Day #12
Larry Trotter
Words of Love
24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
Luke 22:24 NIV
Overcome the Barrier
Will to power is an anchor concept in German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's writings concerning the forces that drive humankind forward through life. (Will To Power is also a one-hit-wonder 80s band that famously recorded a regrettable mashup of Baby, I Love Your Way and Freebird, but I digress.) The idea is that the urge, understood as ambition, to achieve the highest position in life possible is the driving motivation for most people. He contends that there is great pleasure in achieving power and this hunger for more is primordial and primary among our urges. Frankly, the brief exposure to Nietzsche in seminary was enough for me. But, in a scene that pre-dates him by 1,900 years it is clear that the idea that our self will has a need to grow in influence over other people and our environment is significant. The context for the verse above is the disciples gathering with Jesus for the Passover meal that he reinterpreted as what we call the Last Supper. In breaking the bread and blessing the wine he described his sacrifice with the image of his broken body and spilled blood. This communion was the culmination of three-and-a-half years of preaching and teaching about the upside-down kingdom where the first are last and the last are first, how you must lose your life to gain it. And now, with the bread and wine still fresh on their tongues they lapse into a debate about who will the greatest disciple. Jesus' teachings had to have found a place somewhere in their hearts and minds. And yet, all of that is pushed aside as their need for power and pride of place asserts its dominance becoming a potential barrier to carrying the mission forward after Jesus' departure.
It is often said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But, clearly, the need to attain power has the same power to derail discipleship. Over my 23 years as a pastor I have shepherded over several church conflicts and watched many people struggle with giving their lives to Christ over this very issue. When Jesus invites us on the journey with him he has a basic request and that is that he drives. Handing over the keys to our lives is difficult when there is within us a need to control our own destiny and that of others. It's a paradox to which it difficult to submit. But the offer is staggering if we hear Jesus out. He asks us to surrender to him our need for power and then offers in return the same power to which he submitted. The same Holy Spirit that directed Jesus' steps and saved him from his own self will on at least two occasions (bookend temptations in the wilderness and on the Mount of Olives) will direct our steps and pull us back when we're ready to enforce our will over God's will. Ignoring that will to power is tough and can take us out of our comfort zones, but a much deeper sense of self as it identifies with and yields to God's self emerges from the discomfort. None of this is to say that ambition is patently bad. Being motivated to do our best in our work inside and outside the church is important. Jesus even addresses it in his parable of the dishonest manager. (We'll tackle that one another day.) But letting our ambition outrun God's purposes can become a barrier to discipleship. So the next time you feel the need to invoke our will over God's or someone else's, picture Jesus asking you for the keys. Go ahead and hand them over and call shotgun. You might wind up in the back seat, but it'll still be an amazing ride.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, don't give up on me when I insist on my way when yours is clear. Please insist that I let you drive and I'll sit wherever you think is best. In Your name, amen.
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