“Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:10-12).
He tells us not to place heavy burdens upon other people that we will not help them to bear. Holiness is not about placing stricture on other people. It’s not about piling up rules that people find it hard to obey. Instead, a holy life is about helping others to shoulder their difficult burdens, empowering them through the love of God to carry those burdens lightly. Place my yolk upon your shoulders, and I will give you rest.
Jesus tells us not to be like the Pharisees, who love their position of power, who exult in it and who enjoy the public displays of their piety which bring them privilege. He tells us not to be called masters – for God is the true Master.
This isn’t to say that leadership is bad and we should all give it up. Indeed, some people are actually called to leadership. What Jesus means is that true leadership, holy leadership, needs to be re-envisioned as service.
If we do lead it is not for our own benefit, but for the people who are being led. A mother cares for and instructs her children not because she desires power over them but because she loves them and desires to nurture them. So it should be with all leadership. We are called in all our dealings to strive to exalt the other, to serve the other, to lift the other up; we are called to put aside false leadership which rules by putting the other down and elevating ourselves over them.
Like Dr. Phil says: we should live each day not thinking ‘how does this person make my life better’ but, rather, ‘how can I make this person’s life better today.’ That is holiness.
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