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Aaron was a weak leader. When his brother Moses was preparing to go up on Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments he gave Aaron one job to do until he got back… to keep the people under control. Aaron failed his one job.
Moses was gone longer than expected and the people were worried that maybe he had died and approached Aaron to make for them a god that could lead them.
When Moses came off the mountain and found the people worshipping a golden calf and partying and celebrating and running wild. Moses was furious. He asked Aaron… what did they do to you for you to allow this?
Like did they torture you? Did they threaten you? Did they tickle you until you couldn’t stand it and finally gave in? No they didn’t… Aaron just bowed to the will of the people. He failed.
Moses accused Aaron of “leading the people into sin” The wrong kind of leadership indeed.
God wanted to kill all of Israel except Moses and make another nation out of Moses.
Elders are leaders in God’s church. Like Aaron their job is not only to keep the congregation under control but to help make the bride of Christ beautiful… not ugly and running wild.
I’ve heard of Elders who poll the congregation to make a decision. I’ve heard of congregations whose Elderships basically allow the Preacher to be lead the congregation and just rubber stamp his decisions. I’ve heard of congregations whose members make all kinds of decisions without even consulting the Elders.
God qualified and appointed Elders based on those qualifications for a reason. To lead with wisdom and strength.
Elders shouldn’t have backbones made of cartilage. Elders need to protect their position against any and all who would seek intentionally or unintentionally to weaken it. Otherwise like Israel God might want to kill the congregation and start over.
Elders… don’t be weak like Aaron. Be strong leaders. Listen to the congregation and carefully evaluate what the congregation tells you but in the end the decision is yours… don’t be afraid to make it.
Publicans in the New Testament were Jews empowered by the Roman government to collect taxes on behalf of the Roman Government. They were not very popular among the Jews generally and among the Pharisees specifically. Even today Tax collectors are not very popular.
First of all the Jews couldn’t have been happy about paying taxes in addition to paying their 10% tithing. And the fact that the Roman Caesar claimed to be a God had to be bothersome. The general opinion among Pharisees was that Publicans were sinners and spiritually filthy.
Lukes Gospel contains five references to Publicans:
Luke 3:12… at the preaching of John the Baptist the Publicans asked “What should we do” whereupon John says “Extort no more than that which is appointed you”.
Luke 5:27… Jesus told Levi the Publican… “follow me” (to become ultimately an Apostle)
Luke 7:29… “all the people (and the Publicans) when they heard, justified God, being baptized” but “the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God”
Luke 18:11-14… contrasts the self righteous prayer of the Pharisee with the humble prayer of the Publican.
Luke 19:1-10… the story of the rich, Chief Publican Zaccheus (presumably rich due to extortion). Jesus goes to eat supper with Zaccheus and the people murmur… Jesus is eating with a sinner! Whereupon Zaccheus stands up and defends himself… “Lord I give half of my goods to the poor and if I have wrongly exacted anything of any man I will repay four times the amount”
Keep in mind that Jesus used the dregs of jewish society to attack the self righteousness of the Pharisees.
The Pharisees hated Samaritans so Jesus elevated Samaritans, they hated unclean women so Jesus elevated them, they hated Publicans so Jesus chose one to become his Disciple, he baptized Publicans when the Pharisees refused to be baptized, he commended the prayer of a Publican over the prayer of a Pharisee and he found a righteous chief publican (who was rich) and went into his home and ate with him.
If there is any lesson in this at all its that we shouldn’t be so spiritually arrogant that we despise those who have been marked up by Satan and the world and choose to have nothing to do with them.
I wonder who would fall in those categories today? Racists? Those we differ with politically? Sexual misorietation? Muslims? Atheists?
