20170110 JESUS AS OUR MODEL OF LEADERSHIP IN MINISTRY
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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Hebrews 2:5-12 ©
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God did not appoint
angels to be rulers of the world to come, and that world is what we are talking
about. Somewhere there is a passage that shows us this. It runs: What is man
that you should spare a thought for him, the son of man that you should care for
him? For a short while you made him lower than the angels; you crowned him with
glory and splendour. You have put him in command of everything. Well then,
if he has put him in command of everything, he has left nothing which is
not under his command. At present, it is true, we are not able to see that everything
has been put under his command, but we do see in Jesus one who was for a
short while made lower than the angels and is now crowned with glory and
splendour because he submitted to death; by God’s grace he had to
experience death for all mankind.
As it was
his purpose to bring a great many of his sons into glory, it was appropriate
that God, for whom everything exists and through whom everything exists, should
make perfect, through suffering, the leader who would take them to their
salvation. For the one who sanctifies, and the ones who are sanctified, are of
the same stock; that is why he openly calls them brothers in the text: I
shall announce your name to my brothers, praise you in full assembly.
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm 8:2,5-9 ©
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You gave your Son
power over the works of your hand.
How great is your
name, O Lord our God,
through
all the earth!
What is man that you
should keep him in mind,
mortal
man that you care for him?
You gave your Son
power over the works of your hand.
Yet you have made him
little less than a god;
with
glory and honour you crowned him,
gave him power over
the works of your hand,
put all
things under his feet.
You gave your Son
power over the works of your hand.
All of them, sheep
and cattle,
yes, even
the savage beasts,
birds of the air, and
fish
that make
their way through the waters.
You gave your Son
power over the works of your hand.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Jm1:21
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept and submit to
the word
which has been
planted in you
and can save your
souls.
Alleluia!
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Or
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cf.1Th2:13
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept God’s message
for what it really is:
God’s message, and
not some human thinking.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Mark 1:21-28 ©
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Jesus and his
followers went as far as Capernaum, and as soon as the sabbath came he went to
the synagogue and began to teach. And his teaching made a deep impression on
them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.
In
their synagogue just then there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit and it
shouted, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy
us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be
quiet! Come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions
and with a loud cry went out of him. The people were so astonished that they
started asking each other what it all meant. ‘Here is a teaching that is new’
they said ‘and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean
spirits and they obey him.’ And his reputation rapidly spread everywhere,
through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.
JESUS
AS OUR MODEL OF LEADERSHIP IN MINISTRY
Some of
us are called to be leaders, whether in the Church or in our non-governmental
organizations. But how can we be effective leaders in our ministry?
When we read today’s gospel, we cannot but also admire how Jesus carried out
His ministry. We are told “his teaching made a deep impression on
them.” How many of us can say that what we say or teach have created a
deep impression on our listeners? How is it that we are not able to inspire
those under our charge and motivate them to be excited in the ministry they are
serving? In fact, we often find our members nonchalant in their service
since they feel that it is a voluntary service and no commitment is
necessary. Even if we do get them to do anything, they would only fulfill
their minimal requirements as members. So what is the secret of leadership
in ministry?
The
gospel makes it clear that “his teaching made a deep impression on them
because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.” So what
makes the difference between one teacher and another is the question of
authority. What kind of authority do we teach with? For most of us,
our authority lies in our office and appointment. We try to get things
done by using the weight of our office. And if they do not do what we
tell them, we might even accuse them of disobedience to God. Certainly, there
is no denying the fact that juridical authority entrusted to us is important in
order to get things done. Without a formal appointment to an office, it
would be difficult to command respect and obedience from those whom we work
with.
However,
it is not enough to rely on objective authority alone. This was what the
scribes and rabbi of the time of Jesus did. Their authority rested on
Moses and the Tradition passed down to them. They did not teach from
their conviction or personal experience but from what had been taught to them.
The danger is that we can teach what we have learnt like a parrot, repeating
them without any personal conviction and enthusiasm on our part. Such
kinds of teaching cannot inspire and convict or convince our audience. So
what other kinds of authority are needed?
Firstly,
we need to know God personally. If Jesus could teach us about God in such
an impressive manner, it is because He knows His Father personally. If
“the people were so astonished that they started asking each other what it all
meant. ‘Here is a teaching that is new’ they said ‘”, it is not so much
because Jesus was teaching something completely different from the Torah, but
it was the way Jesus explained it to them, a way that is personal, relevant and
true to life. God spoke not only to their minds but also to their
hearts! Jesus taught from His own experience of His Father’s love.
This is why He could teach with authority because He knew the Father. It
was not a second hand experience but a direct knowledge of His Father.
Indeed, only if we know God in person, only if we have encountered Him, can we
then speak with personal conviction and enthusiasm.
Secondly,
Jesus did not only know God but He knows us. The first reading from
Hebrews sums up why Jesus is truly the Priest of God. The author said
that God could have appointed “angels to be rulers of the world to come” but He
did not. Rather, He chose to appoint a man, someone who, for a short
while, was made “lower than the angels.” This was done for the purpose of
bringing “a great many of his sons into glory.” Thus “it was appropriate
that God, for whom everything exists and through whom everything exists, should
make perfect, through suffering, the leader who would take them to their
salvation. For the one who sanctifies, and the ones who are sanctified,
are of the same stock; that is why he openly calls them brothers in the text: I
shall announce your name to my brothers, praise you in full assembly.”
In
other words, Jesus the Son of God became man so that He could be in solidarity
with us. Jesus who understands humanity and our struggles against sin and
temptation surely would be the best person to lead us out of this
bondage. After all, Jesus, as a human being, was made perfect through
sufferings. Although Jesus was a man like us in all things, yet as a
leader, He showed us how we can transcend the trials and temptations of
life. It is for this reason that “Jesus, one who was for a short while
made lower than the angels and is now crowned with glory and splendour because
he submitted to death; by God’s grace he had to experience death for mankind.”
This
means that if we are to be effective leaders in our ministry, we must be in
touch with the sufferings of our fellowmen, our humanity and ourselves.
Knowing God alone would not be of help to others unless we know man. It
is therefore necessary as leaders to be in touch with the personal life of our
members. Knowing their cultural and social background, their personal
struggles, their pains and their upbringing, will help us to feel with them and
love them as persons, not as tools for us to get things done. So it is
not enough to touch the feet of God but also the feet of men. Our
solidarity and closeness with those whom we minister to will give us the
authority to teach and lead effectively.
But
this is not all. Authority requires that we have the courage to use one’s
authority as well. Some of us are given authority but we fail to exercise
it for fear of being unpopular or because we want to appear nice.
Exercising authority requires courage and strength. Jesus in today’s
gospel did not shun challenges in the face of evil. He can be
compassionate to the weak and sinners, but before Evil itself, He boldly
reprimanded them. To the evil spirit, “Jesus said sharply, be quiet! Come
out of him!’” It was an order, a command that was given decisively and
with authority.
Finally,
perhaps the most important form of authority is the authority of examples and
deeds. It is not enough to preach with formal authority or even
subjective authority that comes from experience. We must preach with our
lives. It is witnessing that is ultimately the final authority.
Today, the world needs witnesses rather than teachers. It is living out what we
preach that will truly convince the people we look after. In the gospel,
we have Jesus who not only preached but He also acted with authority.
Indeed, they remarked, “‘here is a teaching that is new’ they said ‘and with
authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey
him.’” As Mark noted, because of the authority of His teaching and His
life, “his reputation rapidly spread everywhere, through all the surrounding
Galilean countryside.” Let us pray that we too will acquire that kind of
personal and juridical authority of Jesus so that we can be effective and
powerful instruments to lead our people to God.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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