Shepherd And Sheep

Et proprias oves vocat nominatim... Tangitur hic boni pastoris officium, quod est triplex: vocare, educere et dirigere; nominatim vocat cognoscendo; educit ad pascua instruendo; sed ante eas vadit bonum exemplum praebendo. Hoc convenit pastori Christo per excellentiam, aliis per imitationem. Unde primo dicit: Et proprias oves vocat nominatim, scilicet Christus; secundae ad Timotheum secundo: Novit Dominus, qui sunt eius, et de eius imitatione; Proverbiorum duodecimo: Novit justus animas iumentorum suorum. Et educit eas, ad pascua, scilicet Christus; Ezechielis trigesimo quarto: Educam eos de populis et congregabo eos de terris et inducam in terram suam, quae scilicet erat lacte manans. Sic et imitator Christi, ut Moyses et Aaron; Psalmus: Deduxisti sicut oves populum tuum in manu Moysi et Aaron. Et cum proprias oves emiserit, ante eas vadit... Bonum exemplum ostendendo praeit, ut Christus; Michaeae secundo: Ascendit pandes iter ante eos. Unde dixit infra decimo tertio: Exemplum dedi vobis, ut quemadmodum ego feci vobis, ita et vos faciatis. Sic et imitator Christi; unde primae ad Corinthios undecimo: Imitatores mei estote, sicut et ego Christi. Sed pauci sunt tales; unde Isaiae vigesimo quarto: Erit sicut populus, sic sacerdos. Hoc triplex boni pastoris officum magnum habet effectum in ovibus, qui scilicet est ovium directio per imitationem; propter quod dicit: Oves illum sequuntur, scilicet verum pastorem. Oves sunt simplices et humiles, de quibus dicit Hugo: Humilitas ovis est, ut praeesse non appetas et subesse diligas. Multi fugientes laborem volunt praeesse, subesse dedignantur; isti non sunt oves, quia non sequuntur. Ideo oves sequuntur, quia sciunt vocem eius, esse scilicet vocem consolationis, secundum illud Matthaei undecimo: Venite ad me omnes, qui laboratis et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos. Bonus pastor ad reficiendum vocat. Sanctus Bonaventura, Commentarius In Evangelium Ioannem, Caput X Source: Here, p383-5

And He calls his own sheep by name... 1 Here the office of the good shepherd is touched upon, which is threefold, to call, to lead, and to direct. He calls by name from knowledge, and he leads to pasture by instruction, but before them he goes with the giving of good example. This is fitting to Christ the shepherd by excellence, to others by imitation. Whence He first says: 'And He calls His own sheep by name,' so Christ. In the second chapter of the second letter to Timothy: 'The Lord knows those who are His.' 2 And concerning the imitation of Him, in the twelfth chapter of Proverbs: 'The righteous man knows the lives of his own beasts.' 3 And 'He leads them', to pasture, so Christ. In the thirty fourth chapter of Ezekiel: 'I shall draw them from the nations and I shall gather them from the earth and I shall lead them into their own land, ' 4 which was flowing with milk. So the imitator of Christ, as Moses and Aaron in the Psalm: 'You led your people like sheep in the hand of Moses and Aaron.' 5 And when He has brought out his own sheep, He goes before them...6 He goes before with the showing of good example, as Christ. In the second chapter of Micah: 'He shall go up and open the way before them.' 7 Whence He says here in the thirteenth chapter: 'I have given you the example, that as I have done to you, so you do.' 8 So even the imitator of Christ, whence in first Corinthians, the eleventh chapter: 'Be imitators of me, as I of Christ.' 9 But few are like that. Whence Isaiah in the twenty fourth chapter: 'As the people, so the priest.' 10 This threefold office of the shepherd has great influence on the sheep, that is, he who directs the sheep through imitation, because of which He says: 'The sheep follow Him,' 8 as He is the true shepherd. Sheep are simple and humble, concerning which Hugo says: 'Sheep are humble, that they do not desire to take the lead but to be led. Many in flight from labour wish to be in charge, and are ashamed to follow.' 11 These are not sheep, because they do not follow. Therefore the sheep follow, because 'they know His voice.' That is, the voice that comforts. According to the the eleventh chapter of Matthew: 'Come to me all you who labour and are burdened, and I shall refresh you.' 12 The good shepherd calls to refreshment. Saint Bonaventura, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint John, Chapter 10 1 Jn 10.3 2 2 Tim 2.19 3 Prov 12.10 4 Ezek 34.13 5 Ps 70.21 6 Jn 10.4 7 Micah 2.13 8 Jn 13.15 9 1 Cor 11.1 10 Isai 24.2 11 Hugo Miscel Liber I Tit 101 12 Mt 11.28