Do you ever wonder what the Bible says about effective leadership and what the appropriate response of followers should be to their leaders?
Matthew 23:3b-c tells us Jesus spoke to His disciples (in front of a crowd), referring to the “religion scholars and Pharisees” (MSG) — the religious teachers and leaders — as “competent teachers in God’s Law,” (NASB). He assured them the disciples wouldn’t be mislead in “their teachings on Moses.” However, He warned them (and us) not to “follow” them, because they don’t practice what they preach (NIV).
So in other words, the “religion scholars and Pharisees” offered good teaching, but were denounced as religious hypocrites because they didn’t personally live their faith. While people could learn from them, they should not emulate them.
On that subject, I’ve known of preachers who publicly admitted this to be accurate. Unfortunately, some have proven this to be true💔BUT - as always, there’s more to this Scripture and its application in our lives…
Since 2014, I’ve actively done deep-dive studies into relationships and human behavior. With the hope of encouraging restoration and growing healthy relationships, I often look through a lens to discover potential causes and motivations of various behaviors and relationship challenges.
A major part of my ongoing study includes the Bible. I search for wisdom and guidance on life matters, biblical principles to apply and in the process, I try to glean a practical life application found in Scripture. In this verse, I am seeking a life application for today, through the insight Jesus, our Lord and Savior has given us.
🔭 Like so many lessons Jesus taught, I look to see real life applications for today. While He is referring to the scholars and Pharisees at that time, I find an application in here for addressing today’s leaders and those with authority at any level of all peoples’ everyday life, worldwide. Let me explain…
It’s human nature for those holding recognized established authority over a nation or group of people to easily take on the role of being ‘in charge.’ Left unchecked, these fearless (possibly feckless) leaders can overdo things. They become expert at laying oppressive burdens on others. As a result, rules, mandates and unreasonable expectations grow exponentially.
This can be traced and repeatedly illustrated by unfortunate examples littering human history worldwide. Some extend to the present day. On a smaller scale, maybe you’ve personally observed this in a committee, club, group or organization. Most of us have experienced when someone got carried away being “in charge” of things …and it didn’t end well.
Throughout time, many with established authority as recognized leaders have engaged in obtrusive activities through a variety of means. Some include: delegating the heavy/most undesirable workload onto the backs of others, possibly slavery, increasing regulation, unbearable taxation, surveilling individuals, or controlling the everyday lives of a population through mandates, harsh laws, threatening physical force or incarceration.
A key component to many of these practices (and more) is lacking compassion for others — especially for the people these leaders exist to serve. Leadership gone awry is often seen forcing respect and honor without earning it. Laws and diminished privileges and less freedom are forced upon the people officious leaders are to serve. In the end, when things go wrong, there seems to be no accountability held by those “in charge.”
So what could this mean?
Jesus most assuredly said, “Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them.” ~ Matthew 23:3-4 (NASB)
Gleaning from what Jesus said, as a follower of Jesus Christ and in an application I’m seeking for leaders today, I take this to mean I should obey the law, but not set my moral compass according to a leader, authority figure or committee chair. I should not adopt their worldviews, practices or traditions. I should hold fast to that which I know to be right and true (the Bible), and my example (and my plum line to measure everything with) is Jesus.
✔️BOTTOMLINE: Matthew 23:1-39 is a positive lesson Jesus presented on leadership. In it, His instruction on how we are to be responsible citizens while currently living in this lost world. He is encouraging us all to hold onto our identity as Christians while we live out God’s message of grace. Let us live out our faith!
This also doesn’t mean everyone should transform into a bobble head, agreeing just to get along, when things are not just and right. As He points out, our guiding principles and standards are not the same as many of those who may be in leadership. Our Christian principles and standards never change.
This may seem to be a no-brainer, but how easily we can be swayed to believe otherwise as we are caught in the heat of a moment. Possibly we are encouraged to take a detour onto a new path. Maybe out of desperation we become incentivized to get off-track completely.
🤔 How would I know?
Looking around, worldly influences are plainly visible wherever we turn. They exist like sharp hooks, snagging the next weary, unsuspecting or desperate person seeking something more.
People are human. Human nature is not infallible. We can think and do the wildest things and suddenly find ourselves in a vast wilderness, eventually wanting to return to normalcy.
✔️Truth be told: likely every one of us has experienced some instance of overboard authority or leadership gone awry. I ran across this Scripture today and it inspired me to write this piece. I hope it encourages you, or someone you know.
♥️The Good News is: Beyond our everyday, there is a much grander and wonderful life ahead for anyone who seeks it❤️🩹 No matter what. No matter who. And HEY — NO worries… He IS EVERYwhere 24-7. He IS the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. (1 Timothy 6:15) You can count on that!
What the Bible Says :
And of course you should obey their every whim! It may be all right to do what they say, but above anything else, don’t follow their example. For they don’t do what they tell you to do. They load you with impossible demands that they themselves don’t even try to keep. ~ Matthew 23:3-4 (TLB)
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So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them ~ Matthew 23:3-4 (NIV)
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so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. ~ Matthew 23:3-4 (ESV)
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Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach. They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them. ~ Matthew 23:3-4 (CSB)
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Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them. And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger. ~ Matthew 23:3-4 (NASB)
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Religious Fashion Shows
Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. “The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God’s Law. You won’t go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all spit-and-polish veneer.
“Instead of giving you God’s Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn’t think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor’ and ‘Reverend.’ ~ Matthew 23:1-7 (MSG)
🕸️ How Easily We Can Get Hung up in a Tangled Web of Lies! It’s amazing to realize how swayed we can be by lies spun around us and by the lies we tell ourselves.
One thing we can know for sure is “seeing” is deceiving, especially with today’s polished presentations. Even before social media, we learned just because we say it “is” doesn’t make it so. We quickly learn that keeping up appearances is hard work!
Today people everywhere make their pronouncements and predictions from powerful platforms of influence. Blinded by the thought leader’s perceived brilliance, their words, thoughts, and misrepresentations are hungrily gobbled up by faithful followers or grazed upon by meandering truth-seekers. Each gem is embraced as a guiding truth.
Perhaps we would be better off considering what “is” rather than what “ifs.” Isn’t it time to stand up to lies and start living with heart and soul?
That’s why I wrote Kick Life-Wrecking Lies to the Curb! Don’t settle for less! Kick the lies to the curb and start living the life you were meant to live.
➡️ Kick Life-Wrecking Lies to the Curb! Letting Go of the Lies Keeping You From Living with Heart and Soul is available on Amazon and LULUcom:
• Amazon Paperback https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BP9H3N51/
• Kindle eBook https://www.amazon.com/Kick-Life-Wrecking-Lies-Curb-Letting-ebook/dp/B0BNMG3DRS/
• LULUcom https://www.lulu.com/shop/becky-cortino/
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