Issue 523
Normally these pieces are written for as wide a readership as possible. This one is about the few, but for all of you to ponder.
Where do you go when you are the one to whom everyone goes? Who do you ask for help when you are the main helper? From whom do you get vision and purpose when it’s your job to give it to others?
The Son of Man was not a leader, he was THE leader. He was “leader of leaders”, “shepherd of shepherds”, “king of kings”. Whatever title you apply, he was THE expression of it.
You might like to make a mental list of his titles: light, way, door, apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, and a hundred others, and then place THE in front of it, and you get the picture.
So I’m going to ask you to read, receive, and forward this email.
Are you the boss, CEO, or leader? Are you the most senior person in your life? It doesn’t matter if you are leading 6 people, or 60,000 people, if you are the leader, you are in a team of one.
Peter, one of THE Son of Man’s closest friends, called his friend THE Christ, THE son, and touched on this feature. When THE Son of Man, however, turned to see if Peter would be among those who would turn back from the tough path, Peter used the phrase “you alone have the words of eternal life”.
Can you see what Peter probably did not see as he spoke? “You alone”.
We love to honor Jesus’ uniqueness, but have you noticed that by definition, this equates to alone-ness.
When darkness descended on the Golgothan hill, Jesus cried a word of forsaken-ness, which was the ultimate expression of his alone-ness.
This was a cup only he could drink, and a path only he could walk. I suggest that there was a voice of alone-ness within him well before the cry from the cross. May I pin it down?
Nobody could see what the Son of Man could see. Even his closest associates only saw an out-of-focus, dim and dark vista of the kingdom he was explaining. Even his most empathetic followers could not feel the passions he carried in his soul. No-one smelt the fear and death all around, as he did. No-one touched the wounded and broken as his hands did. No-one could hear the divine and unspoken with such acute accuracy.
So he was alone in many profound ways that go beyond my ability to convey, or yours to imagine.
So, Mr, Dr, Revd., Mrs, Miss, CEO, Consultant, Archbishop, Leader in any field. There is ONE, who knows what your alone-ness is like.
As, or if, you think about it, there is a mystery to it; a puzzle; a paradox. You probably already know that the Son of Man spoke of his unity with THE Father, and THE Spirit, but the fact remains that THE Son of Man, as a man, was alone.
Nothing is what it seems in this Nazarene. I’m going to show you how he unraveled the mystery, solved the puzzle, and configured the paradox. But that is next week.
For now, take nourishment from the fact that he knows, understands, and recognizes your alone-ness.
Now, if you are able, forward this to your CEO, boss, Archbishop, senior pastor, or Consultant. Invite them to sign up for next week’s insights.
Work well.
Geoff Shattock
BIBLE SECTION
John 6:66-68
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
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Work well
Geoff Shattock
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