A Contemporary Parable of Modern-Day Wizardry
by Mary Ann Wray
“Whoever falsely boasts of
gifts [he does not give] is like clouds and wind without rain.”
Proverbs 25: 14 AMP
Picture this! Dorothy, Toto, Tin Man, the Scarecrow and
Lion venture far and wide after a catastrophic tornado triggered a domino effect
of subsequent happenstances. They fight demons, witches, hunger and hardships
to seek out the Wonderful Wizard of Oz in The Great Emerald City. When they
finally arrive the first time they get the ‘royal treatment’ and are treated
like kings and queens. They are awed by the beauty of the palace and the
orderliness they find. They receive favors and are sold on the whole package
surrounding the wizard. They finally get a face-to-face appointment and give
him their requests. However, Mr. Wizard gives them an assignment to prove their
faithfulness and trust worthiness first: “Go get the broom from the wicked
witch of the west and bring it back.” In their naivete, they scurry off in blind obedience according to
the his demands. The wizard had no concern for their well-being and that they would have to risk life and limb, fighting demons and curses of
the witch. Yet they manage to prevail and fetch the coveted broom.
After they bring the required token back to the wizard, instead of giving them what they asked for, they got a firm rebuke. He turned on them; the very one they trusted to meet their needs. It turns out he only wanted this token of honor to add to his collection of stuff. He had no intention of helping them. In fact he had no power to do so. He was a narcissist, only looking out for his own welfare. He made merchandise of them and used them for his own advantage. As he bellowed out great swelling words of self sufficiency and a pompous diatribe boasting of his own power and greatness, smoke and lying signs and wonders occurred at the same time. Oddly enough, a little black dog named Toto, pulled back a curtain that was off to the side of the ‘throne’ where the wizard’s effigy ominously appeared. Lo and behold, there stood a little wisp of a man with a great big microphone and all kinds of wheels and gadgets mounted on his “control center.” You could call it his own personal “conference room” where he was the only one calling the shots.
When exposed, the wizard tried to cover himself by
pulling the curtain back into position, while telling the three innocents to ignore what Dorothy's faithful tiny dog exposed. He tried desperately
to hide his own inadequacy yet still insist he was the real deal. By this time,
the three companions had enough. Dorothy and her three friends’ bitter disappointment to get a miracle, gave them all a huge reality check. All three were brought to a place of self-realization in a crisis of truth. As the reality of the phony ‘wizard’ man appeared, their eyes were finally opened to the see lies they believed with all their hearts. However, their frustration
and disappointment would not defeat them. Dorothy had a purpose to fulfill of helping her friends not so much herself and nothing would stop it. Her courage not only helped her, but her three friends found her outspokenness to the phony wizard contagious.
It turned out, the Tin Man, the Lion and the Scarecrow already had a heart, courage and brains. They possessed everything they needed from the beginning of their journey even though they didn't realize it. Their past experiences left them feeling inadequate and defeated. Even Dorothy would later discover her ruby slippers had the power to get her home all along. These attributes were given to them long before they found themselves in Munchkin land and on the trod down the yellow brick road. They were deceived into looking for someone who really didn't exist but thought held all the answers. It turns out it only existed in people's imaginations. They all had a very crucial life lesson to learn that would place them on the right road; not a yellow bricked path created by munchkins.
Finally, the humbled once "wizard", now recognized as an ordinary man admitted the truth only after he was publicly shamed. He had no choice but to tell the truth. After all, he was found out. He confessed to them that what they were striving for was in their possession all along. He stood in a place of judgment before the ones he wrongfully seduced and mistreated. All he could give them were paper diplomas and representations of what they already had. They learned they didn’t have to buy from a wizard what they were already given. Dorothy was offered a free ride back to Kansas on a hot air balloon, fueled by nothing more than natural gas. Oh, the irony of it. However, the carnival man and the balloon got away before Dorothy could board the floating vessel. As she stood there in unbelief at yet another obstacle, the “good witch” came to her aid and showed her the way home. The shoes on her feet were the answer. All she had to do was repeat five little words over and over again; “There’s no place like home.” She didn’t need the wizard, now known as the carnival man, to get her home. She learned another important lesson on top of a lesson. He was nothing more than a showman. Her own feet would show her the way.
I use this illustration as a modern parable to show how some “great ones” operate in God’s Kingdom today. The very ones that put themselves up on pedestals and droves follow them for the answers to life’s most difficult challenges. They demand payment for blessings and sowing into their ministries for new hearts, more faith and eternal life. Nothing is mentioned about your brain, other than you need to leave it at home!
Jesus calls them the tares among the wheat that grow up together until the day of the Lord when Jesus puts his sickle into the final harvest and plucks them out, throwing them into eternal fire. (See Jude 1: 11-13 & Matthew 13: 24-30). These are the ones who take advantage of God’s flock, fleecing them for their own advantage and filling their coffers with the poor's tithes and offerings. All the while the naive are led to believe a lie.
Many people today run from miracle man to messenger seeking refuge, answers to life’s most difficult questions and remedies to their illnesses but find out sooner or later that they are mere men as they. When their humanity and sins are exposed people get upset and rightfully so. When they present their ‘token’ offerings and what was promised to them by the modern day miracle workers doesn’t happen they get disappointed and angry. But the reality is they, had what they needed all along. God Himself. What do you really expect from a man? The salvation they needed, in spirit, soul and body was and is a free gift of grace through faith in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s something no one can earn or prove by their own merit.
Our fault is that we have a tendency to want a King to rule over us rather than trust the King of Kings. After all we can’t see Him-at least not yet. We want to see it to believe it. When we find a wizard that we think has the answers, God has no choice but to expose his/ her humanity. He’s a jealous God and will not tolerate spiritual idolatry in His House. He will share His glory with no one. Who and what Jesus is for us is exactly what God provided as a sacrifice for our sins, ailments, confusion and most heart wrenching questions not to mention the gift of eternal life in God’s Holy City, the New Jerusalem. His city is an eternal one in the Heavenlies; not a man made place to call our home.
You
see, the people of Israel got Saul for a King because a King is what they asked
for. He started out well but ego and pride rendered him unable to release David
into his rightful place. Instead he hated him. David's heart was tender, and a man after God’s own heart, even though he sinned egregiously. He possessed what Saul lacked; a contrite heart. Saul
despised the very one who served him mainly because he saw David’s innocence,
potential, promise and purity. Saul was not a type of Christ, but rather a type
of fleshly leadership we see rampant in God's house today. Jude called it as
they were. He said, they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear. They
are clouds without rain, carried about by winds; trees whose fruit withers,
without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots. Jesus said we would know
them by their fruit or lack thereof (Matthew 7: 15-20). The same thing is happening today, because men's hearts are deceitfully wicked.
Little
do we realize that true servant leaders are the ones Jesus gives as ministry gifts to serve and tend his
flock. Man does not elect them. They receive little praise because of the
messages they teach. They do not have a King’s mentality and are not
afraid to train and release those whom God raises up under their care. They are
approachable and have the nature of the Father. They do not believe, as the wizards
do, that they are entitled to God’s best at the sheep’s expense. They are wise
enough to know that every good and perfect gift proceeds from the Father above.
They are called by God but they die daily. They lead and equip by example
teaching the sheep to do as Jesus did looking unto the author and finisher of
their faith. These are the Ephesian 4 company of equippers of the Kingdom of
God.
They are not hirelings and may not be that eloquent in speech. They are protectors and humble guides. They are marked by humility because they are fully reliant on God no matter what success they may or may not have experienced by outward measures. They do not depend upon their personal charisma, gifts, accomplishments, reputation, degrees or pedigrees. God often uses them mightily to heal, speak counsel through and inspire but they give the glory to God, not themselves. They preach to follow Christ at all costs while keeping a careful eye on the condition of the flock of God. They lay down their personal plans and self-driven agendas to make sure the Holy Spirit has His way with God’s flock. They allow Him to move with liberty in His House. The miracles that occur are done through the hand of God by the power of the Spirit through yielded earthen vessels and they’ll tell you so. They seek no payment for performance of the same. They have not gone the way of Balaam. They don’t serve mammon.
They teach that the gifts of the Spirit are given to all; not just a few great ones as wizards with honorary doctorates and eloquent smooth speaking tongues. Paul, the Apostle to the gentiles, was least in his own eyes. He said that he knew nothing amongst the brethren except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2: 2). He counted all his knowledge, pedigree, and experiences as “dung” compared to the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. He spoke through the power of the Spirit, not memorized silvery tongued speeches or recycled book reports(1 Corinthians 2: 4 & 19). Is he not still a forerunner to the modern church or has he been superseded by some so-called super Apostles of today?
It turns out that it’s not all smoke and mirrors folks-only those who claim they “have” it is it so. The moment these mere men/ women claim it as theirs by their prideful attitudes and narcissistic behavior, the glory departs and they are left with nothing but a memory of what once was or could have been. Until they retreat back humbly to the cross, crucify the flesh and allow God to circumcise their hearts, the wolves continue to come in and ravage God’s sheep. The sheep are sheared to their bare backs and left standing naked. Only the fittest survive. But the true shepherd will leave the 99 to fetch and heal the wounded ‘one’.
The servant leaders whom God approves of are marked by
humble meekness and agape love which is undeserved, unconditional, impartial,
and sincere. They will correct you when necessary but do so in a way that
offers hope and elicits true repentance. If you won’t repent, they will love you
enough to rebuke you and if they have no other recourse, turn you over to the discipline of the Father. The Father will use Satan as a
means to discipline some if necessary (1 Corinthians 5), only so their souls might be saved. They’re not afraid to show you
their humanity because they know that they are called to lead by their example. These true shepherds will use their life’s mistakes and experiences to help teach you along with God's Holy Word.. They are "fathers" in the faith.
True under shepherds will never allow anyone to worship at the altar of their egos nor pay them tribute through material tokens or enslavement by working God's sheep to the bone. They are more concerned with the welfare of the flock of God knowing that they belong to Jesus not to him or her. Their ministry is Jesus’ pattern. Their focus is about the condition of men's hearts; not their name, fame or game. They are servant leaders in God’s house; not Wizards of Oz.
"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes." Psalm 118: 8 & 9
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