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In Matthew 23 seven different times in a row Jesus says “Woe to you” to the leaders of his day.  Far from expressing simple indignation or disappointment, they also revealed to us seven desires that Jesus has for leaders.  In this sixth part of our seven-part series on the “Seven Woes” we touch a kind of spiritual nerve - the heart of what Jesus is driving at.  He doesn’t want leaders who simply lead from the outside he wants leaders who are holy.

Looking to sacred scripture for inspiration on leadership is a task that requires us to sometimes read backwards.  Such as the case in Matthew 23 where Jesus issues seven woes.  Seven consecutive condemnations of the leaders of the Israel of his day.  Reading from the other side we see what he really was looking for from the leaders of today.  Here we examine the fifth of the woes -OK a desire for leaders who lead from the inside out.

Today’s world is full of messages.  People claim to know the truth and to assert that their opinion is a true guide.  The choice of the people we listen to is one of the most important decisions a leader can make.  Who is guiding us?  Who is pointing us in the right direction?  In Matthew 23 Jesus accuses the scribes and Pharisees of being blind guides.  Why?   What do they do?  What can we learn from this correction of Matthew’s gospel and how can we lead better thanks?

They say that the mark of a good leader is their ability to do the right things.  Making choices to stay focused on what needs to be done is essential for anyone wanting to succeed in their endeavors.   But what does God want us to focus on?   What are the things that he expects from us in the places where he’s asked us to lead?  In Matthew 23 Jesus gives us a clue.   He criticizes the Pharisees and scribes for missing the point and shows us what he wants from us as well.

In Matthew 23 Jesus gives us a list of seven woes addressed to the Scribes and Pharisees of his time.  These woes read like a list of condemnations and that of course they are, but what would happen if we flipped those conversations to see what they were saying on the positive side?   That is, what is Jesus looking for from his leaders and that he did not find in the Scribes and Pharisees of his time?   Today we take a look at the second of the seven woes.

In Matthew 23, Jesus says “Wo” seven times.   He’s not speaking to a horse but rather to the Scribes and the Pharisees declaring that evil is upon them for things that they are doing.  Since they represent leaders of their time, condoned by religion, I think it’s appropriate for us to look at these seven “Woes” from Jesus and understand what exactly he’s desiring.   What is he really looking for from us?

Leadership needs rules but whose rules are we following?  Robert Green lists 48 laws of power in his 1998 work ,“The 48 Laws of Power”, and at the very end the last law he puts is “assume formlessness.”  Jesus Christ gives us a different way to rule.  He speaks about the cross and gives us the example of assuming the ultimate freedom.  But what’s the difference between leadership according to either of these rules?

In 1999 the book “The 48 laws of Power” emerged as an amazing example of the thinking of the world regarding leadership.   These 48 laws were rules that were taken from history about what made leaders great in the eyes of the world and what kept them in power.   But what happens when we hold them up to the law of the cross, the way Christ leads the world?   Today will look at law 32 and see the difference between fantasies and heaven.

Leading from our faith and in the light of faith has many advantages for leaders.  In particular Christian leaders are allowed to shine to give the best of themselves in unique ways without fear of incurring jealousy from their boss since their boss is Jesus Christ.  What would our world look like if we allowed those who worked for us and under our authority to shine in the same way?  In the seventh part of our series on the 48 laws of power we look at law 41.

In his book “The 48 Laws of Power”, author Robert Green says that people who desire power should play on people’s need to believe to create a cult like following.  This is very different from what Jesus Christ did and yet Jesus Christ arguably created the most powerful movement in human history.  Any Christian who’s exercising power today needs to understand the dynamics of people’s belief and imitate their master Jesus Christ who leads in truth.

Robert Green, the author of 48 Laws of Power, presents a challenge to us: how do we perceive leadership, what are the rules that we play by, how much do we really want to succeed, and what does success look like?  Jesus Christ gives us answers to these questions which are very different from the answers that Green comes to.  By comparing the two we better understand our vocation as leaders in Christ especially when it comes to how we deal with other people.

One of the most enigmatic phrases of our Lord is his command to the apostles to be as coy as serpent and simple as doves.  Anyone, however, who is in the realm of leadership knows the importance of this balance.  In the third law of power by Robert Green, Green insists that keeping power means hiding ones true intentions by being duplicitous.  Christ obviously intends something different from us.  He shows us an example of authenticity.

When it comes to leading something, we can’t avoid is that we leaders are in the limelight.  Being in the limelight means that what we do and say is often measured in a worldly standard.  How do we reconcile this with the importance in Christianity to be hidden, to look for the hidden things as the most important?  The teaching of Christ shines out brilliantly and contrast with Robert Green’s sixth law of power and this fourth part of our series I take a look at what he proposes in contrast with Christ.

All of us who lead are men and women of action and being men and women of action we’re responsible to create changes to make something out of nothing.  To change status quo into something new and doing this in a social setting means that we will often encounter competition.  How are Christians supposed to deal with competition?  In this third of our series of 10 on “The Rules of Power” by Robert Green we focus on law 15 where instead of loving our enemies he calls us to crush them.

In 1999 Robert Green published a book called the “48 Laws of Power”.  The book was a sensation.  It’s sold over 1 million copies and has been translated into over 25 languages.  At its root the book is practical.  This practical book gives 48 lessons from history on how to grab and keep power.  It’s a helpful example for Christians about both what not to do and what to understand about the way people’s minds work today.