Our passage from Luke 15: 1-28 provides some insight into the difficulties of managing spiritual relationships. Church relationships chiefly. Here Jesus is forced to address the concerns of some gathered around him who murmured because He gave audience to those they considered sinners and publicans. I am sure they were perceived in this manner because they belonged in the common class, outside the walls of privilege that religious society had constructed. Those who placed themselves on this scale of piety probably had as much or more baggages in their personal lives.
Often, people who have never handled even a secular group, let alone a spiritual one which is complex by its very nature, seldom realize how challenging it is to lead or hold together. The shepherd has people from different backgrounds, worldviews and expectations to deal with. It is not uncommon for him or her to be misunderstood, even with the very best of intentions and motives.
People often take offense in the face of unrealistic expectations. Christian leadership can be difficult and stressful where love and pure intent are invested at the top level. It may not sound auspicious to say, but it is true nonetheless: people are more pliant and cooperative under a self-serving and manipulative leadership. Generally, they obediently toe lines set under a climate of fear and intimidation.
Instead of focusing on what God may have for each one of them at that material time, and under that atmosphere, the folks in that assembly where Jesus was Chief Guest gave themselves to whispering and murmuring. They nursed issues. They desired to tailor Jesus to their own perspective and worldview, which were very defective. Rather than change to view things from God’s lens through exposure to His word, it became the other way round. They set about attempting to change the direction of the ministry, and even worse the beliefs of the minister, to suit themselves!
Not a few leaders have fallen into the precipice here. In order to “save the crowd” and keep outward appearances of a ministry doing well, they surrendered their rudders to ungodly pressure.
Where the anointing should have been put to work to bless, heal and direct, all of that was sacrificed and squandered managing unrealistic, godless expectations and disputes. The parable that Jesus gave in that long passage came out of grief as He addressed those elements who made themselves impervious to the grace that comes through the word and counsel of God. A sensitive shepherd consequently ministers under much pain and anguish
We remember that in Nazareth, the situation proved so dire that the Lord was unable to do much that could have benefitted the people who came with real needs.
I am hoping that we will, in the near future, find time to share how even some who are committed and helpful in the work can themselves be difficult to steer along, as we see in the parable of the prodigal son. The senior brother was the one who did not transgress. But was it realistic for their father to reject the wayward brother who returns broken and wiser, having bought knowledge and wisdom at a very good price?
