It is to your advantage that I go away!

jesus07.jpgOur fascination with celebrities often becomes personality cult.  One of the things which I simply do not understand about  American politics is the messianic fervor which seems to flow through the presidential process.  Can one person really solve the problems of a nation?  That leadership cult also flows through the church.  So much teaching on leadership seems to have as its goal the creation of dependency!  We have our own versions of the celebrity, personality, leadership cults!

In John 16:7,  Jesus is telling the disciples that  "It is to your advantage that I go away".  After three years with Jesus, after all the miracles and after all the dreams of the Kingdom it comes to this?  How could it possibly be better without Jesus?  How could it possibly be better without the moment by moment flesh and blood presence of Jesus?

We know the rest of the verse!  "For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you: but if I depart, I will send Him to you."

Jesus, the best, wisest, most anointed leader who ever walked on the face of the earth was leaving the men he had discipled for three years.  Earlier He had called them "friends" and destroyed the possibility of any hierarchical system truly representing His kingdom but now he takes it all one step further!  He is leaving the scene!

It is better that they know His indwelling presence by the Holy Spirit than for them to have His physical presence!  It is better that His friends walk as He walked by inward revelation of the Father and His voice than by outward command!  Jesus was so confident of the ability of the Holy Spirit to lead into all truth, to reveal His person and to reveal His Father that He was willing to leave.   He was willing to trust His friends to the Holy Spirit!  And we think we are needed?

Healthy leadership disciplines towards trust and release energized by love!  Unhealthy leadership controls towards dependence and is driven by fear.  True leadership knows the time to go and leave the friends to the Holy Spirit!  If you do not demonstrate your trust in the Holy Spirit in your friends, they never will learn to do so either!

Do we have the same trust in the Holy Spirit that Jesus has?
How are you relating to others?  
Do you have friends or servants?
Is Jesus free to build?

Steve Hill

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    February 06 2009

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