Jesus is the teacher. In the New Testament texts He takes a lot of time to reinterpreting the Old Testament, revealing it’s true intention. Traditional Judaism calls this process binding and loosing. “The expressions “bind” and “loose” were common to Jewish legal phraseology meaning to declare something forbidden or to declare it allowed.” This same gift of interpretation is given to us as His children (Matt. 16:19; 18:18)
One example that I’ve recently found revealing is when Christ was sharing in Matt. 23:7-10
He says “…they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Messiah.”
If you look at this in light of what the prophet Ezekiel says in chapter 34:11-16,
“For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.”
In both passages God is correcting or binding up bad teaching about how leaders are suppose function among His people. Personally I’ve found great comfort in the reality that God is establishing His Church and I am participating with Him in that. In other words, Christ is developing a body and, by His choice, I have been given some small proverbial house hold chores to accomplish in a tiny portion of the global timeless bride HE is preparing for Himself.
See I think Jesus saw the way the teachers got drunk off of leading people and foresaw us mishandling our roles as “leaders” and wanted to relieve us of pressure that He was not putting on us. Ever since the beginning in the garden, with Moses, with David, Jacob, etc. His heart was always to connect with His people. That’s why He died and imparted to us His ghost, to be with us.
By our submission to God, our recognition of His authority and input into all situations, and our complete dependence on His love for His bride we can be healthy servants in His body. He laid down His life, He is King, He is Savior, He is Lord over all; He will not fail when He is given the opportunity to work. Let Him!
Collision of Kingdoms 