Jesus the Visionary
Jon Ince
Intrduction
Last month I reached the personal milestone of having worked for the ambulance service for 20 years. I can still remember being a ‘newbie’ – not knowing anything but being excited about the prospect of responding to emergency calls and helping people. Like everyone else that joins our profession I eagerly waited for the alarm to go off and we would be sent on our way to something really exciting. Of course, as time goes by, you begin to understand that for something to be considered exciting, it meant that someone was inevitably in danger or suffering. Hmm!! 🤔
It would be fair to say that this posed an interesting moral dilemma. Perhaps hoping for something exciting was not quite the right way of looking at it.
I realised of course that at no point in reading the gospels could I recall Jesus going about his ministry and hoping for people to be seriously ill so that he could heal them!
So I reconciled my Christian values with the response that if someone was suffering and that I could help then I hoped I would be called upon!
The reality of our job is that those ‘exciting’ jobs are far less frequent than you might suppose. In fact what the ambulance service gets called for has changed a lot in those 20 years. Much of the calls we go to are for more primary care (chronic, on-going conditions) and social needs rather than true emergencies. With this in mind, as a manager, it is my responsibility to respond to these changing demands on our service. In order for us to move forward we need to change the way in which we do somethings. I have a few ideas and have been discussing these with some of my colleagues.
In my previous reflection I spoke about how I had been asked by one of the Executive team as to which leaders I aspired to. When I followed this conversation up, I informed her that my answer was Jesus! I told her of the booklet that I had purchased by Peter Shaw, ‘Mirroring Jesus as Leader’, in which the author focused on 6 key characteristics that made Him the leader he was: visionary; servant leader; teacher; coach; radical; healer.
My revelation did not spark a theological discussion. But it would be fair to say that she found my answer interesting, and she certainly liked the traits as identified by Peter Shaw. Our conversation focused primarily on the healer and the visionary. The latter because I had been explaining to her the ideas I had to change the way we adapted our business to current demands. I needed a vision – and she was keen to hear about it in the future, and how I would go about selling it.
So, what can be learnt from Jesus as a visionary leader…
Luke 4: 43
but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
The Vision
Peter Shaw writes: ‘It is significant that Jesus’ vision was based not only on outcomes (the Kingdom of God) but on behaviours (the Sermon on the Mount)
Jesus’ vision was clear. He was sent to preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God. There is no ambiguity about what Jesus was trying to achieve. The outcome for any listener could only be ‘good news’. But with all worthwhile visions, it should also be challenging. And it certainly was that. It was challenging because the vision was not just about the outcome, it required behaviours for those wanting to bring about the realisation of the Kingdom of God.
In other words, the vision that Jesus was selling took his listeners out of their comfort zone. They knew and understood the Law, but during the Sermon on the mount, Jesus focused on desired behaviours based upon the state of their heart rather than just actions. As He said himself, he came to fulfil the Law.
The Kingdom of God was open to all, but to enter and experience it required a deliverance from sin, and an internal repentance from the individual.
In his book, ‘Leading Change’ John Kotter states: ‘Vision refers to a picture of the future with some implicit or explicit commentary on why people should strive to create that future.’
To bring this vision to fruition Jesus required a strategy; it centred around his birth, life and ministry, his death and resurrection, and the building of the church. Perhaps it is no surprise that John 3:16 probably summarises the strategy up best.
During his life and ministry, Jesus also drew on a number of resources to help him achieve his vision for all humanity. At various times through the gospels we see that Jesus regularly relied on God the Father, the Holy Spirit and spent much time in prayer. He also drew on scripture and no doubt the fellowship of others.
But Jesus also knew that for his vision to have the desired impact he would need others to buy into it. The disciples were to be at the centre of this, although we should not ignore the other supporters outside of this inner circle. Therefore it is significant that 2000 years later we are beneficiaries in the work imparted by Jesus onto his early followers.
Luke 4: 1 – 6
And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.9
Sharing the Vision
In this passage we clearly see Jesus passing on his vision to the disciples; spreading the Good News about the Kingdom of God. In doing so, Jesus provided them with a strategy. Firstly, they were to cast out demons and to heal those in need, by way of authenticating their message. Secondly, Jesus set out specific instructions on what they should take, where they should stay and what to do when they were not received. What resources did Jesus give them? The message concerning the Kingdom of God, and power and authority over demons and disease. They were to take very little else, thus teaching them to rely upon God to provide all that they would need. Jesus also understood that a time would come when He would require a group of highly motivated people to carry on his vision. The disciples at this time may not have fully comprehended everything about Jesus’ mission, but they believed enough of His vision to go out and share it.
Jesus was also realistic about the response to His vision. Not everybody would buy into it. We are told several times by Jesus himself how difficult it is to enter the Kingdom of God. Not because it was physically difficult to do, but spiritually. The following scriptures highlight this:
Mark 10: 15
Mark 10: 23
This passage is an example of the disciples being trained by Jesus, preparing them for what was to come. In due course they would become leaders and visionaries in their own right, firmly rooted in the teachings and love of Jesus Christ.
Making Jesus known to all
I think we can agree that it is clear and unambiguous. But it is also ambitious and challenging! The very last word is key and changes everything. Our Vision does not say:
Making Jesus known to my family members
(Or)
Making Jesus to known to my work colleagues
(Or)
Making Jesus known to my next door neighbour
Whilst these are a great place to start, we must remember that as a Church we have committed to Making Jesus known to all.
There is no room for discrimination. The vision focuses on an outcome, but it also requires a set of behaviours from us to make it a reality. We must be prepared to make Jesus known at any opportunity. So yes, it is a simple vision, but what a challenge! And what a responsibility!
I will conclude this reflection by inviting us all to consider what we need to do individually and collectively to make our vision a reality.
What about our strategy? In normal times our strategy is centred upon the services held at the church and our outreach. So we are adapting in response to the barriers that COVID-19 presents. We should continue to pray for the leadership team as they consider that response, and pray for solutions. We all have different gifts and it is for us to prayerfully consider how we can best use them to make our mission statement a reality.
Let us not forget the resources that have been given to us. We can call on our Heavenly Father through our Saviour Jesus Christ in prayer, we have been blessed by the presence of the Holy Spirit, the scriptures, Christian fellowship, amongst many other things. The disciples were equipped with everything they needed to carry out the Lord’s work. God has and will provide to us too.
And finally, when we contemplate the extent of our responsibility, are we as individuals committed to being part of a highly motivated group of people determined to make Jesus known to all?
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for sending Your Son. We thank You for the example He set and the opportunity we have to follow in His footsteps. We thank you that His love for us was so deep that He was willing to die that we may one day be with You. Help us to always be mindful of the privileged position that we are in – that Jesus has been made known to each one of us. Help us to share this wonderful privilege so that our mission statement may be at the heart of everything we do. Embolden us to step outside of our comfort zones so that we can make the most of any opportunity that presents itself to tell others about You. And help us, Lord not to become disheartened when we do not get the response back that we had hoped for.
As we consider how we can continue to play our part in spreading the Good News, we pray that you will teach us to trust in you to provide. We thank you that if we first seek your kingdom that we will receive all that we need. We pray for Your guiding hand through these challenging times and that we continue to serve You whenever we are able to.
Heavenly Father, we pray for all that hear about Your Son, Jesus Christ. We pray that it stirs up a response in them, to accept Him as their personal Saviour.
Amen.
Lyrics
And Can It Be
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Saviour’s blood
Died He for me, who caused His pain
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace
Emptied Himself of all but love
And bled for Adam’s helpless race
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free
For O my God, it found out me!
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shoudlst die for me?
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light
My chains fell off, my heart was free
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?
No condemnation now I dread
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine
Alive in Him, my living Head
And clothed in righteousness divine
Bold I approach the eternal throne
And claim the crown, through Christ my own
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou my God, shouldst die for me?
Build Your Kingdom Here
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray
Come set Your rule and reign
In our hearts again
Increase in us we pray
Unveil why we’re made
Come set our hearts ablaze with hope
Like wildfire in our very souls
Holy Spirit come invade us now
We are Your Church
And we need Your power
In us
We seek Your kingdom first
We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives
For You’re our joy and prize
To see the captive hearts released
The hurt, the sick, the poor at peace
We lay down our lives for Heaven’s cause
We are Your church
And we pray revive
This earth (We’re prayin’ for revival)
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray (Change the atmosphere)
Unleash Your kingdom’s power
Reaching the near and far
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ
We are Your church
Oh, and we are the hope
On earth
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray (Change the atmosphere, build Your kingdom here)