Jesus, our shepherd and gate

Jesus loves to be identified as the Good Shepherd; and in the Gospel of today, He describes Himself metaphorically as the Gate. He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep.

The hireling, who does not regard the sheep as His own, deserts them in the face of difficulty and danger and flees. The shepherd, on the other hand, who knows each one of his sheep creates a close bond with them, so deep that he is ready to give up his life for them. The Good Shepherd calls His sheep by name. They hear His voice and follow His leadings for He goes ahead of them and His sheep follow. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.

Jesus likens Himself also to a Gate for his sheep. All who came before Him were gate crashers, thieves and robbers. But the sheep will not listen to them. "I Am the gate. Whoever enters through Me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief will come only to steal and slaughter and destroy. I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly" (Jn 10:7-10).

The Word of God today comes in handy barely two weeks away from election when Filipinos will choose their leaders. The Gospel of the Good Shepherd might not seem relevant to the way media, political parties, rallying groups, candidates hitting each other and heaven knows what intrigues, spread venom and brimstone upon one another. What kind of leadership are we seeking anyway? Ask the presidential candidates what is their platform. One will say, sama sama tayong mag-panday. One will promise an end to poverty and misery. Another material progress for everyone and la dolce vita and so forth and so on. They will simply laugh at you if you mention as a model of leadership that of the Good Shepherd, "Oh, c’mon, they will tell you; this is state/politics business, not church business." One candidate claims he is pastor of his own flock and is ally of Jesus Christ.

Well, let’s see. Make no mistake about it. There are pastoral verities in the Word Jesus utters today which warns us that in this muddled-up business of political battles, there might be sheep in wolf’s clothing. And we have to beware of "hired men, who are not shepherds and whose sheep are not his own, who see a wolf coming and leave the sheep and run away, and the wolf catches and scatters them" (Jn 10:12).

The leadings of the Good Shepherd goes forward to the unity and solidarity we long for in these crucial times when the vision of our leaders seem blurred by motives of inordinate ambitions and wordly advan-tage, Jesus, our Good Shepherd assures us: "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock, and one Shepherd" (Jn 10:16).

Lord Jesus, our Shepherd, make us all see that the only solution to the dilemma which causes chaos in our country today, is to follow where you lead to verdant pastures where You alone are our only entry.

Fourth Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday), John 10:1-30