Leading with Grace is Counter Cultural
February 16, 2025
This morning, I’d like to begin with the gospel lesson because in it, Jesus shows a very particular kind of leadership. In the very first sentence, we hear that Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. Clearly, even though the disciples and the crowds around elevate Jesus, Jesus himself is not after that.
He does not desire elevation. He desires to be at the same level ‘with’ the people. Not only does he meet them on the level but metaphorically you can trust that Jesus is going to be level with you or speak on the level. Notice also that there is a crowd of disciples and a great multitude of people. Which means not everybody in that crowd is a committed follower of Jesus. Many had come for other reasons than to follow Jesus. Some came to be healed of their diseases, others to be freed of their troubles, and still others to hear what this preacher had to say. So, Jesus allows this multitude to hear how Jesus treats the disciples, and what wisdom he is trying to impart to them. Does how Jesus treat the disciple square with what he preaches? Now the words of Jesus are spoken in the context of physical healing. Which means that there is a healing quality, not just in the touch of Jesus, but also his invitation to the multitude in what he has to say.
How Jesus leads is as countercultural as what he preaches. As a leader, when Jesus comes down to the people, he is demonstrating exactly the kind of reversal that his words proclaim. In that culture leaders are elevated or elevate themselves. But Jesus does the opposite. Then his words speak of a reversal. Blessed are the poor; the hungry; and are those who weep because your lot in life will change. Jesus doesn’t say that this will happen because of their hard work. He doesn’t claim that if they just pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps, life would be better. This reversal will be a sign of God’s grace, just as the healing that the crowd experienced is an example of God’s grace. In this sense, the word blessed is not about the present way of being, but rather that if you are poor or hungry or grief stricken, then you appreciate any money or food or happiness in a very different way than those who are already comfortable in their living. Most of us here this morning, are middle class which means we get at least three meals and perhaps more than one snack a day. We think hunger is what you feel if we can’t wait for lunch. But to those who are truly hungry one meal means so much. It is hard to satisfy those who have enough but are not yet satisfied. And this is where the warning comes in for those who have money and food and happiness. If you already have it then there’s a great possibility that if you lose just some of it, you will feel like you are poor and hungry and sad.
When I was settled in Saskatchewan back in the 1980s. Do you remember the 1980s? What were the interest rates in the 1980s? In some cases, over 20%. There had been farmers there who had bought lots of land because the previous interest rates were low but when the interest rates skyrocketed, they couldn’t carry the mortgage payments. Yet no one could convince them to sell the land, that was actually dragging them under. So, in many cases, not only did they lose the additional land, but they lost the original home farm that was the equity on the mortgages. It is hard to let go when we have convinced ourselves that we deserve everything we have and even that is just barely enough.
The theologian Reverend Dr. Howard Gregory writes, “But the real blessing is that the poor (and we’re talking about the very poor, and the very hungry) know the reality of their situation. Which is they are totally dependent on God, and therefore are disposed to entrust themselves to God’s care and mercy, which is the foundation of grace and the right relationship with God.
The rich, on the other hand, are disposed to take comfort in themselves and their own resources, thereby finding it more difficult to trust themselves to the mercy and grace of God.”
God must work extra hard for those with money and means to feel blessed. Perhaps Jesus is saying it’s hard to get down on the level with God, if they have to give up something that they have.
Gracious leadership recognizes that we do not feel that we are on the same level. Gracious leadership is the ability to use skills, tools, models, and processes to create gracious environments which holy currencies names as the grace margin. In these environments, mutually respectful relationships are developed that enable the community to discern the truth across differences. Differences can be racial, ethnic, age, gender, sexual orientation, class, and political affiliation.
These differences create their own safe zones, (what I am comfortable doing) and places where I am afraid (the fear zone). Which are different for each of us. I can stand in front of 150 people and talk knowing that about 145 of you would feel very unsafe standing here doing the same thing. A gracious invitation identifies your fears and makes you an offer. If we did this and this, could you move from fear into a place of risking, knowing that those around you are filled with compassion, patience and well grace. A grace invitation might also invite those who feel safe to move from that place of safety to risk something as well, so that they might also experience grace. In the metaphor of the gospel both the poor and the rich move toward a place of risk and of blessing.
Maybe the task is to bring church members and folks in the neighborhood together to deal with a common problem. It reminds me of Jesus today, who is speaking to the disciples as well as the multitude to gathered. We have seen this lived out here at Forest Hill. A number of years ago, a neighbour complained about the noise that the food truck generators were making. So, the organizing team graciously invited that neighbour to talk about their concerns. The organizers and the neighbours, shared about concerns but also why the food truck ministry sprung up. My understanding was that at the end of the conversation the neighbour asked if the food truck frenzy ever had a band. “Well, no but if there was band that was willing to play for free then why not?” was the answer. The neighbour, said, “well I have band can I bring my band to play?” “Sure” was the response from the planners. So, the neigbour’s band came and played and were very loud but afterwards there were no more complaints.
I think what happened was that the neighbour felt that the church was willing to meet them on the level or in the place of shared risk and passion.
In the coming months both congregations are going to be invited to join on the level to tell our truths, share our fears and imagine together our futures. All with the goal of developing a vision of what we are becoming and the kind of minister you will need to call to shepherd you along to that vision. Consider this your first gracious invitation. Amen