Pastors Are People Too – Part 2

Jesus was asked once by someone to intervene so they could get their portion of their father’s estate. Jesus responded, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Jesus went on to talk about greed, which appears the core of this man's request, but I was wondering, what if pastors followed Jesus lead when asked questions like this? Or like, “can you tell my wife to be more submissive? Should I marry this person or invest my money here?” Is it really a pastor’s job

to “decide such things as that?” It’s one thing to ask advice or prayer for important things in our lives, but it's another to expect a pastor to take the responsibility for our decisions and unfortunately some have that expectation.

The book of Acts gives an account of a problem where there was contention among some of the Grecian women who felt they were being mistreated. As this issue was brought to the disciples to “fix it”, instead of taking on this responsibility they delegated it and told them to pick out the right people who would handle the situation and take care of this important money matter themselves.

Not only can people expect too much from what pastors are supposed do at times, they also can expect too much of how they are supposed to behave. If you doubt this, just talk to any pastor’s kid.

I recently drove next to someone I knew from a local church who didn’t notice me because he was into his music. When he then saw me, he rolled down the window and apologized f

or his music being loud and quickly made clear, “It’s Christian music of course”, as if being a pastor made me the spiritual music police or something. And now what would he think if he found out that I (a pastor) at that time was actually listening to Smashing Pumpkins on KROQ? It’s because of these kinds of pressures that some pastors live undercover with the concerts they go to, movies they watch, or TV programs they like because of what people will think or say.

Pastors (overseers) as Paul told Timothy ARE supposed to live lives above reproach (exercise self-control, not be heavy drinkers or violent, to be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money), but I think we’ve expounded this to mean much more than what Paul mentions. This scrutinized expectation only feeds an artificial spirituality, which is hypocritical and based on perceptions rather than actual conditions of heart and life.

God has shown us what is good and what He requires of us, to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). Pastors aren’t supposed to know everything or live to anyone other than Jesus’ expectations, but then isn’t that true for all of us who follow Christ?

After all, pastors are people too.