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SHEPHERD IN OUR TIMES

Sermon of Fr. Agustinus Tupen Belo, Pr.,

Parish of St. Joseph, Duri, as translated by Dan Viray

 

 

When we talk of a shepherd, we picture a person who guides animals or livestock from their pen to the grass fields and vice-versa.  As a shepherd, one is always close with his flock of sheep and tries to protect them from threats of the enemy.  This  picture of a shepherd is what Jesus used to portray Himself.  He stressed to His disciples: “Ego Sum Pastor Bonus” (I am the Good Shepherd). With this statement, Jesus differentiated Himself from the shepherds ahead of Him who were called to be shepherds of God’s people.

 

A lot of people proclaim themselves shepherds but the truth is, they are a disappointment to their flock because they cannot perform their job. They prioritize their personal needs, putting lots of burden on the people, sometimes oppressing people, and bringing them to their demise.  And if someone got lost, these shepherds show apathy and do not try to look for the lost one. These shepherds even run to save themselves when the enemy attacks. These are bad shepherds, shepherds only in name, shepherds who use their position to look for self-profit and their own happiness.

 

If we compare the false shepherd with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, we will see the great difference. Jesus truly portrays Himself as a good shepherd who gives His life for the safety of His flock.  He offers Himself to whoever believes that he may be  led  to the pen  of  salvation  and happiness.  As the Good Shepherd, Jesus also knows His sheep and His sheep knows Him.  This is where the good relation between Jesus and His sheep is established.

 

Jesus also presented Himself as a shepherd who will also lead other sheep that do not belong to His fold so that there will be one flock.  This means Jesus wants all people to believe in Him and go in His way to attain salvation and happiness.  Jesus does not want even one of His sheep to get lost or die but all should be whole and saved at the end of times. This depends on the response of the sheep to the invitation of Jesus as the Savior of mankind.

 

After Jesus resurrected and then ascended  to  heaven, the continuation of His task to shepherd those sheep that are still far from the pen of salvation was passed on to His disciples.  They do and act like Jesus Christ.  They walk from village to village, town to town to instruct people while witnessing for Jesus.  They teach continuously while using the power given to them by the Good Shepherd, like expelling demons and healing the sick. The disciples were accomplishing the instructions of Jesus before He ascended to heaven saying to them: “Go, therefore, and make disciples from all nations. Baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to fulfill all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

 

One of the disciples who became a shepherd is Peter, who changed a great deal from being a coward to a brave man. In front of the leaders and the elders, Peter appeared daring and responsible for his power in healing a cripple in front of the temple door. His power came from Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, whom they crucified, and whom God raised on the third day.  Peter’s response is not a defense for himself.  More than that, it is an invitation to the leaders and elders to repent until they also join in the one and the same flock.

 

Peter performed his job as a shepherd, opposing the leaders of the church and the nation. He was threatened, terrorized and forbidden to talk in the name of Jesus.  But Peter continued to open his mouth, experiencing no fear in his proclamation.  Why is that so?  The Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent from the Father filled and strengthened Peter.  With the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, Peter proved that he is more afraid of God than men who have no power to save people.

 

For the faithfulness and bravery of Peter in performing his task, he was arrested, tried, beaten and jailed.  What he experienced did not dampen his spirit as a shepherd.  The suffering he endured was received with joy because he was sharing the suffering of the Good Shepherd.

 

Christ, the High Priest, came to earth to save us with unlimited guarantee.  He is willing to become a slave, who comes to serve and not to be served.  We are also called to be sons of God to bring salvation to our neighbors through our service.   In other words, we are called to become shepherds in our times.

 

Pope John Paul II, in his holy message on World Vocation Sunday, stressed that to be a Christian, to be sons of God, means to be ready to be a servant or a slave among slaves.

 

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, invites us to be a servant like Him, who emptied Himself to take on the form of a servant.  He is the perfect model as He sacrificed Himself for the sake of mankind and freed Himself from personal ambition and power.  He is teaching us that through our services to God and His kingdom, we are perfecting ourselves and living our life as praises to God.

 

Let us become shepherds in our family, our neighborhood and our place of work, ready to serve without expecting a reward.

E-mail the author: fragustinus@genesis.faithweb.com

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