But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:25-28)
Jesus’s father, Joseph, wasn’t just a great man. he was a great leader!
Maybe you don’t see it. But Joseph raised some pretty good kids. That’s not easy. And when he decided to move to Egypt, and when he decided to move them back … he made it work! That’s not easy either.
Leadership is not about standing on a pedestal and soaking up applause. Leadership is about leading — going in a direction and having others follow you.
I’m going to claim Joseph as a Christian leader too. I know you can say he wasn’t a Christian in the conventional sense, but he was instant in belief and obedience when the Holy Spirit spoke!
Christian leadership is special. For a start, no Christian is ever really at the top of the tree. That place is reserved for Jesus!
Christian leaders operate under constraints that not all leaders feel. If you’ll pardon me saying so, some leaders have been stinkers! Leaders in the world may be more focused on wealth and position than on doing the ethically right thing.
For a Christian leader, leadership is a spiritual gift. Romans 12:3-8 makes the point: In discussing how gifts are to be exercised, Paul says leadership is to be diligent, placing it in the list.
The objectives of Christian leadership are different too. In fact, perhaps I should have said “the objective” singular. Christian leaders are focused on forwarding the Kingdom.
Now if you want to say I’m pretty short of scripture to back my claims for Joseph’s leadership, I’ll agree with you! He doesn’t get much coverage in the Bible. I’m basing my case on the fruit. Joseph raised good kids! You might say he couldn’t help but do a good job with Jesus — but there were James and Jude as well, and Jesus’s other brothers and sisters. Then there was Mary. Now you can say she had a great start … but she turned into a wonderful woman. I’m still reading between some pretty thin lines, but I think a sweet shy girl grew up into a mature confident woman. I believe she flourished with the leadership of a great husband.
Joseph was a great servant leader. I wish I was more like him!