In the current events and with a wealth of experience of Authority, I have found Christ's pithy analysis true: Those in authority call themselves benefactors, while exercising and imposing their will in iron rule. Christ also pointed out what was wrong with this – and told his followers to never do this!
And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sits at meat, or he that serves? is not he that sits at meat? but I am among you as he that serves. (Luke 22:24-27)
In context the Jewish people had lost autonomy, so Christ and the disciples were experiencing the Iron Roman rule at its worst, being as it was combined with the kingship of the Edomite Herods. From 63 BC Judea had fallen under the power of Rome, and by 40 BC the last hope of Jewish Hasmonean rule was extinguished, leading to the absolute rule of Herod the Great who our Lord would know of, as for the fear of Herod's destruction of the children of Bethlehem Joseph and his mother Mary had left for Egypt. During the rule of king Herod Antipas the Romans became absolute rulers of Judea and began suppressing Jewish practice.
Exercising Lordship
The Roman governor Pontius Pilate therefore was dealing with unruly Jews in an era of Jewish fragmentation and an underlying culture of a revolt from Rome. Pilate on occasion was brutal, with secular history backing up Luke's account 'of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.' (Luke 13:1) In deed the rulers of Rome and the king were exercising lordship, imposing rules and enforcing them. Roman rule is famous for being statute based, in the sense of the Laws of the Medes and Persians which 'alters not' (Daniel 6:8). The laws of the Jews were understood in the context of judges and mercy. An example of Bible case based law is the revision of the Torah after the case of the daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 26:33). The Bible likely laid the foundation for British case based law which judgement alters based on the case to better deal that statute law with the complexity of life.
Called 'benefactors'
The key point that Christ makes is that the rulers and kings are called benefactors. A Benefactor may be one that does good, but also is one that gives advantage, most often by taking from others. Christ notes this fact.
Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. (Matthew 17:25-26)
Ironically it is recorded that Saul named Paul was a Roman and free born. Further to this point Samuel rebukes Israel for wanting a king like the nations because the king would take from them.
This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. (1Samuel 8:11-17)
The key point Samuel made was that all who serve God already have a king,
And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king. (1Samuel 12:12)
He Who will be the Mighty Ones of Israel is the only true benefactor.
I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. (Isa 43:15)
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; (Psalm 33:16-18)
Solomon, when he was humble and wise noted that God was the ultimate judge and he as king had came from God;
If thou see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regards; and there be higher than they. Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field. (Ecclesiates 5:8-9)
Pilate was convinced that he had power to exercise authority but Christ pointed out that he could have no power unless it was given from Above (John 19:10-11). The rulers of the nations, who do not know God, think they rule and all is in their power. They therefore confer benefits on those they choose and take as much as they will from those they can. In many cases they seek to benefit their subjects, but it is according to their understanding as those who impose rules, and in practice is often found lacking due to the complexity fo the world and that the only true understanding of a matter is lived experience as a humble servant.
Example of Harm from Rules protecting from climate
A specific case of rules imposed by Authority for benefit was illustrated to myself when sea level rise fear due to faulty computer modelling was an issue and Local Authority focussed on that one issue and imposed strict rules supposedly to the benefit of the residents in low lying areas. The result was irreparable harm to all the residents, as all modification was halted due to absurd issues such as half floor steps required over new additions to living areas, property prices fell, insurances rose and many could not insure at all. There was some re-mediation of rules when finally after ongoing protest the Local Authority went to the residents concerned and talked with them with an independent mediator, who caused all to re-asses their views in humility as true public servants, having to face the many complex issues involved, from design to erosion to topography and economics.
Failure of the Ruler's Rules on Covid
The issue of rules imposed for benefit is also illustrated in the poor results of all the approaches of Authority to the current Corona (cold-like) Virus. It would be no exaggeration to say all methods of Governance have been tried, from that of utter control to even that of doing nothing. Of note is that as time passes the rulers that sought the most to impose benefit by absolute protection of the people have had the most devastating consequences in other areas, including other aspects of health and the economy. Because Authority can impose rules and exercise Lordship thinking they are (in effect) God the only protector of the people, they fail because they fail to understand the complexity of the life they affect.
Time and time again we see the failure of rules for specific benefit, because if rules are focussed on one factor they miss the complexity of life, which Authority might have seen if they had been humble as a servant.
This rule by being a careful servant is Christ's point to us - and for all rulers. Christ with great intellect none can match went to a great example we can still understand well today: that of the person who serves food.
There is an abundance of places now that require people to serve food for a living. The person who serves food has many tasks, possibly including preparation, always involving footsore labour and certainly including cleanliness. The person who commands that this or that food be brought to them from a point of privilege, is regarded by most as the superior. If people were to chose who is greater they likely would chose rather to be served, than to serve. Christ says not so – think again. That person sitting as boss, if they have never been anything but a boss, knows nothing they ought to know. They may know nothing by experience of making food for others, which is an essential task of life! They many know nothing of the skills of making others happy by service, or of the skill of labour including balancing many small tasks for the best outcome. Lastly they have sat, while the servers have walked on their feet and used their arms to carry weight, which strengthens a body. The servant also knows the complexity of the tasks.
We have just seen the failure of the elites in relation to their myopic focus on a virus. Elites who wish to be seen as benefactors by imposing rules, cause harm by their rules that has led to intense protest globally wherever rules are applied. Where there has been no or few rules there has also been harm, but of a different sort. I am reluctant to hold one as an example, but one nation has stood out for an approach that was criticised: Sweden. Sweden sought rules to both be that of giving advice and yet have so few restrictions as to sustainable for a long time, many have pointed out issues they had including high death rates n the elderly. The Swedish health adviser rather than exercising authority, gave advice but abdicated authority to the individual who could know by their experience. Likely by accident, or perhaps by a Christian tradition of personal responsibility their leaders found the role of servant.
Israel has a lesson here and it is a cautionary tale: Large numbers of vaccinated people are testing positive.. There is no magic “return to normal.” Countries discover that just when they think cases are going down, they find them going up. Various measures, from social distancing to masks and lockdowns, have not always been effective. There are many cases to learn from, whether the experience of Australia – where a tough border policy initially appeared to enable “normal” life – to Sweden, where the choice not to lock down was slammed by outsiders but turned out to work fine. Big data tells us that the number of cases per million in Sweden, for instance, is not vastly different from Israel, where there were lockdowns. jpost.com
In the past the term public servant captures the Christian influence of society, which is fading as those that might once have been called public servants seek, 'as the gentiles' to exercise lordship, and in so doing by having jobs where they have not laboured in the things of life, miss the complexity of the issues of the preparation of the things essential to serving in life.
Cautionary warning to us!
Of note to us is that there is dispute as to who was to be greatest – even among the disciples. This is a feature of the 'rule of the gentiles', there is always dispute as to who is 'the top' and gets to make the rules. Witness the battles for rulership even now spilling blood, and even those who decide elections are better than bloodshed, have not found peace. The disciples did this even though Christ, their king, was with them!
Christ says the leader of a city is nothing, consider who serves the food and takes out the garbage! If those serving food are to cease then who eats? If those servants taking out the garbage refuse to do so, what does a city smell like? Who is the more valuable? Who does the work; the master or the servant? Christ says he is the one that serves.
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. (John 12:26)
The coming Servant King
Christ as a servant to all, who laboured in some cases night and day to bring the benefit of salvation, the eternal food, the bread of life, is to be a servant king like no other. He will be a king that will understand the real needs of the people. He will destroy the kings and rulers of the earth who sought to oppress by exercising lordship and authority over others, to take from the poor and raise their own to power.
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. (Isaiah 11:1-4)
He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. (Psalm 72:4)
