Jethro: Exodus 18 v 1-27: ‘The work is too heavy for you’
I’m a big fan of Jethro! He comes across as pretty much the perfect father-in-law, full of wisdom and good advice. He had received his daughter, Moses’s wife Zipporah, and their children back when things were looking dangerous in Egypt (v 2); a wise move given that Moses had got on the wrong side of one of the superpowers of the time. In our passage he visits the people of Israel in the middle of the desert at a time when Moses’s leadership of the newly liberated community is under strain owing to the unsustainable hours and level of responsibility, as well as the not inconsiderable amount of grumbling about him that was going on. Leadership in such self-inflicted circumstances can be profoundly isolating and the danger is that it can lead to a growing inability to understand or empathise with those needing help and guidance.
Jethro, as a priest of Midian and an outsider, at no point joins the Exodus as such (he just goes home in verse 27), but nevertheless has a profound regard for the God of the Hebrews (v 11) and cares very much for his son-in-law and the people he is trying to lead. It is a reminder to us that good advice, loving support and wisdom are not unique to Christians and often come from outside our own community of faith (something to which we should be perennially open). There is an echo of this story in the Book of Acts as the apostles try to carry a similarly insupportable burden of responsibility (Acts 6 v 1-6) as they try to balance preaching the good news (with all its attendant risks) with caring for the burgeoning Christian community. The crunch comes (as it always will for those trying to do far too much) when a row breaks out regarding the daily distribution of alms. The upshot is that the Apostles appoint seven deacons (v 3) to look after the day to day pastoral concerns of the community meaning that the Peter and the other eleven can now entirely focus on the apostolic mission they have been called to.
Delegation is an underrated skill! When leaders try to do everything, it isn’t only very bad for them, their families and often their health; it is also frustrating for the capable people around them who are not trusted with responsibility. Bezalel and Oholiab, who we were considering yesterday, would not have been able to construct and beautify the Temple on their own; they needed many skilled and motivated colleagues to get everything done. The need to delegate holds true in every sphere of life including the church! Whether we are talking about the organisation of the government or the local branch of the Mother’s Union, leaders will thrive and others will feel that they are being affirmed and valued when delegation takes place. As businesswoman Jessica Jackley puts it, ‘Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.’
Having been involved in church leadership for well over thirty years I have learned from experience something of what the issues are. Handing things over can sometimes feel like an abrogation of a responsibility accepted at ordination. There are times when it is difficult to let go and trust other people to do things that you feel - usually wrongly! – that you could do better (or at least in the way you really want it done) and even a sense of ‘what I am here for?’ when talented others are getting good things done. The inherited shape of ministry in the Church of England was what we might call the ‘bus’ model. The vicar is behind the wheel, as it were, making the important decisions and doing the important jobs while members of the congregation sit in their seats passively. We have moved on from there thankfully! There is much more of an emphasis on ‘every member ministry’ in the local church and it has been wonderful over the years I’ve been in ministry to see many people take on tasks and ministries and grow into them (whilst bearing in mind that sometimes they haven’t and that therefore leadership isn’t about always getting it 100% right).
Those who took on responsibility as officials ‘over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens, (v 21) ensured both that more got done and that it was done better. It was not a moment of moral failure for Moses; it was actually a moment of liberation. With the new organisational structure in place he was able to concentrate on the really difficult and contentious issues (v 22) that he was, with his experience of leadership, best placed to deal with. Whenever you get sucked into trying to ‘do it all’, whether you are co-ordinating a project at church, taking on responsibility at work, caring for a loved one or helping to run a group or initiative in your local community it is not a failure to feel overwhelmed and not a reflection of inadequacy to ask for help and share the burden. Like Moses, we are all human beings and therefore can only do so much. It is a real blessing to have wise friends, like Jethro, who are prepared, gently but firmly, to tell us the truth and, quite possibly, save us from ourselves. Remember God values us most for who we are rather than what we do.
Questions: Have you ever tried to do too much? What were the results and what did you learn about yourself and God?
Prayer: Lord, you made us as we are, help us to accept that we can only do so much. Amen.