“Jesus & Moses Teachings on the Art of Leadership”
Exodus 19:2-8a & Matthew 9:35-10:8 ~ Northwood UC ~ June 18, 2023
Fathering Sunday…Father’s Day…whenever we gather on a special Sunday that isn’t (necessarily) a religious observance, there inevitably is a lot to be received in a spiritual setting. On Sundays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, we don’t lift them up as religious feast days, yet we can find profound wisdom and teaching for our life’s journey. What I would like to suggest in this morning’s conversation is that Mothering and Fathering Sundays create wonderful opportunities to ponder the role of leadership as people of faith. Whether we are biological mothers or fathers, our call to offer leadership is an important role for us all. This morning we consider the role of leadership we are called to offer in our lives.
Questions that I will suggest that we should be asking today surround leadership. Questions such as: how are you a leader? A leader to those around you…a leader to your family…to your friends…in your workplace…in your community. These are the leadership questions we are asking today. On the other side of that question is how we allow others to exercise their leadership. If we believe that everyone has wonderful spiritual gifts inside, then we must consider how we open space to let them lead. Are we encouraging others to lead? Are we prompting their leadership…welcoming their gifts…fanning the flames of the spirit that others can share their gifts into the world?
And as we consider leadership, we have some wonderful teachings in the two texts that Betty just read for us. We see powerful examples of leading others on the journey by walking beside them, leading others by walking ahead, leading others by walking behind.
The leadership demonstrated by walking ahead is, likely, the most common form of leadership that we think of. Moses walked ahead of the Israelites as they were freed from Egyptian slavery and wandered into the wilderness. In the many examples of Moses’ leadership, he was walking ahead. Walking ahead of them leading them out of Egyptian slavery; walking ahead and leading them to safety as the sea was parted; walking ahead into the wilderness towards the Promised Land. In this morning’s text, we recall the time when Moses goes up the mountain to speak with God on the people’s behalf. There they are camped at the base of the mountain and Moses goes up to speak with God and bring back the hope and promise that God had for them. Moses walked ahead of the people, leading them towards God’s promise.
Like Moses, some expressions of Jesus’ leadership were also walking ahead. Jesus’ walking ahead was demonstrated by his calling of each of the disciples by name. He had the vision to see, in each of his followers, the gifts they had. Simon and Andrew fishing by the seashore…he called them to leave their nets and follow. In this text, we hear the entire list of Jesus’ original 12 whom he called, one by one he saw in them great things and he called them forward. Here is how the text puts it: “Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him”.
How many of us exercise this form of leadership? Walking ahead leadership is something that many of us are often reserved and shy to demonstrate; however, it is important for us to do. Imagine what might have happened if special people in your life failed to offer this to you? Recall that special time when someone said to you: ‘have you ever considered this or that?’ That is an example of a loved one who showed ‘walking ahead leadership’ in your life. And we can all recall that person who encouraged us on the right path…that path that led to a particular course of study…or career choice…or new relationship…or right next step forward. Could you imagine what might have happened if they hadn’t spoken up? What might have occurred if they didn’t take lovingly lead by walking ahead and speak words of truth and leadership. They spoke up! They bravely, lovingly spoke up and offered words that led you ahead to the journey that you were destined to walk.
Walking ahead leadership isn’t always an easy conversation. Sometimes it requires us to lovingly challenge a person’s behaviour. As many are aware, we have a large AA group meeting here at the church. I have the honour of hearing stories of brave people who remember that one day when a friend had the courage to challenge them about their drinking. Waking ahead leadership like: ‘I love you…and your drinking is taking you in the wrong direction…it has to change’. Those people in our lives who have the courage and love to speak up and help guide us in the right path are truly an essential blessing. For those of us who recall those moments, we ponder, what might have happened if those leaders never spoke? What if they failed to lovingly guide us away from the wrong direction we were walking. Walking ahead leadership is something that we have the ability to offer to those we are closest to. To tell the truth in love. To lovingly share, the gifts we see in them…the challenges we worry they are facing. Walking ahead to those we love can be a profoundly rich gift of love we give to those we know and love.
In addition to the ‘walking ahead’ form of leadership we are called to offer, there is a second form of we might call the ‘walking with’ form of leadership. Walking with leadership is a more subtle form of care and influence; however, I would suggest that it is critical to our expression of love and care. Walking with leadership is demonstrated in the many ways we see the shepherd image used in scripture. The text puts it like this: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” We might recall the reference to Jesus as ‘the Good Shepherd’, the many shepherd references throughout scripture… “The Lord is my shepherd.” These passages highlight the importance of ‘being with’ others. The importance of gently, patiently accompanying them on each step of the journey is a true expression of our identity as spiritual people. One of the most beautiful gifts we can offer is to walk alongside the person. This is the consistent, patient, never-giving-up, form of leadership that we have felt from others when we needed strength, when we yearned for hope, when we sought light. This is what Jesus offered to the disciples. They were harasses and helpless; yet Jesus had compassion for them and became a shepherd walking alongside them.
Some us have seen shepherds in action, though they are not as common as they once were. Most of us know, however, that shepherds have a staff ~ a tall cane. They carry the staff as a guide to all the sheep that they are walking amongst. The sheep need to be able to look up and see the comfort of the shepherd’s staff…guiding them, supporting them, loving them. When the sheep are able to look up and see the shepherd’s staff, it is a great comfort. When they are surrounded by the many other sheep and they can’t see the forest for the trees, they can still look up into the above and see the staff of the shepherd! Are you a shepherd? That was a song we sang earlier. You can be an essential source of comfort to others in your circle when you walk with them. When you walk with others, it provides this non-judgemental way of ‘being with’ them. Gently shepherding them in the right path. They receive your gentle gift of strength, of comfort, of peace. I am sure that we can all recall the people who performed this role in our lives when we needed it most. They shepherded us ahead in the right path.
The final form of leadership we will discuss this morning is ‘walking behind’ leadership. This is the hardest form of leadership for us to exhibit. After all the visionary work of walking ahead; after all the walking / supportive acts of consistent love, there is that act of releasing them so that they can fly. In the Exodus passage, we are given the image of being lifted up on eagle’s wings. Lifted up so that we can fly on our own. If we were to read ahead in the Torah, we would be reminded that Moses did not enter the Promised Land with the Israelites. The Israelites walked with Moses: who led them…as he walked ahead, as he walked among. He only took them so far. He finished his life’s work. And it was Joshua who led them into the Promised Land! For Jesus, following his calling (walking ahead)…following his teaching (walking with)…he sent the disciples out. As the text puts it: “As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons”.
As I started this conversation, observance days such as Father’s Day and Mother’s Day have much to teach us. The call of mothering and fathering are calls to ALL of us in the world. Calls to exercise leadership in the world with those around us; calls to empower others to exercise their leadership. May we follow the great examples of Moses and Jesus (and so many others) of compassionate, caring leadership. May we lead from ahead…calling others in the right path. Noticing the light in them; may we lead beside…patiently walking beside our siblings in Christ; may we lead from behind…releasing others into the world as gift and blessing crucial for the unfolding of the Kin-dom of God.
Amen.