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Leadership Lesson // Get off Your Big Fat Mountain

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MountainJesus gives some of his disciples a once in a lifetime opportunity: they were to meet the heroes of the faith, Moses and Elijah.  And if that weren’t enough, they would also be able to see Jesus in his glory on the mountain (we find the account in Luke 9:28-36).  The next day, after coming down from the mountain, they had the opportunity to minister to a broken family.  There was a demon-possessed boy, who was in constant chaos and threat of death from the demon.  His father was terrified at what might happen to him, so he asked some of Jesus’ disciples—who had just come off of the mountain with Moses and Elijah—to heal his boy.  However, the disciples were not able to do it.  So the boy continued to suffer, until the father found Jesus.

After Jesus healed the boy, he informed his disciples that he would soon suffer betrayal and death.  From the mountain, Jesus was headed down to the valley, if you know what I mean.  But his disciples didn’t seem to catch the lesson.  The next moment, they begin squabbling about which of the disciples was the greatest one.  “An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest” (Luke 9:46).  To answer their narcissistic question, Jesus grabs a grubby, little child and says, “He who is least among you all is the one who is great” (48). 

Where is the leadership lesson?  It’s found in the reason why Jesus’ disciples could not heal the demon-possessed boy.  When they asked him why they couldn’t heal the boy, Jesus replied, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29).  The connection is not immediately obvious unless you look at the context.  We have to keep in mind the unfolding contrasts.  Recall the greatness of the mountain top and the valley of the demon possessed boy.  Remember the greatness that the disciples were chasing after and the valley of death that Jesus was chasing after (in his allusion to the crucifixion).  The various episodes contrast greatness with tragedy and mountains with ministry. 

The key is the words of Jesus about prayer and fasting.  Prayer is depending on God to supply your needs; fasting is denying your wants in order to seek God.  Both are a sure pathway to God.  Depend on God in prayer and deny other pursuits through fasting.  Why couldn’t the disciples help out the wrecked boy?  Because they had placed self-interest in their path, so they could not get to the boy.  They were too busy worrying about themselves and their own greatness, so they could not begin to help the boy in his misery.  They had been on the mountain and were consumed with making themselves “higher” than others; they failed to see the lowly boy and their lowly Master, Jesus.  They were not depending on God, but themselves.  They were not denying themselves, but indulging.  That’s why they could not help the demon-possessed boy.  There are some demons in our lives that are so significant, that we cannot expel them on our own steam.  The disciples thought themselves to be great, but they weren’t that great. 

Leaders easily pass by the helpless and suffering on their way to “greatness.”  When a leader’s eyes are on himself, he cannot help others.  In fact, they will continue to languish, while we’re busy grooming ourselves for the next mountain. 

That’s why Jesus’ words are so harsh to his smug disciples:

“O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you?” (Luke 9:41).

Greatness can never be achieved by pursuing it directly, but only through pursuing the well being of others and the glory of God.  Better are the words of Jesus:

“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.  For he who is least among you is the one who is great.”

© Samuel Kee, 2013



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