[This is my final post in my “Vintage Wednesday” series regarding whether or not Jesus was a “control freak.”]
I remember years ago when I was first hit by the power of John’s words in the beginning of the fourth chapter of his gospel. Jesus did not baptize—his disciples did. Check out 1 Corinthians 1:10-17yet. Paul was dealing with problems in the early church that stemmed from an unhealthy emphasis on who does the baptizing. How many pastors do you know that believe in that level of empowerment? (This is not to say that pastors can’t baptize but rather to point out a spirit in leadership that is more about control than empowerment!)
Makes me also think about how hard Jesus worked on deflecting all praise to his Father. He kept sneaking off into the desert when the crowds wanted to make him king (check out Luke 5:15-16 and John 6:14-15). He was there to fulfill his role in his Father’s vision. He was there to equip men and women to carry it out. He served, he taught, he led. But he was not on this earth to build his own enterprise or make a name for himself. Glory and honor and people called by his name would occur after the resurrection and he had returned to his Father’s side.
In an earlier post I shared Jesus’ statement that his disciples would do greater works than they had seen him do (John 14:12). Leadership was never about him. It was always about bringing glory to his Father. Jesus served people because he served his Father’s vision. So too, our leadership—prior to our resurrection—is all about something greater than us. Someday we will share in Christ’s glory, but it is not in our pre-resurrected state.
Was Jesus a control freak? I think the answer is clear. With a basin and towel he got down and washed his disciples’ feet, leaving us with one of the most powerful images for serving leadership—one based on empowerment versus control, one based on vision rather than on the leader.
I close this series with three questions: Will you give up power and control? If so, whose feet will you wash today? And who will you empower to do greater works than you?
