Exploring Biblical Leadership in God’s Image
Introduction
Leadership is a passion of my mine. I have been teaching leadership for many years. In the early years of my faith formation, the Bible played a pivotal role in helping me learn about leadership. Since then I have integrated leadership theories and practices across other disciplines to understand better what leadership is, what leaders do, and why it is so important to have good leaders. I also chose this topic because church leaders are drawn to the Bible for leadership examples, images, and principles to apply their own leadership. Dr. Efrain Agosto in his book Servant Leadership: Jesus & Paul, writes:
Modern-day pastors and church leaders often ask how they can develop the qualities of good leadership in themselves and their constituency. Many of them turn to the Bible for help in leadership development tasks. However, the Bible is not exactly a book about leadership. In it we find the struggles of various faith communities to establish themselves, strengthen their relationship with God, and, indeed, find good leaders for them to do this. By studying the stories of these struggles…we come closer to some models of good (and bad) leadership.[1]
I agree with Dr. Agosto that the Bible is “not exactly a book about leadership,” but as he points out by studying the stories told about the men and women in it, we come closer to finding models of good and bad leadership. I would add that we can also find biblical leadership in God’s image to help us develop our theology and practices of leadership in the church. Although there are obviously certain skills, gifts, and abilities common to most leaders, the biblical record suggests that God used people who didn’t feel equipped to lead, or didn’t look or act like leaders. Most didn’t have the appearance, credentials, experiences, and self-confidence for leadership. Many of the biblical leaders by today’s standards would be unqualified to lead a church, teach in seminary, be a corporate president, or lead a nation. The Bible is filled with stories that show God choosing the unqualified, weak, powerless, and poor to carry out a mission. In this essay, I explore biblical leadership in God’s image by briefly examining three individuals from the Bible that God called to specific missions: Moses, Gideon, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. For this article, I asked these questions: What can we learn by reading and engaging with leaders in the Bible about the biblical image of leadership? How can their calling, mission, and ministry help create biblical images for us and for our own leadership? Also, I will share five leadership images that emerge from these individuals. It is my hope that this biblical engagement will help pastors and church leaders reflect upon the images and practices that undergird their own leadership skills. Not unlike today’s leadership in the church, the people we identify and read about as leaders in the Bible were imperfect human beings in the hands of a loving God. Men and women envisioned by God to be more capable and stronger than they thought of themselves. It reminds me of the story from Henri J.M. Nouwen’s book about a sculptor, a piece of marble, and a little boy:
There was once a sculptor who worked hard with hammer and chisel on a large block of marble. A little child who was watching him saw nothing more than large and small pieces of stone falling away left and right. He had no idea what was happening. But when the boy returned to the studio a few weeks later, he saw, to his surprise, a large, powerful lion sitting in the place where the marble had stood. With great excitement, the boy ran to the sculptor and said, “Sir, tell me, how did you know there was a lion in the marble?” “I knew there was a lion in the marble because before I saw the lion in the marble, I saw him in my own heart. The secret is that it was the lion in my heart that recognized the lion in the marble.”[2]
The story stirs in me the image of God as the master sculptor gradually chipping away until the leader in us is fully revealed and realized. In Ephesians the writer depicts an artistic God in action through the presence of people doing good deeds in the world: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”[3] (Eph. 2:10).
Aspects of the Call and Leadership of Moses, Gideon and Mary, the mother of Jesus
The first leader that I will examine briefly is Moses whom many consider the greatest leader in Hebrew Scripture. His call to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt is told in Exodus chapters three and four. God hears the cry of the people, sees their oppression, and calls Moses to lead them to freedom. When the call comes to Moses he lacks self-confidence and is filled with self-doubt. One could not blame him for his response—given his knowledge of the political landscape of Egypt and the power of its leaders. One could argue that he could not attribute his success to his own leadership abilities. By his own admission, he was a poor public speaker (Exodus 4:10), he was inept at delegating (Exodus 18:13–27), and he had temper issues (Exodus 32:19; Numbers 20:19). He also was a murderer who fled Egypt. However, we too read that Moses was known to have a strong relationship with God (Exodus 33:11), and that he was a humble man (Numbers 12:3). His brother Aaron and sister Miriam played key roles, especially in leading the people out of Egypt. Moses is a fully human leader with strengths, weaknesses, personality flaws, and a servant heart. We can learn from his leadership for it has many lessons both good and bad. There are questions for further reflection: How did his identity shape his leadership? What aspect of his personal experiences helped define his service to God’s people? How did his followers perceive him?
Gideon is the second person whose story is told in Judges (6–8). He is one of several individuals in Judges chosen by God in crisis times to act boldly and courageously on behalf of the Lord’s community. God sends an angel to visit Gideon who was an ordinary farmer, living at a time when Israel had no kings but local heroes who the Lord raised to lead their communities against powerful military forces. The Israelites had forsaken the ways of the Lord, and for seven years were subjected to oppression by the Midianites who destroyed their crops, invaded their land, and impoverished the people. The desperate situation is illustrated by Gideon’s threshing his wheat, not as customarily with oxen on an open hilltop, but by hand in the cramped quarters a wine press. Here is the call of Gideon:
Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon, son of Joash, was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.” Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” (Judges 6:11–16)
Gideon’s conversation with the angel of the Lord reveals his thinking, feelings, and self perception. Gideon expresses disbelief about the presence of God being with his people given the oppression that they are experiencing. Gideon, like Moses, feels insecure and uncertain about his ability to carry out the task. The angel commissions him to go with the strength that he has, but in Gideon’s eyes, he is not qualified for the job at hand. He goes on to seek a sign from God before finally surrendering to the mission. An ordinary farmer becomes a mighty warrior, and as a servant of God’s people he defeats the Midianites. God sees Gideon as stronger and more capable than he imagined himself to be. His service to the people in their time of need, willingness to place his life at risk, and reliance on God brings victory over their oppressors.
The third and final person to explore is Mary, mother of Jesus. The Gospel of Luke 1:26–38 tells the story of God sending the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a small town in Galilee, to visit Mary, a young, humble girl engaged to be married. These marriages were legal and binding, usually arranged between families when females were still only girls. The angel Gabriel appeared to her and said “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28 NLT). The angel came to tell her that God has chosen her to conceive and give birth to Jesus, the Savior of the world. In the male-dominated first century culture, women were not looked upon with favor. They were considered property. Gabriel’s announcement of the birth does not come to a man unlike in the story of Elizabeth and Zachariah, but instead, directly to Mary. The young woman is shocked by the message that she will conceive especially since she is a virgin. Beyond the miracle of conception is the reality that to conceive is for Mary to become an unwed mother and face social ostracism from family and community. Later in life, Mary would face the pain and humiliation of having her son executed as a common criminal.
Throughout Luke 1–2, Mary is portrayed as favored by God (1:30), confused and disturbed yet she seeks to be obedient (1:38), believing (1:45), worshipful (1:46), and devoted to Jewish law (2:22–51). Mary’s admirable qualities are not the only reason for her selection; God’s choice of Mary qualifies her. For Protestants, Mary is a recognized figure in the Bible, but for Catholics she is a real person present in worship and in faith formation. This young woman becomes one the Gospel’s central characters. She not only gives birth to Jesus, but she is present throughout Luke’s gospel, and she is even mentioned among the disciples in Acts.
Five Biblical Images for Leadership
Moses, Gideon, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, are just three of the many biblical people who were called to carry out and lead God’s mission in their particular time in human history. There are five images that emerge from these stories that can help us explore further biblical leadership in God’s image for leadership in the church.
The first image is a leader with self-doubt: the private and intimate personal doubting of one’s ability to meet the challenges, expectations, and demands of the mission and leadership task. These individuals expressed their self-doubt. They didn’t need to have it all together to be called by God. On the contrary, God worked with their lack of confidence and self-doubt. One of the great qualities of leadership is self awareness. Know your doubts. Be not afraid to express your doubts but also be open to new possibilities.
Second, service to God and others. Although the biblical leaders needed signs to confirm the call and wondered how qualified they were for the mission, they became servants in the hands of God. A servant heart opens the way for leadership. Yes, leaders need abilities, knowledge, and skills, but availability is more important than ability. Albert Schweitzer said: “If you want to lead, develop a servant heart and be willing to serve no matter what the nature of the mission is.”
Third, leadership calls for personal sacrifices—often leaving the comfort of private lives to lead God’s people, fighting for justice and walking along side by side with people in challenging and difficult times. You can’t lead without making some form of sacrifice. Good leadership results in positive outcomes but can also cause personal losses.
Fourth, leading brings upon suffering. One can’t lead and not face adversity, pain, trials, and setbacks. It was once said, “Adversity is your greatest teacher, success your shortest lesson.” Leadership has many highs but also many lows; when the lows come, it can be tough. Yet in those moments, God is always there.
Fifth, submission is the final image. The individuals discussed did not lead in the fullness of the power of their call until they aligned their hearts with the heart of God. They had to place their whole selves in the hands of God, surrender their pride and obediently follow. English mystic Evelyn Underhill said: “God’s power is brought into action just where our power fails.” The Apostle Paul, seeking to make sense of a personal weakness that wouldn’t go away, declares “For when I am weak, than I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) One of the key lessons from leaders in the Bibles is that it is not about self power but God’s power that accomplishes the assigned task.
Conclusion
One of my favorite theologians, Henri Nouwen, in his book In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership, writes about the three temptations that leaders face today: the need to be relevant, popular, and powerful. He states:
I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. This is the way of Jesus who came to reveal God’s love. The great message that we have to carry, as ministers of God’s word and followers of Jesus, is that God loves us not because of what we do or accomplish, but because God created and redeemed us in his love and chose (or ‘has chosen’) us to proclaim that love is the source of all human life.[4]
As leaders in the church we are often consumed with what we do or accomplish, but the leadership of Jesus revealed God’s love. Nouwen’s words challenge us all to further reflect and think how Jesus’ way undergirds, informs, shapes, and defines our leadership. We are pressed to continue to ask: What biblical images inform my leadership? Is the way of Jesus embodied in my leadership? Are those being served by church leaders experiencing God’s love? The Bible might not exactly be a book about leadership, but it does shed light on how we can best serve others and reflect God’s love in our world.
Notes
1 Efrain Agosto, Servant Leadership: Jesus & Paul (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2005), 1.
2 Henri J.M. Nouwen with Michael J. Christensen and Rebecca J. Laird, Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith (New York: HarperCollins Publishers 2006), 16–17.
3 All biblical citations in this essay, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the NLT.
4 Henri J.M. Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1992), 17.
