Cheryl Schatz

Don,

I concur with your statements.  For many the place of power will corrupt them whether it is giving place to their sinful nature a little bit or a lot.  This is why, I believe, that God doesn’t place us under a human mediator as some religions would have us believe, but rather God allows us individually access to Himself through the God-man Jesus Christ.

Perhaps the best example of the difference between a dictatorial leader and a servant model is what happens when there is a perceived “wrong”.

2 Timothy 2:24  The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
2 Timothy 2:25  with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
2 Timothy 2:26  and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

The one who is a godly servant to the flock will be patient when wronged.  He will act in gentleness and he will pray that God will grant repentance to those who wronged him.  The attitude is one of care for the flock, a heart of love and a patient steadfast nature that will not attack the one who “wronged” him.

In contrast the one who is an authoritarian leader will not be patient when wronged.  Instead he will act to protect himself instead of acting to protect the flock.  His actions will show that he is the most important and his ego and his “rights” are what needs protection.  You won’t find this kind of leadership in scripture.  Well, actually, that isn’t quite right.  There is a “leader” of sorts who protects himself.  This “leader” is called a “hired hand” or in the KJV a “hireling”.

John 10:12  “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
John 10:13  “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.

This is why I believe we are called to service and sacrifice.  Service helps us to love those we serve.  Those who are pastors for the money they get or the power they wield are unlikely to care about the sheep because their focus is not the sheep but themselves.  So one of the ways to know whether a pastor has a true heart of a pastor is to see what he does when trouble comes.  When he is wronged, who does he protect, himself or the sheep?

Don, I liked your example of the hobbits.  I never did “get” the Lord of the Rings, probably because I have too much of a logical mind to “get” things that don’t seem to make sense.  I do appreciate those who are able to distill the message down to a place where even I can grasp it.