Warning to Leaders

In Luke 11:37-54 Jesus is at a Pharisee's house. He condemns their hypocrisy. 

Luke 11:39 - "Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness."

As leaders we need not only give a godly example but must be godly. As spiritual leaders it can be easy to say all the right things and even possible to do the right thing in public. Yet, is are mind and heart pure? Is your family life as it should be? How is your secret life? Do we live the same way in secret as we do in plain sight? This is the hard part as Christian leaders. 

Luke 11:42 - " “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone."

As leaders we can fall into legalism to the extent we neglect justice and love. As pastors and teachers we often teach the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law. We often so strictly abide by the letter of the law that we don't see the person who is standing in front of us or around us. We are blinded to the persons feelings, thoughts, and hurts. We often lack the love that the law stems from. When the letter of the law supersedes love which is the basis of the law, we don't truly understand the spirit of the law.

Luke 11:46 - " Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them."

As leaders we often burden people with the law. We burden them with the does and don'ts, but do not make the effort to help them obey the law. We stand as enforcer and regulator of the Word of God, but don't show them how to obey God principles. We don't give them the tools needed to live a victorious life. We don't come alongside of them to strengthen them and encourage them but we instead stand as judge and condemner.