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.

Matthew 20: 20-28
2 Cor 4:7-15 / Ps 126

The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
(Matthew 20: 28)

Without personal ambition,
Christ’s leaders just abide and wait;
Their hearts filled with pure intention,
Servanthood is their common trait.

The mother of James and John Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him. And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We are able.’ He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’ When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

Reflection

The kind of leadership that our Lord Jesus taught has not always been the standard that the world recognizes as necessary to bring about success or profitability in the enterprise where it is employed. In most cases, the main motivation behind such a kind of leadership is personal gain or reward, where power is emphasized as the main ingredient, exactly the opposite of what our Lord taught and demonstrated.

At the last supper, Jesus showed His apostles what he meant when He stooped down and washed their feet, a service usually performed by the most menial servant in the house. Our Lord did this to show them (and us) that His leaders must have a servant attitude, expressing authentic humility in serving others that would inspire them to become servant leaders themselves. Therefore, unlike the world’s standard, the primary motivation of true leadership should be a strong desire to serve others.

Ralph Nader, a noted consumer advocate, once said, “The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” Harvey Firestone, of the famous tire brand, intoned the same idea when he said, “The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” Finally, the world’s richest man, Bill Gates noted in the same vein, “Leaders are those who empower others.” The only way people can be motivated, inspired and empowered to serve others and become true leaders is by the example of their own leader’s character, integrity, dedication and humility.

The growth of a certain community has been suffering because its members no longer believe that their leader possesses these leadership qualities. Unfortunately, the members discovered that the head of their community has a weakness for a particular form of gambling, thus eroding their trust and confidence in his leadership. We can only pray that this brother will soon mend his ways before it is too late.

Almighty Father, please send us the kind of leaders who are willing to sacrifice their personal interests for the good of our communities, and for the glory of Your kingdom here on earth. Amen.

Matthew 11: 28-30
Ex 3:11-20 / Ps 105

Take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
(Matthew 11:30)

No burden is too heavy,
No task too hard to serve the Lord,
God makes the job seem easy
With His Kingdom as its reward.

Jesus knew the yoke that the religious leaders and teachers of the Judaic law had been imposing on the Jewish nation. He rebuked them, saying, “Woe to you, scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourself do not lift one finger to help them” (Luke 11:46). In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus invites the Jews to free themselves from the oppression of old Jewish traditions, and take upon themselves the New Covenant of His love and the Good News of salvation. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt.11:28-30)

Reflection

The burden of leading a renewal community fell on the shoulders of Bro. Rey and Sis. Baby, a young couple who had never before handled such a challenging responsibility, and who were just recovering from a trial by fire, literally. Their merchandising store and house had burned down, and they were just starting again with the insurance money. They had tentatively accepted the position from the head of the chapter that was forming their outreach, after the first head couple begged off from extending their 3-year term. And yet in their apprehension, one could detect their enthusiasm and willingness to serve the Lord in this newfound brotherhood. They had discovered Christ’s love here, and this made the burden of leadership easier to carry.

Most people refuse to take on the yoke of leadership because it is an additional burden to their already loaded schedules. It is a rare breed of individuals who happily take on the responsibilities of servanthood in our community unfazed by the challenge, time, effort and resources the position entails. And the only reason they accept the task is because it is for the Lord, and they do it for love. These are the people who are happiest in our brotherhood.

How can we, ordinary Christians, also avail of this wonderful opportunity of setting ourselves free from the oppressive loads of day to day living, and share in what our Lord Jesus is telling us? It is simply this: by carrying the burdens of others, the Lord will carry our own. If we give more concern to the troubles and difficulties of other people, then our own problems and personal cares will become lighter loads to carry.

They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagle’s wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint. (Isaiah 40:31) We thank You, Father God, for making us strong for the work ahead. Amen.

Mark 11: 27-33
Sir 51:12-20/Ps 19

By what authority are you doing these things?
(Mark 11:28)

To gain wisdom, Lord, we have found
Submission is what You require.
The crafty and smart You confound,
The humble of heart You inspire.

Again they came to Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.’ They argued with one another, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say, “Why then did you not believe him?” But shall we say, “Of human origin”?’—they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.’

Reflection

How supremely ironic that the scribes and the high priests should ask the Source of all authorities and rights on earth who gave Him the authority to rectify the abuse of their authority. If they had only seen the fig tree that Jesus had cursed the day before, withered down to its roots, they probably would not have dared to ask Him: “Who gave you the authority to do these things?”

In our daily encounter with life’s trials and travails, don’t we sometimes fall into the same trap of questioning God for our misfortunes, or for other tragedies that we cannot understand? “Why did You allow this to happen, Lord?” we complain. In our emotional state we are unaware that we are actually questioning God’s authority. All authority on earth emanates from the Almighty. We are His creation. He can do with us as He pleases, and we can do nothing but submit to His Will. In the same way, we do not question the doctrines of our Church, because we believe that its authority emanates directly from God. The sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Matrimony, the Holy Eucharist, etc. are not of human origin; they all come from heaven.

In our brotherhood too, we have learned never to question the authority of our elders, and because of this we enjoy the blessings of love, harmony, and peace. We have also grown to value obedience; we do not argue with our leaders when we are asked to perform certain tasks, like for instance transfering to another group, or leading one, or preparing to give a talk that we do not find interesting. All of us are servants of the Lord, and must humble ourselves and submit to authority. This is part of the process of our spiritual growth.

May we all learn to accept the authority that has been handed down to those who are tasked with various responsibilities: from the humble security guards and traffic aides, to our superiors in business, government, and church heirarchy as well as the leaders of our brotherhood.

Enlighten our leaders, Lord, on the proper use of their authority to lead, that it is not how they use their power that is important, but how they can serve best in the use of their given authority. May the words of Your Son always guide us: “He who wants to be your leader must first be the servant of all” (Matthew 20:27). Amen.

Mark 10: 32-45
Sirach 36:1,5-6,10-17 / Ps. 79: 8-9,11,13

Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant.
(Mark 10:43)

Jesus showed us how we must serve
As the essence of true leadership;
By sacrifice we will deserve
The commission of God’s stewardship.

On their way to Jerusalem, Jesus began to tell the twelve what was to happen to Him, saying, ‘See, we are going to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death; they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, spit upon him, flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.’

James and John, sons of Zebedee, came forward to ask this favor from Him: ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right and one at your left, in your glory.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’ When the ten heard this, they were angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not to be so among you; whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

Reflection

Early on, Jesus had already told His disciples, “The first shall be the last” (Mk.10:31), but it seemed even His closest apostles were not listening, but were more concerned about their future position in His kingdom. He had shown them the value of sacrifice as the essence of love, even emphasizing His own impending passion and death, but it seemed as if His message was not getting across to them.

The message that Jesus was trying to impart to His disciples and to us is about the difference between the divine and the world’s perspective on leadership. In the eyes of the world, leadership means lording it over one’s followers or subordinates. But in the Christian point of view, leadership means servanthood, to be “the slave of all.”

This distinction often blurs in the world of Philippine politics. We hear of politicians swearing to be a ‘servant of the people’, but their palatial homes, gas guzzling SUVs and junkets abroad belie their empty avowals. Even some members of the clergy and spiritual leaders of Charismatic movements may not be following the example set by our Lord when they indulge in expensive luxuries and material comforts. The Christian perspective may seem impractical and outmoded in today’s highly technological and materialistic society, but the words of Jesus will always remain the same for all eternity: to be first and greatest, we must be the last and the least. The way to glory can only be through genuine service in the example of Jesus Christ.

We seek to be Your leaders, Lord God, by serving others in our community. Grant that we may never be overcome by self-importance whenever we accomplish the mission You set out for us to do, remembering always that we are merely servants doing what is expected of us to do, all for Your glory. Amen.