Who is worthy of leadership?
A person who has money, position or power of any kind can not identify with those who have barely the necessities of life! In all things there must be balance in life; but a follower of God, a Child of God will seek to help, and be a part of other people's lives.
And so any man who leads a flock, must be receptive of not only those who may entertain, and to a degree control, a man's, or woman's way of life; but receptive of the lowest person of that flock, and their needs. Mind you not just the Bare necessities of life, like food, shelter, and of course water (for even a society does that); but as Jesus shows us, their personal and emotional needs, and ultimately 1st is their Spiritual needs above all else!
Mat 4:1-11 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. (2) And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. (3) And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (4) But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (5) Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, (6) And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. (7) Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (8) Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; (9) And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. (10) Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (11) Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
The story of Lazarus is a great story, for Jesus loved him and his sisters dearly, they were all very close. Yet, Jesus as God had a story to tell in this particular relationship, and it is laid out in John chapter 11. But, for now we need to see how deeply some things moved Jesus.
Joh 11:33-36 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, (34) And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. (35) Jesus wept. (36) Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
Jesus saw, and knew this:
Jesus may have been God and knew all things of men, and as this scripture says even the future; but Jesus is also showing us that men should know what they do, and that evil men over the course of time brought this great evil upon Jerusalem. And yet the people were blind and did not see what Jesus was offering them, and told them for they followed men, and did not turn to him in repentance. Luk 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,.... Jesus also is rejected of his own, in several places; but this was appropriate for now; Luk 13:31-35 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. (32) And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. (33) Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. (34) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! (35) Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Heb 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (15) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Heb 2:16-18 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. (17) Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. (18) For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Of course one of the most famous of verse is John 1:1-5, and of course this is about Jesus himself; Joh 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
I find one thing most funny, for even though many religions have misused, and even added unto God's Holy Word, they have one thing right, for those that follow God and are servants of God should seek to live like Jesus did with the bare necessities of life. Mat 8:19-20 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. (20) And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
By living in this way, they see closer how all men are troubled, and not the ones with means, only. Plus, as I see it Jesus did set the example. And so should men of God who lead others!
So let me ask you this; What do people follow? I mean people who are children of God? Do they blindly follow men and their words? Some might, but I wonder if they are really a child of God? But most follow what is called a conversation of life, a walk of life; put a better way it simple means a person whose life is exactly what they preach, and if they walk like Jesus what better example?
A very worth while saying of Jesus in verse John 4:32, and the rest also has so much meaning for us today; But in v.32 we see Jesus was telling them that his necessity of life was to do the Will of the Father. So enjoy this portion of scripture; John 4:31-42 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. (32) But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. (33) Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? (34) Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (35) Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. (36) And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. (37) And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. (38) I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. (39) And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. (40) So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. (41) And many more believed because of his own word; (42) And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Something else to consider: men who rule over us; In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.) describes the happy life intended for man by nature as one lived in accordance with virtue, and, in his Politics, he describes the role that politics and the political community must play in bringing about the virtuous life in the citizenry. Of course this is ignoring that Aristotle also believed in demeaning women, and he believed in limited slavery.
Final Word: Even the philosophers of old, and not just religious texts of many religions, knew that if Divine knowledge did not rule a ruler's thoughts, then knowledge of where one's power truly comes from Must! For if there were no lower class, then there would most absolutely be no upper class; unless the natural order of the animals rules.