Good Morning Friends, Church work can certainly involve pressure, and often more pressure than we would like. Pressure from family, pressure from friends, pressure from work.. pressure that seems to dissipate our peace. Odd for we hope for a place and people of peace and pray for that peace, that perfect peace to free us from the sin of the world. Perhaps you have felt like you are in a pressure cooker and being pulled and pushed in every direction. Of course, we all have to live with pressure, but people-pressure can be the most difficult to deal with. It is by far more difficult than pressure from our circumstances or schedules, or even our responsibilities – we can control and prioritize these. I suppose we feel compelled to respond to people’s pressure. After all, people are expecting us to do something. But how are we to respond? And that begs today’s question. So, What Does It Take To Be A Good Leader?
Scripture: Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:1-8 (NRSV)
King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
Mark 6:14-29 (NRSV)
Message: It is easy to allow oneself to be manipulated by the pressures of other people’s expectations and demands. And it is often difficult in the midst of that pressure to think clearly and make the right decisions. The challenge is to have our actions based on what we believe is the will of God, and not just simply react to those around us. Today’s gospel is a sad commentary of how we can become so entangled in the web of human relationships and people-pressure that we ultimately decide to do even what we don’t want to do! Nobody wants to lose face, even if we have made stupid promises. Herod Antipas had taken unlawfully and married Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother, Philip. We see, in Herodias, a pressure-pusher who is someone who seeks to have her own way by whatever means are necessary. Here is a manipulator. Here is someone who acts out of her own personal ambition and pride. Herodias set up Herod. She decided to give him a birthday banquet. She made the guest list out and invited just the right people. She used her daughter to dance before Herod and his guests. She was devious and manipulated Herod to get her own way. Just as Herodias was a pressure-pusher, to a certain degree, we can become pressure-pushers as well. How do you go about trying to influence people? What methods do you use to try to get your own will? Do you ever withhold affection until someone has done what you want? Do you ever use power or the fear of retaliation or rejection to keep people in line? Do you ever use smooth talk to press and push using an incessant repetition of your desire, even after you know they have heard you? Do you seek to manipulate and set people up to make your point or straighten them out? In Salome, Herodias’ daughter we see someone who is a pressure-pawn. It doesn’t seem that Salome had any problem with John the Baptist. She was simply a willing pawn in her mother’s chess game. She was someone her mother could use. She became a ploy, skillfully executed as her mother worked out her devious schemes. We can all be used by someone else in their attempt to put pressure on someone else. We need to be on our guard against this and we must be careful never to do someone else’s bidding as a conduit for their influence to be felt. And then we have Herod’s friends, the guests at the party – by saying nothing they spoke volumes – they are the pressure-perpetuators. While all this was going on, they just sat there and when Herod made his foolish promise to Salome, no one spoke out to make him question what the implications of his foolishness would produce. When the head of John the Baptist was asked for, again no one spoke out or questioned the terrible act that was about to occur. They were silent. But in their silence, they perpetuated the pressure Herod felt; and in fact, they participated in the evil and cruel act that followed. Do we keep silent when we see others manipulated and forced? Do we just sit and watch, to see how they will handle it, or what they will do? Do we, in doing so, add to the pressure they feel? Or do we speak up and give them the freedom to be the unique people God has created them to be? Do we let people know that they don’t have to please us, that our friendship or love or commitment is not based on their agreeing with us? Do we let people know that they don’t have to live their lives, asking themselves the question, “What will they think of me? The person we need to please is God. The question we need to have before us at all times is not “What will they think of me?” but “What will God think of me?” There is pressure everywhere. There is pressure from situations and circumstances, pressure from people, and even pressure we put on ourselves.
And So, we are all under pressure – from family, from friends, from work. Herodias’ plot to kill John the Baptist is all about such pressure and saving face in the presence of those who we think are important. Sometimes forgetting that it is God’s will that really matters.Top of Form We can respond like Herod and be manipulated to the point of making decisions contrary to what we know to be right. Or we can refuse to yield to it and seek the will of God instead. The key to withstanding the pressure is found in the life of Jesus and how he responded.Bottom of Form He knew what it was to endure the pressures of people. There were many who wanted Jesus to jump through their little hoops, to perform for them, to say the right things in the right way. There were the Sadducees who wanted Him to stay out of politics. There were the Pharisees who wanted Him to respect all the traditions of their denomination. There were the Zealots who wanted Him to overthrow Rome and set up a kingdom here on earth. But Jesus responded to none of these pressures, rather, He simply sought the will of His Father in heaven and did it. Instead of reacting, He acted. He never did anything because of the pressure of the people. Jesus never worried about what people thought. The quest is not so much about influence but about finding the right way… about finding love that is not a love of idols… discovering the truth. That is the crux of the issue in today’s scripture. You see friends, doing things of influence and power in the world is still a trap unless one believes in the destiny of the leadership of love over the love of leadership. Take the love out of an action and it leaves room for the author of evil to move in. The pattern of leadership in Jesus is formed in a vision of love and is exacted in and through love. This is how God’s purposes are always accomplished. That is real leadership whether people follow or not. And here it becomes evident that no leadership is good without God…and nothing is really good without love of the right things.
Pray we do not cling to status, riches, and possession as a substitute for God. Pray we have hope in a God that is faithful to meet all of our needs. Pray we realize that in all the things the world has to offer, there are some things that only God can do. Pray in the fact that there is nothing God cannot do. Pray we believe that God is good… nothing but good. Pray we realize there is a difference between human leadership and the divine way. Pray we come to God asking the right questions. Pray we do all the good deeds we can whenever and wherever we are, but pray we not place our trust in good deeds. Pray we realize that no matter how good we are we always will need the love of Christ to lead us. Pray we realize that apart from our Lord we can do nothing. Pray we be willing to give up something material in order to get something spiritual. Pray we follow the right pattern.
Pray we follow in Christ’s footsteps. Pray we follow in faith. Pray we focus on achieving rather than leading. Pray we think well and engage others fairly and stay passionate about the purpose God has for us. Pray we discover that worldliness makes sin look normal and righteousness seems odd. Pray we realize that Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, so we must change to follow Him and His rule of love. Pray we realize that God will not force Himself on us. Pray we realize that we have a choice to set your own direction or to follow God’s lead. Pray we realize that the following is not always easy. Pray we realize we must unwrap the gift of love to discover true leadership.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 