Two Kinds of Leaders!

Reflection: In today’s passage, we see two very different styles of leadership.  We have King Asa, who in the previous chapters started out as such a great king, by taking down the idols of worship and seeking God with all of his heart.  Then in the twilight of his reign (36 years into it!), he goes to make an alliance with Hadad, the king of Syria.  While formerly the king had relied on God, this was a sign that his trust had crossed over to trusting in the human beings vs. God.  When the prophet confronts him with his bad decision making, Asa throws him in jail and treats the people with equal contempt.  By the end of three more years, a disease eats away at his feet, and even then he does not seek God.  Though Asa started out very well in his reign, his pride got the best of him and he died not seeking God. 

Contrast this with the apostle Paul, who knows only trouble awaits him as he goes back to Jerusalem, to the mother church. The other leaders even go so far as to try to dissuade him from going.  But Paul says, “Why are you weeping, I am not only read to be bound but to die in for the name of the Lord Jesus!” The reason Paul was one of the most effective Christian leaders this world has ever seen, was that his actions matched his convictions.  Paul preached dying to oneself and picking up one’s cross and then modeled it for all those he led to Christ. 

And today we see these two types of leaders as well.  Some, like Asa, prefer to build their own kingdoms and refuse to listen to prophets that would call them back to the mission they were sent for.  And others like Paul who are willing to die for their faith.  While Paul’s example may be extreme for some, there be smaller ways we need to die to ourselves and be willing to be poured out for our Lord Jesus.  What are the ways you need to die to pride in order to be used by God in deeper ways?  It started for Paul a long time ago in the little steps he took in order to make this kind of claim he did today. 

Jesus help us to follow you even when it is not easy or we know that only trouble awaits us as a result of our being faithful to you and your call on our lives! Amen. 

Psalm 22:22-28

22 I will declare your name to my people;

    in the assembly I will praise you.

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!

    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

    Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

24 For he has not despised or scorned

    the suffering of the afflicted one;

he has not hidden his face from him

    but has listened to his cry for help.

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

    before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.

26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;

    those who seek the Lord will praise him—

    may your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth

    will remember and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

    will bow down before him,

28 for dominion belongs to the Lord

    and he rules over the nations.

2 Chronicles 16, New International Version (NIV)

Asa’s Last Years

16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

2 Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 3 “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.” 4 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim[a] and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. 6 Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah. 7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8 Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” 10 Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people. 11 The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. 13 Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors. 14 They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honor.

Acts 21:5-16

5 When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. 7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. 8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. 10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” 15 After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.

But you, O Lord, do not be far from me; O my strength, hasten to help me! Psalm 22:19 (NKJV)

The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Faithful Lord, help us to remember that when evil surrounds us and when dark thoughts bubble up within us, we can rely on your strength to set us right and see us through. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.