THE FLOCK AND ITS SHEPHERD: LESSON ON AUTHORITY.
April 25, 2021
Fourth Sunday of Easter - B.
Readings: Acts 4:8-12; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29; 1 Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18.
A Romanian proverb says, “A good shepherd must fleece his
sheep, not flay them.” And a Russian proverb adds, “Without the shepherd, sheep
are not a flock.”
There is no flock without a shepherd. That is a universal
truth. But more, there cannot be a strong flock without a brave shepherd. It is
not enough to have a shepherd for the flock to dream of safety. It needs a
shepherd who can defend it and why not, die for it if needed.
Many groups, associations, communities, and even nations
suffer from their leadership. For, the leader is the one who decides and
determines the direction of the group. Besides, there is a common saying that,
every group or nation deserves the leader it has. That is to say, if the leader
is good, it is because the nation or group has intrinsic goodness.
Consequently, if the leader is evil or heartless, it is because the group or
nation itself is or has become immoral and heartless.
We are celebrating today, the 4th Sunday of Easter, the Good
Shepherd Sunday. Jesus is presented to us as the par excellence great and
perfect shepherd, one who is able to lay down his own life for his sheep. The
accent here is on leadership and authority. Who is the perfect leader and how
does he use his authority or power?
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we read what
follows: “Jesus entrusted a specific authority to Peter: "I will give you
the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven." The "power of the keys" designates authority to govern
the house of God, which is the Church. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, confirmed this
mandate after his Resurrection: "Feed my sheep." The power to
"bind and loose" connotes the authority to absolve sins, to pronounce
doctrinal judgments, and to make disciplinary decisions in the Church. Jesus
entrusted this authority to the Church through the ministry of the apostles and
in particular through the ministry of Peter, the only one to whom he
specifically entrusted the keys of the kingdom.” CCC. 553.
Authority in the Church and that can also apply in the
political and social aspect, is to serve, govern, and care for those under
one's responsibility. It is about sacrificing oneself and personal interests
for the good of those entrusted to you. That is what Jesus did, and that is
what he passed on to his followers, starting with Peter.
In today's first reading, we hear that filled with the Holy
Spirit, Peter, the leader of the Apostles, presents their defense in front of
the Elders and leaders of the people. In that defense, he gives one of the
greatest attributes of Christ, the Savior. Peter says, "there is no
salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under the heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved." Jesus is the only
name that saves. And that salvation came from his self-sacrifice on the Cross.
He was, as Peter says, quoting Psalm 118:22, "the stone rejected by the
builders, which has become the cornerstone." Through his sacrifice, he
gave the greatest lesson on leadership that is made of love.
St. John, in the second reading, can call us to look at the
greater love of God. He says, “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that
we may be called the children of God.” We are made children of God, members of
his flock by his love for us. Because of that great love, a time will come
where we will be given to see God face to face and know truly who he is. Love
leads to knowledge and knowledge to belonging. We belong to Jesus. He made of
us members of his flock.
In the Gospel, we are taken back to the time before the
Lord’s passion. Jesus our Lord introduces himself to his followers as “the Good
Shepherd”. “I am the good shepherd.” Jesus does not say he is a shepherd like
any other, but the “Good”.
Our world, our societies, communities, and countries have
many shepherds. But how many among those shepherds are “Good”? The Lord Jesus
gives us the clue to know and differentiate the Good Shepherd from the mere
shepherd. The characteristics of the Good Shepherd are listed by Jesus. It is
all about his relationship with his sheep. The precedent verses Jn 10:7-10
provide some points and those of today amplify. The Good Shepherd is the
entrance to the salvation of his sheep. He allows them to go in and out, and
find green pasture, in a simple word, he sets them free. He gives them life in
all its fullness. He lay s down his life for them. He knows his sheep by name
and they know him. The Good Shepherd, however, is not only in a relationship
with his sheep. He is also in a relationship with His Father. He knows his
Father and the Father knows him. He is loved by His Father. He is given power
by the Father to lay down his life and take it up again.
The difference between Good and the hired shepherd or the thieves
is clear. The purpose of the thief is to steal, kill, destroy. The hired
shepherd forsakes the sheep when in danger. He cares nothing for the sheep, but
rather for himself.
Then, let us come to our today’s world, to our churches,
communities, and associations. Do we have or are we good shepherds or mere
thieves or hired shepherds? The sad reality is that we do not die for others to
live. We rather cause others to die so that we may live. So many are we,
leaders, who are rather mercenaries, hired workers, or thieves. We are far away
from the characteristics of the Good Shepherd and we seek authority and power
only to impose ourselves on others. We are shepherds who care not for the life
or death of the sheep under their responsibility. We know our sheep only when
this contributes to our benefits. We are shepherds who refuse to feel the smell
of our sheep and to smell like our sheep. We live away from them and are
disconnected from their realities. In our communities and nations, while the
shepherds grow fat, the sheep wither and die.
Comments
Post a Comment