People have interpreted the Old Testament prophet Elijah in a variety of ways throughout the
ages. The early Church Fathers claim Elijah as a model for monastic life. They point to his
purity of heart, solitude, fasting and silence to justify this position. In one of the most
powerful events of the New Testament, Elijah appears with Moses at the transfiguration of
Jesus. The Letter of James says, “Elijah was a human being as frail as ourselves” (James 5:17).
Different titles of Elijah as prophet, mystic, and avenger have also evolved over the years.
Therefore, a deeper look at the Elijah that appears in 1-2 Kings is necessary to gain the most
accurate and grounded understanding of this prophetic figure. While a variety of themes
emerge about Elijah, the three major issues that will be analyzed here are Elijah’s relationship
to silence, solitude and prayer. Each of these themes reveals Elijah as a prophet who possesses
a deep and intense relationship with the Divine Will at the centre of his being.
Prayer, the dialogue between human and Divine lovers, can reveal much about a person’s
motivations, beliefs and character. It serves as the essence of our relationship with God and
unearths our deepest sense of self. A glance at Elijah’ s life of prayer reveals a deeply trusting
prophet who time and again allows his will to be led by the Divine will, exemplifies the
epithet man of God and reiterates through his faith and his action that Yahweh is God. The
role of prophet as pray-er helps us understand how Elijah relates to this issue. Several sources
that deal with ancient cultic customs claim that the priest and the prophet were seen as
having two distinct responsibilities. Whereas the Near Eastern pattern makes no distinction
between the two, the Israelite reality reveals an important difference. “The Israelite priesthood
was hereditary and hierarchical, whereas prophecy was charismatic.”1 While the priest
performed certain duties the prophet functioned as a pray-er. “Just as the priest became the
specialist in sacrifice, so the prophet was a specialist in prayer; he was peculiarly qualified to
act in this way as an intercessor.”2
Elijah consistently relies upon intercessory prayer as he communicates with Yahweh. “Yet it is
undoubtedly true that the ‘prophet’, as a professional figure, was as much a representative of
the people as the spokesman of Yahweh; it was part of his function to offer prayer as well as to
give the divine response or oracle.”3 The verses concerning the widow’s son who was raised to
life (1Kings 1:17-24) illustrates how the issue of prayer gives credence to Elijah as a man of
God. When Elijah meets the widow whose son has died, she attributes her misfortune to his
visit. “What quarrel have you with me, man of God?” she laments, “Have you come here to
bring my sins home to me and kill my son?” (1Kings 17:18). She blames herself or assumes
that her son’s death is somehow her fault. She believes that Elijah’s presence and witness
draws God’s attention to her household and now God is punishing her sinfulness. Studies
show that the people of the ancient world saw a close connection between sin and any
calamity.4
1 Brown, Raymond; Fitzmyer, Joseph; Murphy, Roland. New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, NJ. 1990. p. 187.
2 Johnson, Aubrey. The Cultic Prophet in Ancient Israel. Cardiff. University of Wales Press. 1963. p. 59.
3 Johnson, p. 60.
4 Murphy, Roland. Experiencing Our Biblical Heritage. Hendrickson Publishers, Massachusetts. 2001. p. 28.
2
Yet, in the face of this challenge, Elijah immediately takes her son upstairs. In private he cries
out to Yahweh, stretches out his hands in prayer over the boy, begs Yahweh to heal him and
suddenly the boy is cured. Elijah immediately returns downstairs and declares to the woman
that her son is alive. The movement of the boy from public to private and back to public,
places the attention on Elijah and his dealings with God in prayer. Moreover, the motion of
Elijah going up (to an upper room) to communicate his will with the Divine Will reveals a
very intimate and important moment of prayer. Elijah demonstrates passionate, intense and
heart-felt intercessory prayer to Yahweh. The woman’s change in attitude becomes the final
and most important revelation in this story. The mother shows doubt as she initially
questions Elijah as to how he is a man of God. “What quarrel have you with me, man of
God?” (1Kings 17:18). She is sceptical about this man and the issues surrounding Elijah’s
presence in her home. In the end, however, she declares, “Now I know that you are a man of
God, and the word of the Yahweh in your mouth is truth itself” (1Kings 17:24). Both she and
the reader have come to realize Elijah’s special link to God.5 The role of prayer in this story
reaffirms several key points about Elijah. It solidifies that Elijah is a man of God and that the
word of Elijah is the word of Yahweh. Moreover, Elijah’s actions and openness to Yahweh
leave no doubt that Yahweh is God.
Scripture scholars provide varying opinions about the prayer of Elijah as he stretches himself
upon the child three times and invokes the power of Yahweh.
This is the case of contactual magic, such as is well known in the ancient East in
Mesopotamia and in Canaan, where the Ugaritic Legend of Kit mentions the transference
of the sickness of the king into a clay image.6
The claim that this is magic places Elijah in the role as a performer. Someone who carries out
magic follows a certain set of guidelines and rules and the outcome depends on how well this
is done. This leaves no room for the interpretation that Yahweh is the source of this healing.
Instead, contactual magic claims that the health of Elijah transfers to the corresponding
organs of the invalid boy and cures him. On the other hand, another interpretation claims,
Elijah’s prayer shows him as feeling some responsibility for the woman’s distress. His
intercession achieves its effect; the decisive fact is not the seemingly magical action of
stretching himself three times upon the child’s body but the Lord’s gracious hearing of
Elijah’s prayer.7
The argument that this is not magic asserts that it is Yahweh who cures the boy. Elijah’s
prayer creates the opportunity for Yahweh to be seen as God. Another source claims that this
story is a common folktale.8 For example, in the following chapter Elisha cures a boy in a
similar manner (2Kings 1:3). He lowers himself in prayer onto a boy several times and
eventually the boy is cured. While different sources exist for the story of the widow’s son, the
fact that they do not refute the potential of these healings grants the reader the space to
discern this issue and in the end, embrace Elijah as a pray-er, a man of God and one who
5 Balentine, Samuel E. Prayer in the Hebrew Bible: The Drama of Divine-Human Dialogue. Fortress Press, MN. 1993. p. 53.
6 Gray, John. I & II Kings: A Commentary. The Westminster Press, Philadelphia. 1963. p. 342.
7 Conroy, Charles. 1-2 Samuel 1-2 Kings. Old Testament Message. A Biblical Theological Commentaty. Michael Glazier, Inc.
1983. p. 178-9.
8 Laymon, Charles. The Interpreters One-Volume Commentay on the Bible. Abingdon Press, NY. 1971. p. 193.
3
helps reveal that Yahweh is God.
This theme of Elijah as a man of God appears again at the end of his public ministry. The
angel of the Lord sends Elijah as a messenger to Ahaziah to condemn his faith in Baal-Zebub
and not the Lord (2Kings 4:32-37). This story reminds the reader that the prophet takes his
direction from God and not false idols. Elijah relies upon this intimate dialogue with God as
he engages in this conflict. He embodies the epithet, a man of God, and invites Yahweh to
send fire from heaven to destroy the messengers and the additional men. Yahweh carries out
this task and then eventually says to Elijah, “Go down with him and do not be afraid of him”
(2Kings 1:15).
Elijah allows his will to be led by Yahweh’s Will and responds immediately to this instruction.
He does not waver or question this command. Elijah approaches the king and declares to the
king that he is going to die (2Kings l:4). Ahaziah dies soon thereafter which reveals yet again,
the power of the word of Elijah. Elijah’s constant call upon the name of God in prayer
solidifies his prophetic title as a man of God. The high point of Elijah’s prophetic role as prayer
appears in the story of his slaying of the 450 false prophets of Baal (1Kings 18:19-40).
At the time when the offering is presented, Elijah the prophet stepped forward. ‘Yahweh,
God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel,’ he said, ‘let them know today that you are God in
Israel, and that I am your servant, that I have done all of these things at your command.
Answer me, answer me, so that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God and are
winning back their hearts’ (1Kings 18:36-37).
Elijah draws strength from his deep connection with God. He allows the Divine Will at the
centre of his being to come forth as he initiates this intimate dialogue with Yahweh. “What is
decisive is Elijah’s prayer; in his case there is no need for noisy activity.”9 Through his prayer,
he creates the space and the opportunity for Yahweh to act.
Elijah offers prayer rather than the performance of miracles. He is the opposite of the
striving Baal prophets. The climactic acclamation is not that Elijah is a man of God but
that Yahweh is God.10
Elijah’s actions do not point to himself but to God. In the end, Elijah, through his prayer,
becomes the vehicle through which the hearts of others are led back to God. While his prayer
reveals many deeper insights about Elijah, the theme of silence surrounds several stories,
interpretations and commentaries on Elijah. Through his experience of Yahweh on Mt.
Horeb, silence becomes the avenue through which the will of Elijah meets the Divine Will yet
again. This silence leads to a place of greater awareness for Elijah where he continues the
process of transformation as a prophet. In fear of his life, Elijah walks for forty days until he
reaches Mt. Horeb (1Kings 19:8). He seeks out this special place with the knowledge that
Yahweh established his covenant with Moses here. While in a cave on the mountain, Elijah
does not hear the normal command from Yahweh to go to Cherith or to go to Zarephath or
to go to Ahab. Elijah is familiar with this command and respond dynamic. Instead, Yahweh’s
first words to him are “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1Kings 19:9). The unique situation
that Elijah faces leads him to answer with an account of his trials and words of distress. Fr.
9 Conroy, p. 184.
10 Gray, p. 342.
4
Killian Healey, O.Carm., and former General of the Carmelite Order states:
It is the encounter of the loyal servant with his heavenly father, a meeting in which the
prophet expresses his bitter sorrow for the defection of Israel and his own failure. Still, in a
personal, moving expression of faith he declares his undying loyalty to Yahweh.11
Yahweh continues with a familiar command. This time he tells Elijah to leave the cave and go
out onto the mountain before Yahweh. These words are similar to the command to Moses on
Mt. Horeb to stand on the rock and await the Lord’s passing (Exodus 33:22). The experience
of Moses helps us understand the significance of this event for Elijah. Moses had received the
Ten Commandments on this same mountain (Exodus 20:2-17) and then upon his descent to
the people of Israel he found them worshipping a golden calf (Exodus 32:1-6 and ff).In utter
dismay and disillusionment, Moses shatters the tablets and approaches Yahweh in search of
direction. Yahweh answers through his renewal of the covenant and Moses continues his
prophetic work. Elijah experiences a similar state of confusion surrounding his situation and
seeks direction from Yahweh. A textual analysis provides a brief interlude. Although it
appears that Elijah responds accordingly and leaves the cave, (1Kings 19:11) he does not go to
the entrance until after the last of the theophanies (self-revelations of God) has taken place
(1Kings 19: 13). The text reveals that it is possible that verses 19:9b-11 are a later addition to
the original story.12 One makes this conclusion based on the repetition of verses 10 and 14,
each repeating the famous line: “I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts,
but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets
to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” With the omission of the
supposed added texts, the story would flow much smoother.
The story of Elijah’s encounter with God continues as a hurricane, earthquake and fire
appear successively before Elijah (1Kings 19:11-13). However, he does not find Yahweh in any
of the three. These traditional events allude to the various theophanies that the chosen people
of Israel experienced. It makes sense that Elijah would wait for Yahweh in each of these highly
charged events with the hope that Yahweh would speak to him. After a very intimate moment
when he shares his frustration and humanness before Yahweh, he waits in hope for an
answer. The prophet who previously prayed for death on his way to Mt. Horeb now seeks
direction and strength from Yahweh. “Then he encounters a uniquely real presence of God –
beautifully captured in the phrase ‘a sound of sheer silence,’ the only occurrence of this
phrase in the Old Testament.”13 A variety of translations exist for this mysterious experience
including a “light murmuring sound” (NJB), “a still small voice” (KN), “the sound of a sheer
silence” (NRSV), and “the sound of fine silence” (NJBC). Furthermore, there are numerous
explanations of this event. One author describes it as “a divine rebuke of Elijah for his
handling of the prophets of Baal.”14 The Anchor Bible says, “The intimation seems to be that
this is the desired mode of discourse between the prophet and the divine presence.”15
Another author claims that the “revelation of God in an intelligible communication rather
than in the spectacular phenomena described marks an advance in man’s conception of God
11 Healy, Killian. Prophet of Fire. lnstitutum Carmelitanum. Rome, Italy. 1990. p. 164.
12 Laymon, p. 194.
13 Farmer, William R. The International Bible Commentary: A Catholic and Ecumenical Commentary for the Twenty-First
Century. The Liturgical Press, MN. 1998. p. 627.
14 Conroy, p. 188.
15 Cogan, Mordechai. I Kings. The Anchor Bible. Double Day. New York. 2001.
5
as personally accessible.”16 Finally, another writer says “this incident represents a transition
from the spectacular theophanies witnessed by early Israel to the quiet transmission of the
divine word to the prophets.”17
While one can develop arguments about all of these interpretations, it is important to look at
what Elijah does immediately after this experience of the Divine presence: “And when Elijah
heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the
cave” (1Kings 19:13). Elijah’s veiling his face parallels the theophony assured to Moses on Mt.
Sinai (Exodus 33:20). This flashback appears to raise the stakes of this event even more. In
the past anyone who had seen God or heard God’s voice would perish (Exodus 20:19; Deut
5:24-26; 18:16). Now Elijah is faced with the opportunity and challenge to integrate this new
experience of God’s presence. Yahweh asks him the same question from their first encounter:
“What are you doing here, Elijah?” Again, Elijah offers the account of his trials and
tribulations along with his loyalty (1Kings 19:10-14). Yahweh answers this time with three
specific commands for Elijah to complete (1Kings 19:15-18).In the end, Elijah is in the same
place as before this theophonic experience. He does not make any major changes or come to
any deep realizations as a result of this experience of the Divine presence. The three major
experiences of the earthquake, hurricane and fire do not have an immediate effect on Elijah.
According to the Scripture they do not result in Elijah leaving the cave. It’s not until these
events subside and the “light murmuring sound” passes by Elijah that he approaches the
entrance of the cave. The calm after the storm has arrived and Yahweh is in the calm ready to
call forth Elijah yet again (1Kings 19:12). The stillness and the simplicity of silence create the
space for Elijah’s will to connect yet again with the Will of the Divine. Only this time, the call
takes on a totally different form and meaning. The stillness and the silence that beckon Elijah
parallel the change of intensity for the next command that Yahweh gives. Yahweh no longer
needs the Elijah who swaggers on the top of Mount Carmel and slays the 450 false prophets
of Baal. These powerful and extraordinary actions in Yahweh’s name have come to an end for
Elijah. The time for this face of Elijah’s remarkable courage and zeal has passed. This new
mission for Elijah will help settle his fears and strengthen the faith of Israel. His actions, now
grounded in silence, will once again reiterate to Israel that Yahweh is God. Elijah’s prophetic
office is coming to an end so Yahweh gives him the task of anointing Hazael and Jehu and
selecting Elisha as his successor. These two kings will essentially crush Israel to pieces but
Yahweh declares, “I shall spare seven thousand in Israel; all knees that have not bent before
Baal, and all the mouths that have not kissed him” (1Kings 19:18). Those who encounter
God in silence never see or experience the world in the same way. Their old wineskin is often
replaced with new wineskins. They inherit a new set of eyes as they reconnect with society.
They call others to new living based on God’s covenant and word. Elijah, in his brokenness
turns to God for answers. Yahweh, before he commands that Elijah go and anoint three
others, decides to appear in the silence. Kilian Healy says:
Yahweh’s answer to Elijah is the key to the understanding of the passage. It shows that the
prophet was mistaken in believing he alone in Israel was faithful to the Lord. It also points
out that faith in Yahweh was not about to be exterminated. Israel surely will be chastised
from within by Jehu and from without by Hazael, but in the end an Israel faithful to
16 Gray, p. 365.
17 Mays, James L. Harper’s Bible Dictionary. Harpers and Row, San Francisco. 1988.
6
Yahweh will survive. Yahweh is in command, not Elijah.18
Could Elijah have heard this message if he had not experienced the presence of Yahweh in
the silence? While the revelation of the Divine presence in the silence is quite different from
the hurricane, earthquake and fire, so too is this command unlike the previous instructions
that Elijah fulfils. In the end Yahweh’s presence in the silence guides Elijah’s towards his
transformation as a prophet and thus, reiterating that Yahweh alone is God. While silence is
definitive in Elijah’s life, the issue of solitude surrounds him as well. The passages in 1 & 2
Kings show that he spends little time around other human beings. He spends many days,
including forty in the desert, alone and in communion with the Divine. This solitude reveals
a commitment to God first and foremost. It demonstrates an exclusive relationship that
proclaims the absolute autonomy of Yahweh. The solitude in which Elijah lives his life
exemplifies the connection of his will with that of the Divine Will. When we meet Elijah we
first learn that he is a Tishbite from Gilead (1Kings 17:1). While genealogies exist for many
figures in the Hebrew Scriptures, we hear very little about Elijah’s origins, roots or ancestors.
Furthermore, many figures of the Old Testament work together. Abraham and Lot travel
together and Abraham provides support at times. Moses and Aaron share a certain level of
intimacy as they lead the Hebrews out of the desert and into the Promised Land. Throughout
the Scriptures however, Elijah relies solely on himself as he relates to God. He acts alone. His
dedication as a solitary figure draws attention to the Divine Will that dwells at the centre of
his being. Yahweh commands Elijah quite often to go and seek a place of solitude. “Go away
from here, go east and hide by the torrent of Cherith, east of the Jordan” (1Kings 17:2). In
this place, Elijah drinks from the wadi and the ravens feed him plentifully. The Hebrew
Scriptures regards ravens as unclean and birds of prey (Lev 11:15; Deut 14:14; Prov 30:17).
Yet, these unclean birds feed Elijah and nourish him very well with bread and meat twice a
day. Eventually, the wadi dries up because of a lack of rain. It cannot sustain Elijah. Baal,
known as the Canaanite god of rain, should be able to supply ample water but he cannot
perform the one action that defines him. His autonomy and greatness is not like that of
Yahweh. In solitude, Yahweh miraculously provides for Elijah and Baal proves inept.19 Later
Yahweh tells Elijah, “Up and go to Zarephath in Sidonia, and stay there” (1Kings 17:8).
When he arrives, he asks the widow for water and food and she tells him that she does not
have enough provisions. However, the Lord abundantly produces yet again. “The jar of meal
was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied, just as Yahweh had foretold through Elijah” (1Kings
17:16). The message is clear: Yahweh lures Elijah in solitude where he must exhibit a total
trust, perseverance and willingness to be led by Yahweh. As a result, Yahweh can reveal His
total autonomy and overflowing ability to sustain and to nourish.
After Elijah’s victory on Mt. Carmel, he flees for his life from Jezebel into the desert and prays
for his death. “Elijah no longer sees himself as the bearer of a special relationship with
Yahweh and, in utter despair, asked that he die, as do all men.”20 Solitary life can eat a person
alive if his or her focus is not rightly centred. It can lead to utter dismay. Elijah appears to be
in turmoil and his faith challenged. However, the angel of Yahweh appears to him several
times telling him to get up and eat. “He looked round, and there at his head was a scone
18 Healy, p. 165.
19 Keck, Leander. The New Interpreter’s Bible. Volume III. Abingdon Press, Nashville. 1999. p. 127.
20 Cogan, p. 451.
7
baked on hot stones and a jar of water” (1Kings 19:6). Furthermore, while the first angel does
not make it evident, the second appearance of the angel reveals that it is Yahweh who
provides. Strengthened by this food, Elijah spends forty days wandering in the desert and
finally arrives at Mt. Horeb (19:8). Both in the desert where Yahweh sustains through food
and in the cave where Elijah experiences the Divine presence in the “light murmuring
sound,” Yahweh provides abundantly. Elijah accomplishes the majority of his triumphs in
solitude as well. When he challenges the 450 prophets of Baal, he acts alone. When he heals
the widow’s son he brings him upstairs in solitude and prays over him. Elijah triumphs over
his other human opposition including Ahab and Jezebel. This triumph in solitude parallels
that of Yahweh. Jane Ackerman writes:
While Baal was unable to control the rains, did not manifest himself, and had nothing
to say to his devotees, Yahweh spectacularly moved both the natural and supernatural
realms, spoke through his prophet, and most certainly manifested his will.21
Elijah’s ability to act without human assistance and to prevail over human opposition points
to God’s independent greatness. Elijah’s relationship with Elisha also demonstrates his
attempt to maintain this solitary life. He is seen several times trying to separate himself from
Elisha. When Elijah and Elisha set out for Gilgal, he tells Elisha, “You stay here, for Yahweh
is sending only me to Bethel” (2Kings 2:2). This happens two more times as Elijah claims that
Yahweh is sending him to Jericho and to Jordan (2Kings 2:4 and 2Kings 2: 6). Eventually a
chariot of fire takes Elijah bodily away from Elisha into the heavens (2Kings 2:12). His
ascension severed his contact with other human beings. There could be no more powerful
demonstration of Elijah’s adherence to God alone than the miracle that ended his story in 2
Kings.
The Spirit of Elijah dwells in our modern world today. Often times, people only talk about
Elijah as the prophet of courage and of zeal. His willingness to take a stand in the name of
Yahweh and to challenge those who straddle the fence speaks loudly and clearly. This voice of
Elijah needs to be shared and heard by others. At the same time, the image of Elijah as a
mystic who embodies silence, solitude and prayer in order to live out his role as a prophet
must be recognized. The role of Elijah in 1 & 2 Kings reveals the depth, the breadth, the
height and the width of this path. This model must be held up for others as a path towards an
authentic and transparent way of life. In the words of Fr. Killian Healy:
“Each time that Carmel returned to its eremitical spirit, and gave itself more generously to
its contemplative dimension, the Order was blessed with holiness that gave new life to the
Church. Therefore experience is teaching us again that the only safe route to follow is to
renew the eremitical ideal of the Order. We must return in Spirit to Elijah living in
silence, solitude and prayer at Cherith. The prophet is still a relevant model.”22
21 Ackerman, Jane. Elijah: Prophet of Carmel. ICS Publications, Washington, DC. 2003. p. 14.
22 Healy, p, 61.
8
An Elijan Bibliography
Ackerman, Jane. Elijah: The Prophet of Carmel.
ICS Publications, Washington, DC. 2003.
Balentine, Samuel E. Prayer in the Hebrew Bible: The Drama of Divine-Human Dialogue.
Fortress Press, MN. 1993.
Brown, Raymond; Fitzmyer, Joseph; Murphy, Roland. New Jerome Biblical Commentary.
Prentice Hall, NJ. 1990
Cogan, Mordechai. 1 Kings. The Anchor Bible.
Double Day, NY 2001.
Conroy, Charles. 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings. Old Testament Message. A Biblical Theological
Commentary.
Michael Glazier, Inc, DE. 1983.
Farmer, William R. The International Bible Commentary: A Catholic and Ecumenical Commentary
for the Twenty-First Century.
The Liturgical Press, MN. 1998.
Gray, John. I & II Kings: A Commentary.
The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA. 1963.
Healy, Killian. Prophet of Fire.
Edizioni Carmelitane. Rome, Italy. 1990.
Johnson, Aubrey R. The Cultic Prophet in Ancient Israel.
University of Wales Press, Cardiff. 1963.
Keck, Leander. The New Interpreter’s Bible. Volume III.
Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN. 1999
Laymon, Charles. The Interpreters’ One-Volume Commentary on the Bible.
Abingdon Press, NY 1971.
Mays, James L. Harper’s Bible Dictionary.
Harpers and Row, San Francisco, CA. 1988
Murphy, Roland. Experiencing Our Biblical Heritage.
Hendrickson Publishers, MA. 2001.
Peterson, William J. Meet Me on the Mountain.
Victor Books, 11. 1981.
PIJAR IMAN - FLAME OF FAITH
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Leadership of Jesus Christ
We have provided and continue to provide seminars on leadership, have mentored individual leaders and have used various assessment instruments to determine individual leadership skills. If you are interested in some of those services, please contact me.
However, I would like to take a few minutes to see how the greatest leader of all times accomplished his job. I believe that if we can in even a small manner duplicate his style in our own lives, we would be better leaders tomorrow than we are today. Jesus, coming from a small town, having no university training, no computer technology, no internet resources formed a small group (call it a corporation, if you want), spent a few short years in moving his product, and in so doing completely changed this entire world forever. Nothing, absolutely nothing was the same after he was finished. His organization has grown and continues to grow today affecting the entire globe.
How did he do it? Yes, he is divine, God in the flesh, holy and with all the Godly attributes, but he did not use that to change the world, he used people. Those people were just like you and I. They were not holy, had all the emotions, failings, discouragement, physical ailments and problems you and I have as we live our lives. And yet, look at what has happened. The success of this small band of people was the direct result of their leader and his ability to lead. Do you want to know what leadership characteristics Jesus used and how we can apply them to our leadership roles? Let's take a few minutes to study his work.
Be uncommonly knowledgeable. First, it is necessary for the leader to have a strong knowledge base. We call it "knowing your stuff." There is no substitute for thoroughly understanding your product. This is a test that if you receive less than an A+ in it, you have flunked. You cannot be successful if your competitor knows more than you. Everything is a specialty, and since everything is in constant flux, a leader must keep current with all the aspects of the product, no matter what it is. The leader must be the expert. Jesus knew what his job was. He knew why he came to earth. He knew where he was headed, and he knew what the results of his work would be. Of course he was God, and God is omnipotent and omniscient. We are not, but the example is still there. Leaders MUST be fully knowledgeable in their field.
Be a visionary Next, Jesus had a vision. He said in John 4:34 that he came to do and finish the work of the Father who sent him. He said in the 17th chapter of John, verse 4 that he has finished the work the Father gave him to do. His vision was clear, it was to bring salvation into the world. He was focused on it, and everything he did was to accomplish his vision. Leaders remain focused on their vision.
Be an excellent teacher Jesus communicated his vision clearly to his disciples. He told them that he had come into the world that the world through him could be saved. He lived out his vision before the disciples so they knew what it was. Sometimes, they didn't get it. Even at the last supper, there was some confusion as to where Jesus was going and why couldn't the disciples go with him. A leader must have a clear vision, be focused on accomplishing it and communicate it well to his people. Remember, Proverbs 29:18 reminds us that where there is no vision, the people perish.
Be an astute recruiter Jesus surrounded himself with men he recruited. He had looked into their hearts and lives and had determined they would be the best he could find. Good leaders need to surround themselves with good people. They should not settle for mediocrity. Note the characteristics of the 12 disciples: they were loyal, trustworthy, could interact well with people, had enormous skills, were dedicated to the vision and mission of their leader, communicated well with Jesus and the team, worked well in the team, were not self serving and could work independently. These men were so dedicated to their mission that they were killed fulfilling it. Isn't it neat that Jesus' administrative team did not think of themselves more highly than they did of their leader? They were singular in following the strategic plan laid out for them.
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