Over the years, I have noticed the same error in great leaders in Israeli politics and in the charismatic church. This is what I call the “Messiah complex.” In a way, this is nothing but the good old male ego. But in these cases it is combined with a zeal to save the world through Israel or the Church. Take a super-gifted person with a big ego, add political power, religious zeal, Israel, the end times and an emergency, and bam! – you have a complex of the Messiah.
Yeshua said that the greatest human being that ever lived, in terms of natural human gifts and abilities, was John the Baptist. But John said:
“You yourselves are witnesses to me in what I said: I am not the Christ, but I am sent before Him… He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:28,30).
John did not let the grandeur of his calling “drive him crazy.” He quickly reminded himself and others that he was not the Savior. He is not the Messiah. Those who are called to high positions in the kingdom of God should also often remind themselves of this simple principle. You, my friend, are not the Messiah. You are not our Savior. This applies to Yeshua and only Yeshua.
No matter how important our calling may be, we should never become the center of the picture. In the center is Yeshua. It’s not all about you and me. It’s about Him.
I am amazed at how talented and capable the people who were prime ministers of Israel in our generation were. Both from the left and from the right wing: Begin, Rabin, Shamir, Peres, Netanyahu, Barak. Netanyahu and Barak, being younger than others in the group, were more inclined to think that they were “saving” the situation. In turn, they both alienated those around them in the government and got into trouble.
If we acknowledge that Yeshua is the Savior and that we are the people doing His will on earth, our faith must be accompanied by humility. Not every situation is perfect, and we need to make room for temporary compromises. Of course, I don’t mean moral compromises. Morally, we should aim for an absolute standard for all time. But when we are dealing with other people with whom we collaborate and work as a team, and when well-intentioned people disagree in finding solutions, compromise can be a good solution.
Some of the greatest leaders of the faith (apostles, prophets, and evangelists) in our generation have done great harm and provoked strife when they considered the importance of their role to be central to the success of the Kingdom of God. My service becomes central. My calling is the most important. Well, not necessarily. If you were Jesus, it might be so. And at the same time, He then knew how to give His life for the sake of others.
Looking at the success of your ministry and the importance of your calling essentially turns into a satanic form of pride when it becomes more important than giving your life for others.
“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Matthew 16:21-23).
Peter tried to convince Yeshua to think about the success of His ministry and the importance of His calling, instead of laying down His life. Yeshua rebuked this completely human approach as a satanic insult. Your release of pride can be more beneficial to those around you than the fulfillment of your gifts, calling and ministry.
We don’t need you to be the Messiah. We already have one.
Author – Asher Intrayter.