20210206 OBEDIENCE TO LEADERS
06 February, 2021, Saturday, 4th Week, Ordinary Time
First reading |
Hebrews 13:15-17,20-21 © |
May God turn us all into whatever is acceptable to himself through Jesus Christ
Through Christ, let us offer God an unending sacrifice of praise, a verbal sacrifice that is offered every time we acknowledge his name. Keep doing good works and sharing your resources, for these are sacrifices that please God.
Obey your leaders and do as they tell you, because they must give an account of the way they look after your souls; make this a joy for them to do, and not a grief – you yourselves would be the losers. I pray that the God of peace, who brought our Lord Jesus back from the dead to become the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood that sealed an eternal covenant, may make you ready to do his will in any kind of good action; and turn us all into whatever is acceptable to himself through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen.
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 | Jn10:27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 6:30-34 © |
They were like sheep without a shepherd
The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.
OBEDIENCE TO LEADERS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HEB 13:15-17; 20-21; PS 23:1-6; MARK 6:30-34 ]
In the first reading, the author exhorted the Christian community, “Obey your leaders and do as they tell you.” In a world of relativism, in a world of digital information, our sheep are well educated and fed with all kinds of information from the world. Most of them do not feel like they are sheep who are lost, confused and without direction. On the contrary, most of us feel that we are shepherds and should be leading the sheep instead of our appointed leaders. So, rendering obedience to our leaders is something rare in today’s world, unless we are dependent on the leader to fill our rice bowl. Leaders, unlike in the past, no longer command full authority of their subordinates or members. In fact, leaders are always being challenged by their subordinates. Some leaders spend half their energy justifying their leadership and the other half on doing the work of a leader. On the other hand, a dictatorial form of leadership is not what the author is suggesting. He is not asking us to obey our leaders blindly. He is not saying that leaders have absolute power over their flock.
On the other hand, for the greater good of everyone, obedience must be given to legitimate authority. This is because, as the author says, “they must give an account of the way they look after your souls.” Indeed, leaders are ultimately responsible to those whom they have been appointed or elected to serve. They are accountable for the well-being of their flock. Consequently, the author advises us to “make this a joy for them to do, and not a grief – you yourselves would be the losers.” The truth is that when we disobey our leaders, we might be led astray or we might divide the community and be the losers in the end. The author earlier on warned his readers, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.” (Heb 13:8f) And if the leader does not receive support from the community, he is no longer able to lead. He loses his morale to serve and eventually may give up the leadership when he feels he can no longer carry on or accomplish the task he has been appointed to. But when leaders are accepted, supported and encouraged they will be able to do more and more for the people under their charge.
However, this is leadership from the perspective of those who obey. Yet, rendering obedience to our leaders is not a one-way process. Authority cannot just rest on our appointment or office alone. If leaders want to command obedience and respect from those he leads, then he needs to be an exemplary leader. Earlier on the author reminded his readers, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (Heb 13:7) Leaders have a duty to teach the Word of God and live out what they teach by the way they live out their lives. Unless, they are living the life of Christ, they cannot command obedience from their flock. Leaders must be reflective of Christ the Chief Shepherd of all.
Hence, leaders must be reminded that their authority is a delegated authority. Every leader is both shepherd and sheep. There is only one Great Shepherd of the sheep, namely, our Lord. If we are shepherds before our people, before God we are still sheep. Our task is to shepherd the flock of God on behalf of our Lord. This explains why in today’s gospel, after the disciples returned from their missionary trip, they came back to Jesus for review and further instructions. “The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat.”
They were explicitly called “apostles” because to be an apostle means to be sent. Leaders are commissioned by our Lord and given authority by Him. They were to exercise their mission, to proclaim the gospel and heal in His name. “And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mk 16:17f) For this reason, no apostle or ambassador can act on his own. His power is a delegated authority and whatever he does must be seen as coming from those who sent him. All church leaders therefore are sent and commissioned by our Lord. For this reason, church leaders must be fully dependent on the Lord for their ministry. We do not carry out our agenda. We do not preach our philosophy of life. We do not preach ourselves. As St Paul wrote, “We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry.” (cf 2 Cor 6:3f)
This is why church leaders must always spend time with the Lord before they can exercise leadership over His people. The apostles upon their return were told to take a rest, to go to a lonely place by themselves, so that they could continue to receive instructions from our Lord, grow in intimacy with Him, and be renewed and recharged for their mission. Jesus had reminded His disciples, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:5) It is very dangerous for church leaders to be always working in ministry and neglecting their spiritual life. As the Lord warns us, “If one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” (Mt 15:14) When leaders lose their focus and can no longer speak in the name of the Lord, they lose their moral and spiritual leadership over the people, even if they retain their juridical authority.
Leaders therefore must be accountable, first to their sheep. Leaders need to be accountable for the trust given to them. Leadership is an honour, a great privilege but it is also a grave responsibility. The gospel gives a veiled warning that leaders must not behave like the wicked leaders mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel. (cf Ezk 34) They are called to be like Jesus who put His sheep before Himself. Tired as He was, but when He saw them, “he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.” He was full of compassion and in such a situation sacrificed His much-needed rest and quiet time to be with them rather than just turn them away. As leaders, the needs of our people must always come before our needs. We are servant leaders, not dictators.
But ultimately, leaders are accountable to God. This is a greater responsibility. Leaders are not chosen just to be popular and satisfy the whims and fancies of their people. They are called to lead them, not to be shepherded by them. This does not mean leaders need not be collaborative and consultative. Leaders must be ready to dialogue and listen so that they can find the best solution to tackle the needs of their people. But at the end of the day, as leaders, they need to answer before God, whether what they do are in line with God’s commands, with His teaching and with His will. If we lead our people to perdition, our punishment would be even more severe because we have been bad shepherds.
This is why leaders need the prayers of those whom they lead. The best thing the sheep can do for their shepherd is to pray for them. In our liturgy, we always mention the Pope, the Bishops and the clergy because if the leaders are lost, blind, selfish and weak, the whole community suffers. This was what the author asked of his readers as well. He said, “Pray for us; we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you very soon.” (Heb 13:18f) At the same time, leaders must always pray for their people, as the author did. “I pray that the God of peace, who brought our Lord Jesus back from the dead to become the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood that sealed an eternal covenant, may make you ready to do his will in any kind of good action; and turn us all into whatever is acceptable to himself through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen.”
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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