Jesus healed the diseased, raised the dead and performed innumerable signs and wonders. Yet the people who collected the temple tax were worried about whether he paid his taxes (Mathew 17:24). They probably thought with all the crowds following him, he must have been accumulating great wealth and they didn’t want to miss out on their portion.
Their focus was not on the kingdom of God, but on wealth. They had no idea that Jesus had no place to lay his head (Mt 8:20). Jesus was definitely not in ministry for the money.
We are no exception. Thinking that to pastor a church is an easy task, many people are quick to criticize or accuse. They have no concept of what it is like to have people continually misunderstand, assume things and generally expect perfection from you.
That brings to mind three principles. 1) We need to seek God on behalf of our leaders. 2) If we think we are called to lead,we need to take time to count the cost. 3) All of us, leaders and followers alike, need to make sure we take time to be alone with God to rejuvenate our spirits and allow him to give us right attitudes.
