Mike's Meanderings and Musings

As I was reading through 1 and 2 Chronicles, I came across the story of a priest named Jehoiada who served as something of a spiritual advisor to Joash, King of Judah.  His story seemed especially appropriate to those involved in church work.  In 2 Chron. 24:2 we are told, “Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of the priest Jehoiada.”  During Jehoiada’s lifetime, he was able to have positive influence on the young King Joash.  In fact, it is amazing to see what Joash accomplished under Jehoiada’s tutelage.  The youg king reinstituted a Mosaic tax for the repair of the temple and then oversaw the process of reconstruction.  Though the restoration of the temple is a feat in itself, Joash was also able to levy the tax in a positive way through the use of his now famous collection boxes. 24:10 tells us, “All the leaders and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until it was full.”  Thus, Joash harnessed the good will of the people for a much needed renovation of the temple.  After this task was finished, the temple ran as it was designed, offering burnt offerings regularly.  This fact, however, is accompanied once again by the ominous note that this state of affairs lasted “all the days of Jehoiada”.

Then Jehoiada died, and things started going south.

In verses 17-18 the chronicler notes, “Now after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and did obeisance to the king; then the king listened to them.  They abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and served the sacred poles and the idols.  And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.”  All of the progress to this point was put to a halt because the priest Jehoiada was no longer there to assert his influence.  In his absence, the king who had done so well under Jehoiada’s tutelage ran astray and took the entire nation with him.  And both he and the nation became objects of God’s wrath.

This to me is a parable for ministry.  We should strive for our influence to outlast our physical presence.  Indeed, we should seek to supplant our own influence with that of God himself in order that those whom we lead may follow something stronger than the forces of our personalities.  How to do this is, of course, up for debate.  But it should be pursued with diligence.  If it is not, we run the risk of leading people in postive directions while we are present while failing to equip them to continue in those positive directions in our absence.  It strikes me that the latter is the true test of our ministries.

~ by mikesmith on August 30, 2009.