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| WHAT SHOULD A LEADER LOOK LIKE? |
| Not everyone wanted Jesus' kind of kingdom. |
| "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. "Isn't this the carpenter's son?" 13:54-55 |
| Important leaders, such as presidents and prime ministers, work hard to convey an impression of confidence and power. A leader, they assume, should look like a leader, and many of them hire an "image specialist" to learn how. Wherever they go, press agents, bodyguards, loyal assistants, and throngs of eager admirers follow in their wake. Matthew depicts Jesus as a true leader - a king, in fact - but one who broke stereotypes. Jesus had undeniable power. He could quiet an angry storm and even walk on the surface of a lake. Yet he used that power compassionately, for the sake of others: to feed the hungry and heal the sick. He wasn't concerned about a powerful image. A New Kind of Kingdom First-century Jews, who hated the Roman Empire, would have rallied eagerly around a militant Jewish king. They rebelled often until a vengeful Roman general flattened Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The kingdom Jesus presented, however, didn't meet their expectations. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus turned down a tempting offer of glory and territory (4:8-11), and he consistently bucked the pressures of the crowd. Although he was the most powerful leader ever, he spent his time telling stories, not raising an army. As a true Messiah, he sought not to satisfy people's false image of him, but to please God. In chapter 13, Matthew collects several of the stories |