A Contemporary Parable of Modern-Day Wizardry

 

A Contemporary Parable of Modern-Day Wizardry

 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 event 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 Wizard’s demand. 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 get 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. He was a narcissist only looking out for his own welfare. He had no power to do anything he promised to begin with. He made merchandise of them and used them for his own advantage. As he bellowed out great swelling words of 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 off to the side of the ‘throne’ where the wizard’s image appeared. Low and behold, there stood a little wisp of a man with a great big microphone and all kinds of gadgets in his ‘control’ center.

 When exposed, the wizard tried to cover himself by pulling the curtain back into position, while telling them to ignore what a tiny dog exposed. He tried desperately to hide his own inadequacy yet still insisting he was the real deal. By this time, Dorothy had enough. Her disappointment after long arduous journey to achieve a dream of returning home, brought her to a place of self-realization. As the reality of the phony ‘wizard’ man appeared, her eyes were finally opened to the lies she and her three companions Believed with all their hearts. Dorothy was angry and appalled. However, their frustration and disappointment would not defeat them. They had a purpose to fulfill and nothing would stop them. What fortitude this group of four strangers now close friends possessed! 

It turned out, that the Tin Man, the Lion and the Scarecrow already had a heart, courage and brains. They possessed everything they needed even though they thought they lacked these things. Even Dorothy would later discover that her ruby slippers had the power to get her home.  These qualities and abilities were placed within them long before they found themselves in Munchkin land and on to trod down the yellow brick road looking for someone who really didn't exist.

Finally, the humbled wizard-man admitted the truth only after he was 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 representations of what they already had. Dorothy was offered a free ride back to Kansas on a hot air balloon, fueled by nothing more than gassy hot air. Oh, the irony of it all. However, the carnival man and the balloon got away before Dorothy could board it. As she stood there in unbelief the ‘good witch’ came to her rescue and showed her the way home. The shoes on her feet were the key. All she had to do was repeat five little words over and over again;  “There’s no place like home.” 

I use this illustration as a modern parable to show how some ‘great ones’ operate in God’s Kingdom today. 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 they 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. 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, and rightfully so! 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 God appoints to 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 great swelling words and eloquent smooth speaking tongues. Paul, the greatest yet least in his own eyes said that he knew nothing amongst the brethren except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2: 2). He spoke through the power of the Spirit, not memorized silvery tongued speeches or recycled book reports. (1 Corinthians 2: 4 & 19)

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