20160817 CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF LEADERSHIP
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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Ezekiel 34:1-11 ©
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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.”’
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm 22:1-6 ©
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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.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Ps118:135
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Let your face shine
on your servant,
and teach me your
decrees.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Heb4:12
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is
something alive and active:
it can judge secret
emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 20:1-16 ©
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Jesus told this
parable 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
in 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?” Obviously this question exposes the apostles’ self-centered
attitude towards service and leadership. They entered into leadership
seeking power, wealth, recognition, fulfilling their self-interests; not very
much different from what the world seeks. Worldly leadership is about
themselves, not about the people that 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 also relevant to all those of us who are in
leadership today, especially those in politics, the workplace, in schools,
religious institutions, communities and even as parents. None of us is
spared from the indictments against the bad shepherds by God.
Who are the bad shepherds
that were denounced? 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 their own interests; not those whom they are called to serve.
Instead of serving them, we make them serve us.
Secondly,
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 the 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.
Thirdly, 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 in 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 empathize with them and set them free from their slavery
and pain.
Fourthly, 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 in 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 not
feel honoured but humbled at the choice of God. Leadership is a
grace. It is not something that we acquire by right or something that we
earn. This is precisely the lesson of the parable. It was addressed
to the religious leaders and the Jews that their position as the People of God
was purely the grace of God. It was not their own doing but freely given
by God. Hence, we have nothing to boast about, but to thank God that He
has counted us worthy to lead the people He has entrusted to us. For this
reason, there is nothing for us to boast if we have come to know Christ earlier
than others. Those who came first have no greater privilege than those
who come 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 what we like
with them. We can only do what God wants of us and according to His terms
and desires and 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 fulfill their vocation in
life and that those under us give glory to God by sharing and contributing
their gifts in the service 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 us.
Whether we are first or last in any community, every single one 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 would go to the marketplace to look for people who are seeing
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 before 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 efforts
and the love and commitment we put into 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 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, God 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 wife and children would suffer. So
He did not begrudge them of their small wage just because they came late.
God thinks of the overall welfare of the worker and his family.
Finally,
at the end of the day, we must not be asking 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 we can give. The
thrill that comes from service and helping people is the 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 the rewards will take away the joy of love and
humble service.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights
Reserved
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