pastoral abuse

John 9:13ff is a fascinating study in how not to pastor people and the inherent dangers in doing so. A few of the things that present themselves are:

i. The Pharisees are agrieved because the blind man's healing occurred on a Sabbath (v.13). As custodians of the law, that posed a threat to them and to their position. And their position meant more to them than the possibility that this was the in-breaking of God's powerful grace. Those who make much of their pastoral position will always be susceptible to such dangers.

ii. They govern through fear (v.22). It gets results, of course (of sorts) but always at the expense of others - in this case, undermining the relationship of the parents to their son.

iii. They demand compliance (v.24). Their shepherding is not by example nor by winsome exhortation; it simply demands a compliant response, based on their position. They do not lead through the power of sacrificial love (cf. John 10:12).

iv. They reject the opportunity for mature reflection (v.24). Wise pastors will always stop to reflect, to pray, to search God's Word and humble their hearts.

v. They are defensive, insulting and threatening (vv.28,34). They invoke censure and use exclusion for the wrong reasons: they are not seeking to restore the fallen but to victimise and punish any and all who oppose their distorted spirituality.