Tuesday Re-mix –
But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will. Luke 23:23-25
The story of Jesus’ crucifixion is so filled with ugliness and power struggles and politics and manipulation, it is an amazingly frustrating story to me. These are some of the things I absolutely hate the most in our world. A few religious leaders who feel threatened by Jesus incite a virtual riot and use their influence to create an angry mob to ensure Jesus’ crucifixion…it is a portrait of how truly ugly humanity can be.
And speaking of truly ugly, that picture is not entirely foreign to you if you have ever been involved in a real “barn-burner” of a church conflict. In fact, some of the nastiest, ugliest pictures I have ever seen of an angry mob have been church business meetings or staff retreats or deacons meetings or committee meetings.
Sad, isn’t it?
But if you have been in a leadership role in the church for very long, this reality comes as no huge surprise to you. Because, when we feel that our very church is at stake, we become capable of unbelievably bad behavior. There just are not that many things more important to us. Our children are important to us, which explains the bad behavior at PTA meetings and little league baseball games. Our homes are important to us, which explains the bad behavior at homeowner’s association meetings. Our money is important to us, which explains the bad behavior in the Civil courtrooms. Our churches are important to us. And from my experience, when it comes to bad behavior, little league parents and litigants have nothing on us as church members!
As I write this post, I just hung up from a telephone conversation with a frustrated pastor. It is a conversation I must have had a thousand times. He was just sick and tired of the backbiting and manipulation tactics and ugly behavior on the part of some in his church. He just wants to see the personal agendas dropped and everybody join together to begin seeking God’s agenda. He is tired and frustrated and a little angry himself. And maybe you are too, but with your own church. Maybe you are tired of the politics and the bad behavior, and you are just wanting to see it all stop.
With those same feelings, I read the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and how the religious leaders of the time incited the crowd to crucify our Lord, and my first reaction is to burn with anger. I hate politics, I really do. I hate what politics do to otherwise good people. And make no mistake about it, what happened to Jesus was a direct result of politics.
And then I remember…
What happened to Jesus was God’s plan from the very beginning.
It was what was supposed to happen.
If you are frustrated with the bad behavior in your own church, let the crucifixion story encourage you. Not only did God permit the angry mob, He used it. He ordained it and brought about His purpose through it. He could do that because He is truly God and is bigger than all the bad behavior humanity can muster. In the end, He will win. He will have His way.
“…and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hadeswill not overcome it.”
…and neither will the ugly crowd in your church.
God is God. One way or another, He will win.
One response to “God is Bigger than Our Ugliest Moments”
Thank you for this post. Reading about, and hearing about things like this always makes prompts me to think about what leaders should pray for with regards to God’s intervention in the Kingdom.
There must be better ways our brothers and sisters can be raised to avoid these worldly pitfalls that befall our congregations.
Seems like there is so much burn out in leadership as described by your phone call with a pastor something is very wrong, and we know God can work through anything but there must be God inspired ways towards unity, encouragement and love.
Congregations and denominations sometimes seem more like systems than the living breathing body of Christ. Leadership should not be getting burnt out as you described if leadership is truly depending on God’s power and strength. There seems to be a little too much of us and not enough God in the work. We need to take a lesson from the apostle Paul, Colossians 1:29 NIV
“To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”
Our leaders also need to know what they are facing when they are coming into ministry. They may have too many false expectations, which is a major cause for burnout, like they will be appreciated and lauded for their wonderful work. Most of all leaders need to connect with Jesus for their encouragement and survival in this most important calling.
Thank you
Henry Gomez
Pharisees Anonymous
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pharisees-Anonymous/118664414841088