Jesus and Leadership

I have no order to these Lenten reflections on the Gospel of Mark, except that I'm following John Martens' idea:   Use the imagination and place yourself into the scene.  What would have been your reaction if you had been present at the scene of Mark 1:21-28?  The people at the synagogue were "astonished" at his teaching, and  they were "amazed" as they witnessed his first encounter with the forces of evil:

[21] And they went into Caper'na-um; and immediately on the sabbath he
entered the synagogue and taught. 

[22] And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one

 who had authority, and not as the scribes. 
[23] And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; 
[24] and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have

you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." 
[25] But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" 
[26] And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice,

 came out of him. 
[27] And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves,

 saying, "What is this? A new teaching! With authority he commands even

 the unclean spirits, and they obey him." 
[28] And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding

region of Galilee. 


Mark 1: 21-28 (RSV).

Before Jesus the people were stuck with the dull teaching of the scribes.  Now they have been blessed with a leader, and life will never be the same.   If you will excuse the 1970's "man" language, the late Howard Hendricks had a  memorable definition of a leader:

“A leader is a man who knows where he is going, and is going to the right place, and can persuade others to follow.”    

http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/page/2/   (online blog  article by Joel Rosenberg 02/21/2013 quoting Howard Hendricks).  Rosenberg  in this same piece just cited  recalls Hendricks telling his students  that a leader has to be  "man of vision, but also a man of heart. He has to be a man infected by a great and worthy and Biblical idea, but also one who loves people and cares for people and can help people see the value of following Christ with all that they are."    Here in Mark 1:21-28 Jesus himself presents this exciting picture of a leader.  He teaches with authority, and others are impressed.   He shows his love for the afflicted man  by casting out the evil spirit.    

*****

(Howard Hendricks died February 20, 2013.  I have great memories of his audio tapes from my days in the student Jesus movement in the late 1970's.  May the perpetual light of Jesus shine upon this faithful servant of the church.)