REVISED from April 21, 2018
The
ancient Hebrew Scriptures (our “Old Testament”) provide rich symbols for the
Reign of God over His people: God is
“the King,” in the sense of the rightful ruler by whom all human rulers are
measured, and found wanting; God is “the Holy One of Israel,” the true
standard, fulfillment, and joy of His people, who liberates from evil and sin;
and God is the Good Shepherd, who guides and nourishes His people, even as He
punishes and destroys those who betray and mislead His people. In chapter 10 of St. John’s Gospel, Jesus
applies the symbol of “the Good Shepherd” to Himself, as He works for God,
under God, with God, and is in truth the embodiment of God in humanity: “I AM the Good Shepherd, who lays down His
life for His sheep.” Good shepherding is
personally costly; otherwise, it is spurious.
Any one who goes by the name of
“pastor” or “shepherd,” working in Christ’s body, and particularly in the
churches, must seek to “shepherd My people rightly,” seeking their spiritual
well-being, and not “fleecing” them for money or for benefits, as the prophet
Ezekiel strongly warns. What is it that
keeps a pastor or shepherd from fulfilling God’s will and the divine assignment
to “shepherd My people”? A pastoral
letters attributed to the Apostle Paul warns, “the love of money is the root of
all evil.” And we should add to
that: the love of power, the desire to
dominate others, utterly betrays genuine pastoral ministry in the Church. Examples of such betrayals can readily be found
in the history of the various churches, and are usually not hard to find—even
as “evil loves to hide,” and is often shamelessly covered up by those in high
places. To any priest or minister who
has fleeced Christ’s people, rather than diligently sought to build them up in
faith, hope, and love, the biblical warnings are strong. In St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus most sternly
warns: “whoever causes one of these
little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a
heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the
sea.” False shepherds, fake pastors,
parents or teachers who betray their sacred trust, all stand warned by Jesus
Christ Himself. And this warning to
those who work under Christ for the well-being of His people is an essential
part of Christ as the Good Shepherd. For
the Good Shepherd shows most of us to have been less than good shepherds, and
often as derelict of duties, fleecers, abusers, even destroyers of human
beings.
The Good Shepherd is the just
Judge: “For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds
in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (II Cor 5:10). Because the Good Shepherd is the measure of humanity,
each of us must ever examine himself or herself in light of Christ. We must not presume that we will be let off
lightly because we were “ordained,” or called “priest” while on earth—or
granted the gift to be a parent or teacher.
On the contrary, Christ warns us:
“To whom much is given, much is required” (Luke 12:48). Woe to me if I have lead anyone in our
parishes astray. It will not go well
with me in eternity if I have chosen ill-begotten gain and the lust to dominate
others, or to use others for my benefit, rather than continually and faithfully
seek the spiritual well-being of those entrusted to my care.
Jesus as the Good Shepherd remains
the model and the measure of the Church.
When we spend ourselves in lovingkindness for others, when we seek the
genuine well-being of ourselves and of each other, when we speak the truth
regardless of the cost to us personally, when we restrain ourselves from evil
and do good, then Christ’s rule as Good Shepherd is effective in and through
us. But when we in the Church deceive
people, and lie, and steal from parishioners, or cover up crimes, or neglect
the spiritual welfare of those in our care because we are too much “in love
with the world,” then we must know and understand with shocking clarity that
the “day of the LORD will suddenly overtake us,” and we risk having Christ
declare: “Get away from me, you
evil-doer, into the everlasting fire” (cf. Matthew 7:23). Brothers and sisters, each of us stands
warned. And this warning is part of the
role of “shepherding my people rightly.”
Despite churchianity, it is not all sweetness and flowers.
May the all-good God have mercy on
us, and help us genuinely to repent, change our ways, and seek the spiritual
and human well-being of one another. The
Good Shepherd demands this action of us.
