How did Jesus build the family business - Reflections 04 - His Leadership Team

THEY WILL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE

DISCLAIMER. I do not profess to speak for God. Everyone's relationship with their God and their godself is personal. You were endowed with your creator with free-will. It is for you to decide the relevance to you of my words.

Biblical Source

These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter. James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder. Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot [Mark 3: 16-18]

Observations:

I am fascinated, not only by the who, but also the how. As a successful carpenter Jesus would naturally have interacted with fishermen, since they would have been thriving businessmen in the Galilee of the time. Armed with his vision "Come, follow me,...and I will make you fishers of men." he gets them to leave a presumably thriving business on a bigger mission - to carry a message of Love. How powerful is that?

Business relevance:

As the president has his cabinet, successful people have their mentors, businesses have their Leadership teams. Many business owners I encounter choose to believe that they are their business. In that sense they then do become their business and it can get very lonely. More to the point, how is it supposed to survive and flourish when its creator is not there - for any reason.

Jesus instead built to last. From the beginning he selected and inspired leaders. While I have been unable to identify the professional qualifications of all the members of his team (can anybody help me out?) , one story stands out to me.

'Jesus, while teaching, encountered a tax collector (known as Matthew by some, Levi by others) and asked him to become a disciple. M/L accepted and invited Jesus for a meal with his friends. Since tax collectors were seen as villains in the society Jesus was a part of he was asked why he was having a meal with such disreputable people. I love his reply. "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" [Mark 2:17].'

This story leads me to believe his team was selected from a variety of professions, a variety of social strata, and, most importantly, in touch with and from the target audience. Not for Jesus was the corner office, the ivory tower, the security cordon. How can anyone connect when they choose to be disconnected?

Oh, and by the way, this trait is a trait shared by the greatest creators of lasting value endeavors. Buddha, Mohammed, Ghandi, Mother Teresa, the Dalhai Lhama. The list goes on. Name your own.

If it was good enough for God, shouldn't it be God enough for us? Pass it on.

God Blessed You - Please Take Action On His Blessings