SCRIPTURE: Mark 14:53-59
Here we see Jesus’ enemies trying to make up a case against Him.
They know they hate Him, they just need a solid reason to kill Him.
The sad thing is that these people are the religious leaders.
Shouldn’t religious leaders speak up for truth, justice, integrity, honesty, compassion, goodness?
Sad to say, throughout history religious leaders have often used their power for the opposite.
This is part of the brokenness and curse of our messed up world that God had to save us from.
We look to political leaders, religious leaders, business leaders, etc. for good leadership.
Instead (with few exceptions) we get greed, scandal, abuse of office, dishonesty.
Jesus is the exception: honesty, integrity, compassion, truth, justice, mercy.
Here is a leader we can look up to, a leader we can count on.
Though they try to stop Him, not even death can beat Him.
As we will see, this kind of leader comes out on top in the end!
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
God, thank You for sending Jesus, the kind of leader we can look up to. Thank You for Your patience and mercy with me. Help me by Your Spirit to be this kind of leader too.
Jesus is being hauled up and made to answer for things he said, and maybe didn’t say. This sounds to me like the way we treat our politicians. We drag up everything we can from their entire lives to make it public, and to see what will stick.
As Norm mentions, these are the religious people who are doing this. These are people who should be righting the wrongs in society. How do we react to this? It is easy to say that we side with Jesus, and how could those people condemn Him? But I think that there was a bit of mob mentality here. I am sure that these people felt threatened by Jesus and His message, and were trying to contain a situation. Too many people were listening to Jesus’ message, and that was a threat to the status quo.
I think that the one thing that might have been a problem for the case that was brought forward was the claim that Jesus was going to tear down the temple. We can’t have people going around threatening to do this kind of thing. But Jesus was speaking metaphorically, but still, how were they to be sure?
I pray that as a leader, and as a religious person, that I will not be quick to judge. I pray that God will give me wisdom, and that I can deal with fairness and compassion.
Observation/Application
The first thing that jumps to my mind are the words from Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a] with your God.
These words are for all mankind and all the more for the leaders of the community and the religious leaders. In their position, they need to set the example. They live in glasses houses, As the leader goes, so go the people. As the leaders go, so go the Church.
Yet that is not the example that Christ Jesus gave in leadership. He taught that we all need to be ‘foot washers.’ His will needs to be done and not mine. The JOY principle once again – others before myself. Love above all else. God’s Way is the only Way and I must be on that Way, the Way also today, being an instrument of His peace.
Prayer
Help me this day Lord to live the JOY principle in all I do and say so others may truly see that I am Your child – a follower of the Way.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.