Called to Serve – Matthew 23:1-12

One of the simplest and yet hardest lessons any of us can learn or keep is to let our actions speak louder than our words.  I am sure that all of us know at least one person who talks a great game and has done their best to convince you of their sincerity, honesty, or even their great accomplishments by telling you of all the wonderful things they are doing.  Yet what you hear from their lips and what you experience from their actions do not jive.  There seems to be a gap.

It was precisely this gap between words and actions that Jesus was addressing in today’s lesson.  Think of the stories of Jesus and His visits to the homes of the religious leaders.  His visits could have been opportunities for that person to learn more of Jesus’ message but the person thought of it as more of an opportunity to show off his own importance by hosting Jesus.  The popularity of Jesus among the people was clear and the religious leaders wanted to be sure that they were seen as supportive of Jesus even if they had serious concerns about the new interpretation He seemed to be placing on the law.  Their public persona was critical.  And so they did their best to appear upright, pious, and authoritative.  Remember the story of the Pharisee and the publican. The one comes and thanks God that he is not like the poor sinner while the publican comes and prays to God that his sins be taken away.

A disconnect had come between the intended role of the religious leader and the present reality.  The leaders had become people who were so consumed by their role that they had lost sight of the fact that they were still very much the people of God just like those whom they had been called to lead.

One of the hardest things we can do is to lead people in such a way that we never forget that where we are leading we also must follow - actions speaking louder than words.   When humans are given authority in family, business, church or any social group, there is a great temptation to see that authority as license to control the lives of those who are part of that group.

It is precisely this kind of authority that Jesus saw in the religious leaders of the day.  Not that every one of them was like this but for the majority, it appeared that they were so caught up with the prestige that came with being called rabbi that they forgot that a major part of their role was to not only direct the lives of the people but to care for the people and to ever remember that the people they led were no different from them.

In large part this was a major point in the movement we have come to know as the Reformation.  The Reformation was about restoring a balance to the faith. It was not so much about destroying institutions and structures as it was about restoring balance.  It was about bringing the religious leadership back to a place where leadership was understood to be service rather than being served.  It was only when the plea for such a restoration of balance was rejected that people such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox decided to step away from the church they had come to know and look for a fresh start.

When we are given authority in any organization, we need to be guided by principles.  We also need to remain conscious that we cannot stand apart from the people who form that organization with us.  And while we may make decisions that will not sit well with everyone, we need to ensure that whatever decisions we make that they are made after careful consideration of the circumstances and that those decisions are not self-serving or malicious or disrespectful of the people within the organization.

In this passage, Jesus lays out some clear direction for how He expects the community of the faithful to order itself. They are to look not just to one person to be a teacher but they are to teach one another.  They are not to revere one among them as the father of them all for they have a Father and He is in heaven.  They are not to see any of them as master for they have only one master, the Christ.  They are to seek to serve and not to be master. They are to seek to be children of God together and not father over all. They are to seek to learn from one another.

Certainly this is an ideal that Jesus puts before the people. It is most certainly a strong reaction against the leadership He found in place at that time.  And even though we recognize people as leaders in our community and look to them for guidance, interpretation and rulings on matters of faith and practice; those who are called to such positions are to never forget from where they came.

Any who are called to take up offices within the community are to ever see themselves as part of that community.  We call people from the community to serve the community.  And while we seek to do everything decently and in good order and so have called some to particular offices and tasks, it does not mean that we can ever believe or should ever believe that those called are somehow above the rest.  All of us stand before the same God and all of us are accountable to that God for our words and our deeds.

Leadership anywhere can be a challenge. Leadership in the church is no different in that respect; but there is one major difference.  Leadership in the church is truly about service.  Whether it is teaching Sunday School, leading the choir, playing the organ, making pies, helping at a church supper or other event, being a manager on the board, an elder or a minister, leadership is about service.  It is about recognizing and acknowledging the contribution of each one.  It is about valuing each other as persons who all share the same faith and the same hope. It is about seeking to understand the struggles that each other faces and being willing to act with compassion and love.  It is about aligning our actions with our words.