Matthew 23:1-12

Sunday November 2, 2008 Rev. Robert L. Clark II Matthew 23:1-12 23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 23:2 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 23:3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 23:4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. 23:5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 23:6 They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 23:7 and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. 23:8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. 23:9 And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father--the one in heaven. 23:10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. 23:11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 23:12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

Last week we talked about the different kinds of servant hood. We talked about those who serve out of fear, those who serve out of duty, and those who serve out of love. In the passage we read this morning, Jesus talks about another motivation out of which some people appear to serve God. Thismotivation is self-aggrandizement. According to Jesus, the Pharisees and their cohorts were more interested in receiving praise from other people than in pleasing God. They worked hard to make themselves appear bigger, better, and more important than others. If there were Pharisees today, we would see them riding around in shiny black SUVs, with slicked back jet black hair,wearing three piece suits accessorized with gaudy gold crucifixes and shiny Rolexes. They would be preaching in packed auditoriums in front of TV cameras and colored spot lights, backed up by shiny red rock ‘n’ roll screaming guitars and a chorus of doo wop singers. If we had Pharisees today, they would be standing up in front of the hungry crowds, the starving

longing for a word of hope, the famished seeking refreshment for malnourished souls, the ravenous mass of humanity craving a mere crumb of God’s grace, preaching the gospel of wrath and laying burdens on the people that they themselves are unwilling to carry.

If we had Pharisees today they could be found dining with presidents and kings, partying with rappers, super models, and popes, lecturing in prestigious halls, and making appearances on late night TV.

If we had Pharisees todayand Jesus came by I wonder what he would say, perhaps something like “Listen to what they have to say, but for God’s sake, do not act like them!” Jesus has a different picture in mind when he thinks about those who are to be leaders in the Church. Jesus says, “The greatest among you will be your servant.” Leaders do not place new burdens on people. They help them to lift the burdens they already carry. Jesus models this for us in Matthew 11:2830 when he says “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens 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.”

In the Church there is and can be only one legitimate form of leadership and that is servant leadership. This being the case, it is important for us as Christians to understand what it means to be a servant leader. In 1970 Robert Greenleaf borrowed the term Servant leader from the Church and applied it to business in an essay called The Servant as Leader. In that essay he enumerated 11 characteristics that mark the servant leader. These include: having a calling, listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, growth, and community building.

1. The first and most important characteristic of a servant leader is that he or she has a

calling. A person who is called into the ministry of servant leadership by God through the Holy Spirit will have a seemingly innate desire to serve others. A servant leader wants to do for the sake of others, to lift others up, never from a desire for self gain but rather because of a deeply held conviction that serving others is the right and only worthwhilething to do. A servant leader is willing to sacrifice self-interest for the sake of others. This is a characteristic that cannot be taught or developed. It comes as a gift of the Spirit to those who earnestly desire to please God. 2. Listening: the servant leader will strife to be a good listener by developing a genuine

interest in others and in what they have to say. Servant leaders place a high value on other people. They care about peoples feeling, about their ideas, their hopesand their dreams. Unlike a calling, which comes as a gift, listening is a skill that can and must be developed through practice and conscious effort. 3. Empathy: A servant leader must be willing and able to walk in the other guy’s shoes. A

servant leader will take time to understand another person’s point of view to get inside another’s life and understand another’s experience. This characteristic comes more naturally to some than to others and so is part gift and part skill. 4. Healing: Servant leaders are people who care about the spiritual and physical health and

well-being of others. They will work hard to create an environment in which healing can and does occur. Those who have the spiritual gift of healing will find that others are drawn to them in times of trauma and or crisis. They seem always to know the right thing to say or do to bring healing in any situation. Not all servant leaders have the gift of healing but all can develop the skill.

5. Awareness: Servant leaders pay attention to what is going on around them. They have a

very keen sense of reality and will rarely be fooled by appearances. They are constantly seeking the environmental clues that will inform their perception and thinking. Awareness is more of a habit than a gift or a skill, a habit that is built up with practice over time. 6. Persuasion: A servant leader relies on the ability to persuade rather than the power to demand. Servant leaders do not force others to do things they do not want to do. Servant leaders do not get what they want by flexing their muscles and looking intimidating. A servant uses the promptings of the Holy Spirit to convince others of the best way to go. 7. Conceptualization: A servant leader nurtures the ability to imagine the world, events and possibilities. He or she will encourage others to dream great dreams and not get bogged down in the day to day business of living. The servant leader values big thoughts and grand ideas. 8. Foresight: Another name for foresight is prophecy. The gift of prophecy comesfrom the

Holy Spirit and is characterized by an uncanny ability to anticipate future events. Prophesy is not fortune telling and it has nothing to do with psychic powers or other weird abilities. A prophet is a person who is in tune with the way that God is working in the world and excels at discerning patterns and imagining possibilities. A prophet is very good at anticipating the outcomes. 9. Stewardship: In ancient times a steward was given the task of caring for, protecting, and

grooming the prince to become king. The Servant leader is charged with the task of caring for, protecting, and preparing the people of God to be the Church. 10. Growth: A servant leader is deeply concerned with the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual growth of others. They believe that all people are people of sacred worth who

by their very being contribute to the life of the church and to God’s mission in the world. The servant leader is actively interested and involved in helping others to maximize the gifts of God. 11. Community Building: In the 13thchapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples a new

command saying: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” A servant leader believes in the community that is the church and in the importance of constantly building upthat community. The servant leader is one who consciously works to create an environment conducive to the growth of community.

Along with your bulletin this morning you should have received a piece of paper with eleven questions on it. These eleven questions correspond to the eleven characteristics of a servant leader. Take time this week to look over these questions. Answer them as honestly as possible. Then ask God to reveal to you the way in which you can best serve in Christ’s Church. Ask God to help you to develop the characteristics that will allow you to be both servant and leader. If you feel like God is calling you into a leadership role in this community of faith, I encourage you to call the church office and set up an appointment to talk with m e or as they say in Hollywood, have your people call my people and we will do lunch.