Day 265, Year 1

The Anointed Leader

… “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.” (Matthew 23:10 NASB)

The word “leader,” hathegetes in Greek, appears only in today’s verse in the New Testament. It means “a guide, a great master, or respected teacher,” and had been applied to several well-known rabbis at that time. Perhaps, Jesus knew that His disciples could easily form a group like the Pharisees after His death. He, therefore, wanted to correct their mindsets and prevent them from organizing the church in the same way as the corrupted community at that time. Really, it is of paramount importance for believers to recognize Jesus Christ as the only Master, Guide, and Teacher.

In contrast to the different human hierarchies, Jesus invites people to recognize: Who is anointed by God? “Christ,” in the Old Testament, refers to those anointed by God, moved and filled with the Holy Spirit’s works; whereas in the Gospel of Matthew, it initially referred to the anointed king. Here, Jesus refers to the anointed one as the greatest teacher and guide. In other words, this King, anointed by God, appeared on earth as the grand master and guide. All His disciples need to recognize that the true Guide, worthy of learning from and honor, is only Jesus, who comes from the heavenly Father and was anointed by Him. Here, Jesus clearly compared the honoring system of the human community with the work of God. It seems that the Lord is also implying that those who pursue only human affirmation, honor, and status will not help the disciples to truly understand and obey God’s Word. Relying solely on human intelligence, effort, or abilities is insufficient to follow God’s Word, since human hierarchies, systems, or titles can only achieve what is within the human realm.

On the contrary, Jesus’ disciples are to follow God’s anointed King, who possesses God’s authority and the power of the Holy Spirit. These two conditions are the key to enabling us to obey God’s Word. Affirming the Father’s sovereignty is achieved through following Jesus, the greatest guide ever. When we affirm Jesus’ sovereignty over ourselves, we can rely on Him to swipe away any human weaknesses. But by following His teachings and guidance, we gradually come to understand and obey our God’s teachings. Jesus’ teachings and guidance are full of power that those who follow them can feel. Believers are to receive the anointing from the Lord, too, which is the power of the Holy Spirit, to obey God’s commandments. With this honor and power within, we are not afraid to do menial or mundane work, because our value lies not in any career or work.

Reflection questions:

1) Is Jesus Christ the most crucial guide in your life ever? If so, how would you be able to always receive and follow His guidance?

2) Is receiving God’s anointing and obeying the Lord’s commandments always the most important goal in your life? Why?