Written by This past week I looked up the world’s most dangerous jobs. What I found was fascinating. There are 25 of them, and among this list there were jobs such as: mechanics, couriers, street sweepers, miners, body guards, astronauts, firefighters, police officers, and mountaineer guides. I wasn’t caught off guard with these jobs because they’re ones we’d all expect to be on this list. Three of them did stick out to me as especially dangerous, so much so that I was surprised to see that these were even real jobs people can have: alligator wrestler, lion tamer, and land-mine remover. I’m not quite sure what goes through the mind of a person when they sign up for this kind of work, or even what the life expectancy of one these careers has, it can’t be very long at all! But then I’m reminded by our passage today that there’s another profession just as dangerous. You know what it is?
The New Testament elder.
James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” Lion tamers, alligator wrestlers, land-mine removers, and elders; wouldn’t normally go together on any list would it? James says otherwise. Why? Because those who teach the Word of God will be judged with greater strictness.
SonRise Community Church 