Who's In Charge Here?

Acts 20:17-38
Among Paul’s final words to the leaders of the church in Ephesus were these: “Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son” (Acts 20:28). Clearly, there is a tremendous amount of responsibility being passed along to these individuals, and high expectations for their work within the community of faith. Who would willingly accept such a difficult task? And why?

Leadership within the church, says Paul, is decided by the Holy Spirit who provides for “overseers, to shepherd” the faithful. So with the responsibility and the expectations, the elders of Ephesus are also granted the guidance of God’s Spirit, which is the source of their authority as well as the insight by which to exercise it. The terms that Paul uses, words like “flock” and “shepherd,” are very appropriate. Ideally the relationship between a flock and a shepherd is one of mutual regard. A shepherd cares for his or her sheep with deep concern, while the sheep learn to trust the shepherd for their own wellbeing. Shepherds who made arbitrary decisions or who do not take the needs of the sheep into account will not gain the trust necessary to care for a flock. Sheep who do not trust the shepherd will find themselves lost, hungry, or the prey of wild animals.

As someone who has pastored congregations for over 20 years I am well aware of the responsibility I have accepted. It is not up to me to “govern” the church. But it is up to me to provide for and respect a community of faith as together we seek God’s will. The authority I have is not based on my rank, for no baptized Christian is above another. My authority comes from my willingness to perform certain tasks and to be attentive to the needs of those around me. Ultimately every member of the church has a share in the responsibility and the expectations, some in one way, some in another. But those called to act as overseers or shepherds must remain vigilant for what God intends and what the people need. As Paul would affirm, it’s tough work. But according to the Holy Spirit someone needs to do it.

Prayer: Lord, bless those who accept leadership in your church with the insight they need to do your will, and bless the entire community of faith with trust and mutual forbearance. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Fighting Spiritual ADD

Hosea 2:2-15
Acts 20:17-38
Luke 5:1-11
What a contrast we find between the Old Testament reading from Hosea, and the two New Testament readings from Luke and Acts! In the words of the prophet God laments that Israel has played the whore with idols and other gods. As a result, “She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them” (Hosea 2:7). But in Luke’s account Simon Peter, James, and John are called to fish for people as followers of Jesus. And “when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:11). And finally, in telling his friends from Ephesus goodbye, Paul affirms that he did not “count (his) life of any value” as long as he could finish the ministry given to him by the Lord Jesus (Acts 20:24).

The actions of Paul and the disciples do not indicate that all of God’s people have given up their idolatry, nor will these individuals themselves escape from their own sins entirely. But the invitation that Jesus offers, the one accepted by fishermen and Pharisee alike, is to be transformed from worldly concerns to those of the coming reign of God. Wherever their emphasis may have been placed, whether worshipping idols, running a successful business, or persecuting the church, Jesus called these men—and thus all people––to refocus on what is really important, and to give up everything else.

This is not an easy call to accept. We all know this because we all have our idols and our lives are distracted by many things, a sort of spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder. The good news is that God has no such ailment. God’s gaze remains firmly fixed on us, on our lives, on our needs, on our feeble efforts. The call to discipleship isn’t really about giving up. It’s about waking up, and seeing the good news all around us. In Jesus we are freed to live life the way it was intended. And while we will struggle mightily with that call, God remains steadfast in faithful mercy towards us.

Prayer: O God, help us to focus our lives on you and your will so that we will not be distracted by the idols that are so common in our world. In Jesus' name. Amen.