The Word God Spells

John 10: 11-18
Acts 11: 1-18 / Ps 42: 2-3; 43: 3-4

I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away.
(John 10: 11-12)

God leads us in green pastures,
He takes good care of His sheep;
As God’s Word Jesus assures:
All promises He will keep.

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. This is because he works for pay and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must lead them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.” (John 10: 11-18)

Reflection

One of the traits of a servant leader that we learn in our Brotherhood (BCBP) is that of a shepherd as Jesus Himself models for us in the Bible. His earliest predecessor was King David, a former shepherd himself, and the greatest leader in the Old Testament. In Psalm 23, he wrote that the shepherd lets the flock graze in verdant pastures and beside fresh waters, and guides them along the right paths. Thus, we have learned that good leaders guide their members by examples of righteousness, sacrifice, and sound direction. These Jesus showed perfectly in His life on earth.

Last Saturday, as part of our leadership formation, we spent the whole day learning about various methods in leading the members of our groups in the nourishing Word of God through Bible sharing. In this intimate activity, the leader gets to know all the members of his small flock. Shepherding is never an easy task, but it is so rewarding. We enjoy doing the job even if we are not paid, because we do it out of love — love for the brotherhood, and love for the Lord. We believe that being a good shepherd is a sacred commission that comes from Jesus Christ.

I also experienced a different kind of shepherding as expedition leader in one of our Mt. Apo treks one summer. It was a big group of 50 men, women and children, some very young, others senior citizens, or overweight, and mostly first-timers. We hired 30 porters, and brought four volunteer high-angle climbers from our Red Cross chapter for good measure. They all had a wonderful time, but for me it was almost a four-day nightmare, with adrenaline keeping me sleepless for three nights. Psalm 91 was my constant prayer. I also picked an important tip from Psalm 23, about the rod and staff. I had seven aluminum poles crafted for the overweight men and ladies (as their “third leg”) and used as props for the oversized plastic tent I had made for all our porters and as mess hall in case of rain (it always does). I thanked God for His protection, but it was one shepherding experience I would never undertake again.

Father God, You have shown us the importance of taking on responsibilities outside our comfort zones in order for us to grow in spirit and imitate our Shepherd, Jesus Christ. By Your grace, may we persevere in service and never tire in this mission of spreading the Good News of Your kingdom and Christ’s salvation to others. Amen.