The lure of influence

Matthew 18:6-9

"No one can make you do anything you don't want to do." That's something I can hear my elementary school teacher say. When one of us got caught doing something we weren't supposed to, a common retreat was, "He made me do it!" It rarely worked for any of us. In matters of faith, Jesus isn't talking about our Adam-like tendency to blame others for sin. He knows all too well the lure of influence. So often we cling to a sense of self-control and captaincy of our lives that isn't really there. We follow more than we like to admit. So, Jesus needs to tell us to watch our lives. Cut off any body part that causes you to sin. But he also wants us to pay attention to, at least, two other sin-leading efforts. The first is to watch how others lead us. I am forever grateful for the mentors I had early in my pastoral leadership. They instructed me away from the cult of leadership and power. Their focus on discipleship and faith showed me being a pastor was only one aspect of my faith. I still had to follow. And I needed to rely not on my youthfulness or charisma, but solely on God's grace. Reflecting on that, there's a two-fold aspect of care that happens. When we hold our Christian leaders accountable to God's mission, we guard our souls and theirs. But we also need to watch how we lead others. That millstone is heavy, and the image is striking. Jesus takes seriously our care for one another. To be sure, there are no church leadership positions in Jesus' lesson. Don't think you're not a leader because a church committee hasn't nominated you. We all have some kind of agency in our relationships. The question, then, is, To what are we directing the hearts and minds of those around us? If it isn't God, why not? Stay blessed...john