a 365 day trip through Matthew with a key thought, prayer, focus verse and contextual verses for each day
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Brothers and sisters, if someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently help make him right again. But be careful, because you might be tempted to sin, too. By helping each other with your troubles, you truly obey the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is important when he really is not, he is only fooling himself. Each person should judge his own actions and not compare himself with others. Then he can be proud for what he himself has done. Each person must be responsible for himself. (NCV)
Gal. 6:1-5
People who think they are religious but say things they should not say are just fooling themselves. Their “religion” is worth nothing. Religion that God accepts as pure and without fault is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help, and keeping yourself free from the world’s evil influence. (NCV)
James 1:26-27
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.(NIV)
Romans 12:3-8 |
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October 27
How Not to Lead - Matthew 23:4-10
“They tell you to do things, but they themselves don’t do them. They make strict rules and try to force people to obey them, but they are unwilling to help those who struggle under the weight of their rules. They do good things so that other people will see them. They make the boxes of Scriptures that they wear bigger, and they make their special prayer clothes very long. Those Pharisees and teachers of the law love to have the most important seats at feasts and in the synagogues. They love people to greet them with respect in the marketplaces, and they love to have people call them ‘Teacher.’ “But you must not be called ‘Teacher,’ because you have only one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters together. And don’t call any person on earth ‘Father,’ because you have one Father, who is in heaven. And you should not be called ‘Master,’ because you have only one Master, the Christ.
Full Text
Key Thought
I've heard a whole bunch of lessons on how to be a good leader, but I've never heard a more powerful lesson on how NOT to be a good leader than Matthew 23. In this chapter Jesus pronounces 7 woes, or seven "How terrible" statements. In these, he denounces the religious leaders of his day for their selfish, misguided, abusive, arrogant, contemptible, and condescending leadership.
Unfortunately, many of the abuses by religious leaders that Jesus denounces in this chapter are actively and widely practiced today in many religious groups. Anyone longing to be a spiritual leader of any kind must routinely revisit this chapter to be warned about the dangers of distorted leadership. Jesus takes very seriously the way his followers will lead in his Kingdom. Of course, when the hero of a movement is willing to die a sacrificial death for his followers, it tends to stand leadership styles upside down. Maybe that's what Jesus had in mind when he said that in his Kingdom, "The first will be last and the last would be first!"
Bottom line for today's verses:
Leaders must be helpful to those they lead, not so they will be seen and honored, but so that those they serve will be blessed and God himself will be pleased!
Today's Prayer
O God, forgive me when I grandstand my Christian service. Please open my heart so that I will serve you more genuinely and honestly whether anyone notices or not. Give me eyes to see those who have burdens that need to be lifted and willing hands to serve them as Jesus did. In my Savior's precious name I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses with Jesus
(key verses in bold)
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his followers, 2 “The
teachers of the law and the Pharisees have the authority to tell
you what the law of Moses says. 3 So you should obey and follow
whatever they tell you, but their lives are not good examples
for you to follow: Top of
Page
“They tell you to do things, but
they themselves don’t do them. 4 They make strict rules and
try to force people to obey them, but they are unwilling to help
those who struggle under the weight of their rules. 5 They do good
things so that other people will see them. They make the boxes of
Scriptures that they wear bigger, and they make their special
prayer clothes very long. 6 Those Pharisees and teachers of the
law love to have the most important seats at feasts and in the
synagogues. 7 They love people to greet them with respect in the
marketplaces, and they love to have people call them ‘Teacher.’
8 “But you must not be called ‘Teacher,’ because
you have only one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters
together. 9 And don’t call any person on earth ‘Father,’
because you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 And you should
not be called ‘Master,’ because you have only one
Master, the Christ.
11 Whoever is your servant is the greatest among you. 12
Whoever makes himself great will be made humble. Whoever makes
himself humble will be made great.
(NCV) The New Century Version, (Dallas, Texas:
Word Publishing) 1987, 1988, 1991.
Used by permission.
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