August 30 Wanted: Leaders

Lke 23:13-25 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” 17 Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner. 18 With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) 20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore, I will have him punished and then release him.” 23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
 
THE Roman governor Pilate seems to have the last word as he says, “I will punish him (Jesus) and then release him.” But then we see the mob change his mind. Loud voices, even crying out, “Crucify him!” too often have the last say.
    Why do we so quickly jump off the leadership stand onto a sinking “please the public” swamp? Is our ruling authority gradually eroded by the culture’s cry, “We will tell you what is right?” If we allow such language to lead us, “That is right. This is wrong.” becomes, “I don’t want any trouble. Let’s just keep the peace.”    
    We must remember, though, there is no peace when right becomes wrong at a whim. Opinion-based leadership is really Crowd Controlled Censorship. Chaos reigns when leaders let public opinion and popularity polls form their policies and control their judgment. The rule of law is translated into the rule of man’s pleasure.
    After all, pleasure’s motive is sin’s origin in the Garden of Eden. The fruit “was pleasing to the eye.” (Genesis 3:6) Pleasure, too, is Israel’s sin in the godless days of the judges: Judges 21:25 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit (pleased).  Pleasure is David’s whim to sin with Bathsheba. We have seen Herod’s lustful pleasure demean Jesus, and here Pilate’s pleasure is to please the crowd. The list, of course, continues to this very day when we seem to awaken with a new definition of law and disorder. Look to history and see how often wars began with a country’s or ruler’s pleasure as his motive.
    True leadership is very, very difficult. Far too many loud voices shout their own pleasure. A right-standing, firm leader must seek God’s counsel, learn what is right and steadfastly pursue the right against all opposition. Do we have such leaders available today? Who is courageous to stand for truth? Who desires to please the Lord above all?
 
Prayer: Lord, raise up righteous leaders who are courageous to lead us in your true pleasure. Amen.