TEXT FOR REFLECTION
[King Zedekiah] did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence.
JEREMIAH 52:2-3
As I read today's assigned reading, the stark reality of this injustice struck me: that the fate of a nation depended on the quality of their king. Because King Zedekiah did evil, the nation of Judah was destroyed. The city gates, the Temple, the palace, and all the houses were torn down; men, women, and children were killed or taken into exile, and the land laid waste except for the poorest, who were left to work the vineyards and the fields.
It was not mentioned whether the people individually or as a whole did right or evil. But it was mentioned that the some of the poorest of the land were taken into exile while the rest of the poorest were left behind to tend the fields and vineyards (v 15, 16). None of them had a say in what their fate would be. Their lives were in the hands of the powers that be. I wonder if any had been righteous. No matter.
Their king was evil and they bore the consequences of their king's evil deeds. It struck me this morning the unbearable weight of leadership: that leaders do not live for themselves. Whether individual leaders live for themselves or not is not the question. The reality is that those living and working under the authority of each leader bears the consequences of the good or evil lives of their leaders.
RELATE
This truth seems too obvious to even mention. Of course people's fortunes depend on the quality of their leaders, we say. Yet I wonder if we have allowed this truth to reside at the core of all that we do. Our Lord Jesus taught this: “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45
Jesus highlighted the tendency of leaders to lord over those under them. To have power and authority over others is intoxicating. It is intoxicating to have our way over others. It is intoxicating to 'just say the word' and have others obey us.
But Jesus points leaders to see differently. That leaders are to be servants to those they lead. To be a servant does not mean that we clean floors or tables, though sometimes that may be necessary. What it does mean is that the welfare of those under our authority must always take prime space in all that we do, think, and say. Whenever we make any decision, the question foremost on our minds must be: how does this affect those whom we have authority over. And this question must supersede every other consideration, whether of personal gain or of personal promotion.
REST
Make me a servant
Humble and meek
Lord let me lift up those who are weak
And may the prayer of my heart always be
Make me a servant
Make me a servant
Make me a servant today.
Chiu Ming Li
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