B: 4th Sun of Easter (22 Apr 2018) - THE NOBLE SHEPHERD - Jn 10:11-18

“I am the Good Shepherd” (Jn 10:11). This is Jesus’ direct description of himself in our gospel today. That he is “good”. But what is the meaning of being “good”?

The NT Greek text uses “kalos” for “good” which can basically mean one of three things.

One is “being beautiful or pleasing” as we find in the English cognate “calligraphy”, i.e., writing beautifully. It is the physical beauty that is emphasized here as seen in Lk 21:5 in the description of the “beautiful stones and gifts [in the temple]”.

Two is “being efficient, productive, or helpful”. This is much used in the gospels as we find several phrases where it is used as an adjective, namely: “bearing good fruit” in Mt 3:10, “good soil” in Mt 13:8, “good fish” in Mt 13:48, “good salt” in Mk 9:5 and “good wine” in Jn 2:10. Here, the given nouns are called good because they are useful and of excellent quality.

Three is “having a high moral quality”, i.e., doing and behaving with a noble cause or value as we see in Lk 8:15 (“honest/good heart”), in Jn 10:32 (“noble works [of Jesus]”), and in Mk 14:6 (“good service” [by the woman who anointed Jesus with costly perfume]). What is emphasized here is the special good heartedness of an individual for the achievement of a higher cause even if it will be detrimental to him/her.

Jesus as the Good Shepherd is obviously referring to the third meaning of “kalos”. He does not mean being a “nice shepherd”, who just acts to please his sheep even if their lives are jeopardized. Neither is he the “efficient shepherd”, who will not put himself in danger for the sake of one sheep lest the other 99 are unattended. But he is the “noble shepherd” who is ready to lay down his life for his sheep (v. 11) and seek those that are lost (v. 16).

This discussion is better understood in the Filipino language. The “nice shepherd” is “mabait na pastol” while the “efficient shepherd” is “mahusay na pastol”. But the “noble shepherd” is “mabuting pastol”, and this is precisely the reason why we Filipinos are endeared to the famous image of Jesus as the “Mabuting Pastol”, with a sheep sitting peacefully on his shoulders; because deep within us, it is those with higher values in life that we admire the most!

Likewise, a true leader should not only be “mabait” (pogi points, media popularity, attractive smiles in tarpaulins), nor “mahusay” (efficient in leading the people to economic prosperity and cracking down criminality), but “mabuti” (showing high moral principles inspiring others to follow). In other words, what is being asked more than anything else is for our leaders to be noble shepherds.

As we begin the campaigns for the Barangay Elections, we will be again confronted to choose who among the candidates are worthy leaders. Let the image of Jesus the Good Shepherd be our standard of what a true leader should be, lest we commit the same mistakes of the recent election of choosing, instead of “noble shepherds”, “hired laborers” who care less for the lives of the sheep.

- Rex Fortes, CM