Church Fathers Commentary John 10:11-13

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth [them]: [he fleeth] because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep." — John 10:11-13 (ASV)

St. Augustine of Hippo: Our Lord has made us aware of two things that were unclear before: first, that He is the Door, and now, that He is the Shepherd. I am the good Shepherd. He previously said that the shepherd entered by the door. If He is the Door, how does He enter by Himself? Just as He knows the Father by Himself and we know the Father through Him, so He enters the fold by Himself, and we enter by Him. We enter by the door because we preach Christ; Christ preaches Himself. A light shows both other things and itself as well.

There is only one Shepherd. For though the rulers of the Church—those who are her sons and not hirelings—are shepherds, they are all members of that one Shepherd. He has permitted His members to bear His office of Shepherd. Peter is a shepherd, as are all the other Apostles. All good Bishops are shepherds. But none of us calls himself the door. He could not have added the word “good” if there were not bad shepherds as well. They are thieves and robbers, or at least mercenaries.

St. Gregory the Great: And He adds what that goodness is, for our imitation: The good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. He did what He commanded and set the example for what He instructed. He laid down His life for the sheep, so that He might transform His body and blood in our Sacrament and feed with His flesh the sheep He had redeemed. A path is shown to us on which to walk, despising death; a stamp is applied to us, and we must submit to the impression. Our first duty is to spend our outward possessions on the sheep; our last, if necessary, is to sacrifice our life for the same sheep. Whoever does not give his substance to the sheep, how can he lay down his life for them?

St. Augustine of Hippo: Christ was not the only one who did this. And yet if those who did it are His members, then the one and same Christ did it always. He was able to do it without them, but they could not do it without Him.

However, all these were good shepherds, not because they shed their blood, but because they did it for the sheep. For they shed it not in pride, but in love. If any among the heretics suffer trouble as a consequence of their errors and iniquities, they immediately boast of their martyrdom so that they may be better able to steal while under so fine a cloak, for they are in reality wolves.

But not all who give their bodies to be burned should be thought of as shedding their blood for the sheep, but rather against the sheep. For the Apostle said, Though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing. And how can he have even the smallest charity, who does not love unity with Christians? To command this unity, our Lord did not mention many shepherds, but one: I am the good Shepherd.

St. John Chrysostom: Here our Lord shows that He did not undergo His Passion unwillingly, but for the salvation of the world. He then gives the difference between the shepherd and the hireling: But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees.

St. Gregory the Great: There are some who love earthly possessions more than the sheep, and they do not deserve the name of a shepherd. He who feeds the Lord’s flock for the sake of temporal payment, and not for love, is a hireling, not a shepherd. A hireling is one who holds the place of a shepherd but does not seek the gain of souls. He pants after the good things of the earth and rejoices in the pride of his position.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Therefore, in the Church, he seeks not God but something else. If he sought God, he would be chaste, for the soul has only one lawful husband: God. Whoever seeks anything from God besides God Himself, seeks unchastely.

St. Gregory the Great: But whether a man is a shepherd or a hireling cannot be known for certain, except in a time of trial. In tranquil times, the hireling generally stands watch just like the shepherd. But when the wolf comes, then everyone shows with what spirit he stood watch over the flock.

St. Augustine of Hippo: The wolf is the devil and those who follow him, according to Matthew: Which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves (Matthew 7:15).

Behold, the wolf has seized a sheep by the throat; the devil has enticed a man into adultery. The sinner must be excommunicated. But if he is excommunicated, he will become an enemy; he will plot and do as much harm as he can. Therefore, you are silent. You do not censure him. You have seen the wolf coming and have fled. Your body has remained, but your mind has fled. For just as joy is a relaxation of the mind, sorrow a contraction, and desire a reaching forward, so fear is the flight of the mind.

St. Gregory the Great: The wolf also comes upon the sheep whenever any plunderer or unjust person oppresses the humble believers. And the one who seems to be a shepherd, but leaves the sheep and flees, is he who does not dare to resist this violence, from fear of danger to himself. He flees not by changing his location, but by withholding comfort from his flock.

The hireling is inflamed with no zeal against this injustice. He looks only to his own outward comforts and overlooks the internal suffering of his flock. The hireling flees, because he is a hireling, and cares not for the sheep. The only reason the hireling flees is that he is a hireling. It is as if to say: he who is set over the sheep cannot stand at the approach of danger if he does not love them, but instead seeks earthly gain. Such a person does not dare to face danger, for fear that he might lose what he so deeply loves.

St. Augustine of Hippo: But if the Apostles were shepherds, not hirelings, why did they flee in persecution? And why did our Lord say, When they persecute you in this city, flee you into another (Matthew 10:23)? Let us knock, and then one will come who can explain.

A servant of Christ and a minister of His Word and Sacraments may flee from city to city when he is specially targeted by the persecutors, separate from his brethren, so long as his flight does not leave the Church destitute. But when all—that is, Bishops, Clergy, and Laity—are in danger together, let not those who need assistance be deserted by those who ought to provide it. Let all flee together if they can to some place of security. But if any are obliged to stay, let them not be forsaken by those who are bound to minister to their spiritual needs.

Therefore, under pressing persecution, Christ’s ministers may flee from the place where they are only when none of Christ’s people remain to be ministered to, or when that ministry can be fulfilled by others who do not have the same reason for flight. But when the people stay, and the ministers flee, and the ministry ceases—what is this but the damnable flight of hirelings, who do not care for the sheep?

On the good side are the door, the doorkeeper, the shepherd, and the sheep; on the bad side are the thieves, the robbers, the hirelings, and the wolf.

We must love the shepherd, beware of the wolf, and tolerate the hireling. For the hireling is useful as long as he does not see the wolf, the thief, and the robber. When he sees them, he flees.

Indeed, he would not be a hireling if he did not receive wages from his employer. Sons wait patiently for the eternal inheritance of their father, while the hireling looks eagerly for temporal wages from his employer. And yet, the tongues of both proclaim the glory of Christ. The hireling causes harm in that he does wrong, not in that he speaks rightly. The grape bunch hangs among the thorns; pluck the grape, but avoid the thorn. Many who seek temporal advantages in the Church still preach Christ, and through them Christ’s voice is heard. The sheep do not follow the hireling, but the voice of the Shepherd, which they hear through the hireling.