it could have on them. It's important to establish boundaries and be clear who pays your bills. Serve others on God's behalf and get your rewards from him. Don't pretend the sheep can outbid their owner.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
This week is on one of the pitfalls of leadership: Being bought by the generosity and obedience of those under your care. In this case, the people in bondage were the Pharisee leaders, who had grown accustomed to the tithes and deference of the Jewish people in Roman Palestine. Equally vulnerable in our modern day are politicians, professional clergy, non-profit board members, etc.
The issue comes from the conflict between being a public servant and being a leader. The Pharisees were supposed to serve the people by helping them to understand God's law and to interpret his will. They were given money so that they could devote themselves to full time ministry and not be distracted by secular work. People honored them for doing that. The problem is, after a few generations, they forgot that it was compensation, and began to view it as just another career paycheck. In a career, you ultimately do what you do in order to get paid. Whatever gets you paid more is evidence you're doing a good job. And so, where in the beginning it was all about serving the people, in the end it's all about the tithes, the taxes, and the administrative stipends. You can't serve both money and God.
We read almost daily about police arresting people for filming them, about the Obama administration's record-breaking prosecution of whistle-blowers, and about all of the companies suing reporters who expose their backroom deals. Truth is clearly not just a problem for religious people. Did these people start off evil, or did it happen to them over time? What about the Baby Boomers, the generation who were desperate to end warfare and poverty when they were young, but as adults have put us in the longest period of sustained warfare in all of American history, and who run billion dollar companies that actually own slaves in third world countries? Self-image is more important than truth when it affects the bottom line, and time erodes all values if they are not maintained.
I don't mean to get all political, but these circumstances are a really good modern illustration of what happened to the Pharisees and teachers of the law. You could also look at non-profit charities whose part-time board members make six figure salaries, while their advertised recipients only get about 20% of what is donated. Do you think they started like that? "Hey, if you give me ten bucks, I'll keep five, then I'll put an ad in the paper for three dollars asking for more donations, and then I'll spend two dollars on food for the hungry!" Nobody starts off thinking that's going to happen. They just get used to the lifestyle, the income, or the praise.
It's fantastically dangerous to be in the position of servant leadership. The thing that makes you money may not always be the thing that gets the job done. A compromise here, and an indulgence there, and pretty soon you're a parasite. No area is immune. Missionaries who live in giant air-conditioned compounds who refuse to shake hands with the dirty people living in the tin shacks down the street? Street pastors in fancy suits who preach the tithing message every couple weeks, while their congregation can barely afford rent? Who is serving whom?
God calls us to pour ourselves out for those we serve. It gives me such hope to read about people who go without stuff they could rightfully obtain on their own, in order to help those who need it more than they do; Rich men's sons and daughters who live in tin shacks in order to be the brothers of people who never knew anything better. Some people still get it. It is still possible to be a leader and a servant. Jesus managed to not sell out, despite the gifts the Father had given him. We can too.
The sheep God puts under our watch are also our brothers and sisters. It's not their job to exalt us over them, or to fund our dreams. God can provide those things if we need it. But when he starts to provide some of our needs through the people in our care, it's a real danger that we'll become confused and dependent. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were some of the best and brightest of their time, but they fell into the trap of justifying themselves in the eyes of the people they served, and of craving their money. If ever there was a living example to make us leaders fear God, that would be it.
So, what do we do? Figure out what you really need. Not what you want. Not what others get. What do you really need in order to get the job done? That's your baseline. Trust God for that. Push for that. If you get anything else beyond that, consider it a blessing. Be thankful. Nobody's saying you can't have nice things, but don't pry them out of the hands of the needy with manipulation or force. Enjoy your blessing. Share it. Don't get used to it. Don't get indignant when it threatens to go away. Trust God for your needs. He is the ultimate source.
I don't say this to condemn anyone, just to point out how dangerous this stuff is. People step into leadership without considering what corrupting effect it could have on them. It's important to establish boundaries and be clear who pays your bills. Serve others on God's behalf and get your rewards from him. Don't pretend the sheep can outbid their owner.
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