Abusive Power or Redemptive Power?

For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." 

(Luke 14:11)

In one of his most insightful books, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership, Henri Nouwen observed, "What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people."

As Christians, we are richly steeped in lessons about servanthood. Stories of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet and of Jesus coming down from heaven to take on human flesh paint a beautiful picture of what it means to be a Christian. We understand that we are called to serve others. What we have less instruction in is how to live as persons with power and how that informs servanthood. How are we to wield power in appropriate, gospel‐directed ways?

One reason we haven’t studied the dynamics of power as much is because the word itself prompts images and emotions that are often negative. People just aren’t comfortable talking about power; it’s such a loaded word. “Power” simply means having the ability to influence the behaviour of another person. As children, we did school homework whether it made sense to us or not, because the teacher was the one in authority, she had the power.

Power, we might as well admit it, we want it. We want others to listen to us and follow our advice. We want others to look up to us and do what we want them to do. We want to be able to control our world so that we can get what we need and what we want.

Even the Twelve who walked physically alongside Jesus and heard his instruction face‐to‐face, hung back to argue about who would be the greatest, but then “were silent” when Jesus questioned them. Too often we equate being “great” with having power: power to influence and “control” other people and the world around us. It can be a disciple wanting to be considered “great,” which meant getting to be Jesus’ right‐hand‐man when Jesus becomes ruler of the world (Matthew 20:20‐23). But it also can be as simple as the rush of success we feel when a fussy baby goes to sleep in our arms because we had the “power” to calm.

Jesus’ unique use (or lack of use) of power is the model of power use for Christian leaders. Gerd Theissen in his book Power, Powerlessness, and the Divine: New Inquires in the Bible and Theology explains that the Jesus tradition portrays Jesus as the One with authority and power, while simultaneously powerless, a portrayal with an obvious dichotomy.

Jesus heals, controls nature, speaks with authority, cleanses the temple, and has followers, yet is poor, possesses no earthly property, does not have any official political power, and is falsely accused and ultimately crucified. Jesus seemed indifferent to the issue of power, “Jesus was uninterested in the politics of his day. He did not want power or its gifts. To use the language of psychology, Jesus knew who he was and what his role was to be. He already had a name: Son of God, Son of Man. He was unconcerned with acquiring his own space or striving for authority.

Nevertheless, he used power whenever someone was in need, asked him for help, or when he was protecting the authority and dignity of God’s institutions and God’s authority. He used his power for the powerless as well. That unique application of power was a combination of (limitless) power and powerlessness, which culminated on the cross.

Dear Friends, For Jesus, as for us, the greatest temptation was to use the power that he possessed for selfish purposes. The devil tempted Jesus to show his power and to use it for himself. Controlling power is one of the greatest challenges to the use of power, and Jesus’ answer to that challenge, was giving up his power.

This Lenten Season let us understand that greatness for Jesus was reaching out for the shut out, for the powerless. Rather than using our power to benefit ourselves, let us use it to serve and benefit others. Let us be vigilant to guard against misuse of power, to flee the temptation to abuse power—in our churches, organizations, and Christian institutions—that the kingdom of God might flourish and not be hindered.

God Bless You