20260819 CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF LEADERSHIP
19 August 2026, Wednesday, 20th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Ezekiel 34:1-11 |
An oracle against bad and selfish shepherds
The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them:
‘“Shepherds, the Lord says this: Trouble for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shepherds ought to feed their flock, yet you have fed on milk, you have dressed yourselves in wool, you have sacrificed the fattest sheep, but failed to feed the flock. You have failed to make weak sheep strong, or to care for the sick ones, or bandage the wounded ones. You have failed to bring back strays or look for the lost. On the contrary, you have ruled them cruelly and violently. For lack of a shepherd they have scattered, to become the prey of any wild animal; they have scattered far. My flock is straying this way and that, on mountains and on high hills; my flock has been scattered all over the country; no one bothers about them and no one looks for them.
‘“Well then, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. As I live, I swear it – it is the Lord who speaks – since my flock has been looted and for lack of a shepherd is now the prey of any wild animal, since my shepherds have stopped bothering about my flock, since my shepherds feed themselves rather than my flock, in view of all this, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. The Lord says this: I am going to call the shepherds to account. I am going to take my flock back from them and I shall not allow them to feed my flock. In this way the shepherds will stop feeding themselves. I shall rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will not prey on them any more.”
‘For the Lord says this: “I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view.”’
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 22(23) |
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:135 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let your face shine on your servant,
and teach me your decrees.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 20:1-16 |
Why be envious because I am generous?
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, “You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” “Because no one has hired us” they answered. He said to them, “You go into my vineyard too.” In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first.” So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. “The men who came last” they said “have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’
CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF LEADERSHIP
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EZEKIEL 34:1-11; MATTHEW 20:1-16]
Today’s Gospel reading is a response to the question St. Peter posed to Jesus on behalf of the apostles: “What about us? We have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?”
This question exposes the apostles’ self-centred attitude toward service and leadership. They entered into leadership seeking power, wealth, recognition, and self-interest–not very much different from what the world seeks. Worldly leadership is about the leaders themselves, not about the people they are called to serve.
The theme of today’s Scripture readings calls us to reflect deeply on the true meaning of Christian leadership. From the outset, we must state in no uncertain terms that the First Reading, although directed primarily at the political and religious leaders of Israel, is relevant to all of us in leadership today–especially those in politics, the workplace, schools, religious institutions, communities, and even as parents. None of us is spared from God’s indictments against bad shepherds.
Who are the bad shepherds that were denounced? First, they are those who make use of their sheep for their own interests. “Trouble for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shepherds ought to feed their flock, yet you have fed on milk, you have dressed yourselves in wool, you have sacrificed the fattest sheep, but failed to feed the flock.” To feed on the milk of our sheep and to dress ourselves in their wool means that we are feeding off them and basking in their honour. It is about our own interests, not those of the people we are called to serve. Instead of serving them, we make them serve us.
Second, bad shepherds are those who fail to put the needs of the sheep before their own. Instead of looking out for those who are sick and in pain, they are more concerned with their own needs and convenience. They are too busy attending to their own interests to look after others. “You have failed to make weak sheep strong, or to care for the sick ones, or bandage the wounded ones. You have failed to bring back strays or look for the lost. On the contrary, you have ruled them cruelly and violently.” Those shepherds who only tend to the rich, powerful, and healthy are clearly not doing their work.
Third, bad shepherds are those who lack compassion in dealing with those under their care. When shepherds behave like dictators and rule their sheep “cruelly and violently,” they will only destroy and hurt the flock even more. Leaders who are harsh and authoritarian, putting fear into the lives of those whom they lead, will only create division and inflict anger and resentment on their sheep. Compassion is perhaps one of the most important qualities of leadership, for only when a shepherd feels with his people can he truly empathise with them and set them free from their slavery and pain.
Fourth, bad shepherds are those who cause disunity and sow seeds of discord in their community. The primary task of a shepherd is to foster unity among everyone under his charge. “For lack of a shepherd they have scattered, to become the prey of any wild animal; they have scattered far. My flock is straying this way and that, on mountains and on high hills; my flock has been scattered all over the country; no one bothers about them and no one looks for them.” Shepherds are therefore called to gather everyone into the Kingdom.
As leaders, what should our attitude be? In the parable of the vineyard, Jesus teaches us what it means to be a Good Shepherd. We are called to be grateful first and foremost for the gift of leadership. When called upon to be leaders, we should feel humbled–not honoured–by the choice of God. Leadership is a grace. It is not something that we acquire by right or earn. This is precisely the lesson of the parable. It addressed the religious leaders and the Jews, reminding them that their position as the People of God was purely by the grace of God. It was not their own doing, but freely given by God. Hence, we have nothing to boast about, but only reason to thank God that He has counted us worthy to lead the people He has entrusted to us. For this reason, there is no place for boasting if we have come to know Christ earlier than others. Those who came first have no greater privilege than those who came later, because what we have is purely by grace. Thus, we have no reason to think that we are better than those whom we are called to serve.
Secondly, we must be conscious that we are only stewards of God’s people. The people under our care do not belong to us. They are the flock of God, and we are only His deputies. In the First Reading, through the prophet Ezekiel, God repeated this truth when He said, “since my flock has been looted … since my shepherds have stopped bothering about my flock … I am going to take my flock back from them and I shall not allow them to feed my flock. … I shall rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will not prey on them anymore. I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view.” Because they are not our property, we cannot do as we like with them. We can only do what God wants of us, according to His terms and desires, not ours. We are given authority to exercise on His behalf and for His greater glory, according to His will and plan. As parents and leaders, our task is to ensure that our children fulfil their vocation in life and that those under us give glory to God by sharing and contributing their gifts in the service of God and humanity.
Thirdly, in the eyes of God we are all equal. In the parable of the vineyard, we read that God cares for all, irrespective of who we are. God does not discriminate against us. Whether we are first or last in any community, every single person is important to Him. For this reason, like the landowner, He sought out everyone who was waiting to be gainfully employed. God wants all to be saved and to find happiness. He cares for both the strong and the weak. Hence, unceasingly, He goes to the marketplace to look for people who are seeking to enter the kingdom of life. Regardless of whether we are chosen earlier or later, whether we are leaders or sheep, all of us are sheep in the eyes of God since we all belong to Him. God values our work equally, irrespective of what work we do. That is why the labourer who came last was paid the same amount as those who started work earlier. God sees our effort, love, and commitment to whatever is apportioned to us, not what we do.
Fourthly, we must learn the compassion and generosity of God. God feels for those who are without work–in other words, those who feel they have no meaning and purpose in life. One of the worst things in life is to feel useless. So when God saw the men waiting hour after hour to be employed, He felt sorry for them. Thus, even at the last hour, He ensured that they were gainfully employed. God also knows that the daily wage of a labourer is important for the family; otherwise, the spouse and children would suffer. So He did not begrudge them their wage just because they came late. God thinks of the overall welfare of the worker and his family.
At the end of the day, we must not ask the question that Peter asked. The joy of leadership and service is not about rewards and payment. The greatest joy is that we can serve and give. The thrill that comes from serving and helping people is a reward that the world cannot give. That is why Christian leadership and service cannot be measured by how much we earn or what we get out of it. Rather, it is how much we put into what we do–forgetting the rewards–that will make us happy and liberated. Focusing on rewards will only take away the joy of love and humble service.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
