The Price of Leadership--by Linden Malki

The list of qualifications that St Paul gives Timothy is very demanding--but it is not only a good checklist for leaders, but for each of us. (Think how much more smoothly life would be if everybody was like this.!) It is interesting that from the beginning of Jesus' ministry, He called a group of men to be with Him and learn from Him. They did a fairly good job of living up to Jesus' requirements, though they did miss the point a few times, and of course one of them was a phony and troublemaker. Peter had a tendency to have a self-control deficiency, but he was willing to stop and straighten out.  But there were things that Jesus taught that needed to be part of any teachings that were shared with others. The early Church was wrestling with the calling to preach the existence and authority of God, the teaching and life of Jesus, and the obligations of members of a community of believers to God and each other. The tradition of meeting as a community goes all the way back to the family of Jacob, who became a community that had been touched by God and chosen to teach others what this meant.

The coming of Jesus changed the nature of this community, from one whose basic identification was a family, to one that adopted anyone who was willing to accept the calling to identify with Jesus as Lord, and connect with God the Father, and His desire for personal relationship with all people who would respond to His message. The last human words we have on record from Jesus is a command to go and welcome all who were willing into this relationship, beyond the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  This new community as commanded by Jesus, reached out not only to those who were familiar with this God. but to their relatives in Samaria and then to the wider world.

This calling got a mixed response; there were those who embraced the opportunity to have a relationship with their Creator, and those who rejected it. We have seen through the centuries the havoc caused by those who take this position in a wrong direction, of personal failure, greed, abuse, and other sins that can destroy the community and be a misleading and dangerous witness to the world.  We, who are committed to God's Word and His people, need to hold our leaders accountable and pray and support them in their calling.