On two occasions we find the disciples arguing among themselves as to who is the ‘greatest’! How pathetic yet how human! Jesus tells them the characteristics of the one whom He considers to be ‘great’. He is to be as a child (Matt 18:4) - not childish, but childlike, dependent, unable to hold offenses, transparent, etc. He is to be as the last (Mark 9:34) – not in competition seeking fame and awards. Happy when others get the acclaim. He is to be as the least (Luke 9:48) – not pushing himself to the fore, unnoticed. He is to be as a servant, even a slave, (Mark 9:34) - whose sole purpose is to bring honour to his master. He is to be as the youngest (Luke 22:26) – one having no inheritance in this world, learning to wait his turn, a stranger in this foreign land. (See my teaching on this subject).

 

When I look around me I do not see many in church leadership who meet these criteria! Instead I see churches advertising themselves, pastors receiving honorary degrees and demanding better salaries, insecure men ‘lording it’ over their sheep. It is so often ‘my church’ not His church, so they exercise control with politicking and unethical behaviour.

 

We are so well educated now that we are very discerning about heresies in our pulpits. Isn’t it about time we rooted out heresy of practice?