Follow Jesus Christ

In one of his last sermons before his execution, Jesus launched a critique of the official Judaism of his day. In particular, he attacked the rigid and often corrupt hierarchical system in which higher-ranking priests demanded worship and deference from those below them.

Although there must be respect and appropriate coordination among God’s servants (common sense dictates that), Jesus declared that believers should never call anyone on earth their “spiritual father,” “mentor,” or “teacher.” He said:

“Do not be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Rabbi, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Do not be called ‘teachers,’ for you have one Teacher — Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant, for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus opposed priests and religious authorities who belittled and bossed their fellow believers. He opposed the idea that a believer should claim authority on the basis of his “permanent status” in the community. Again and again Jesus proclaimed what most would regard as a strange idea: that only the person who deliberately humbles himself in service to God and to others will truly become great in the spiritual realm. Though this idea remains not always obvious, experience generally shows that those who use power to exalt themselves may gain authority for a time, but over time they lose trust and respect.

Unfortunately, Jesus’s apostles failed to implement his requirement within their communities. For centuries the Church — especially the Orthodox Church — has been a hierarchical structure in which higher-ranking priests insist on being called “holy fathers.” The same phenomenon exists in other denominations where priests do not wear vestments but nevertheless believe God has appointed them to that office for the remainder of their earthly lives. Some argue that no organization can exist without a hierarchical structure. In principle that is true. But Jesus did not abolish hierarchy as such. He likely sought a more effective and dynamic organization in which everyone would be a servant, community leaders would be chosen solely on the basis of their spiritual authority, and titles or ranks would not be primary.

Religious life, as Jesus envisioned it, should not consist of performing rituals, developing religious philosophy, or pursuing personal glory, but of continually seeking the will of the Heavenly Father and carrying it out. Life never stands still and is constantly changing — accordingly, religion cannot remain static and unchanging. Otherwise it ossifies and dies, led by proud, overconfident blind men. If a community leader is willing, where appropriate, to humble himself and step aside voluntarily, new talented leaders can more effectively lead their brothers and sisters forward. Hidden in Jesus’s insistence on brotherhood, humility, and love within the community is, in fact, the secret of the success of any church or religious group. Imagine a congregation where everyone serves one another and no one seeks to exalt himself. Is that not the highest ideal of love?