Over the last two months, I was in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Turkey. The first image of abundance that comes to mind is food. Food in these countries is rich in variety, and you always have a selection to choose from, provided that you don’t have difficulty making choices. I tried Jollibee in the Philippines. What I can say is that authentic isn't necessarily the best. Jollibee in Hong Kong is better. Today's gospel talks about abundance. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) Definitely, Jesus is not talking about food. Three immediate questions arise from Jesus’ words: why Jesus talks about abundance, what he means by abundance, and how Jesus’ promise of abundant life is relevant to us.
John 10:1-10 does not spell
out the context precisely, and we have only symbols of sheep, gate, thief, and shepherd.
We have no problem in interpreting the symbol of sheep as the people. Who then is
the thief pretending to be the shepherd? It may be easy to think the thief represents the religious leaders at the time of Jesus because, in the preceding chapter, Jesus talks about the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees. This
interpretation is possible. But if we accept this interpretation, our focus
would likely shift to pastors and church leaders, whether they are
thieves or shepherds. Besides, we would likely understand the idea of abundance spiritually. But is this the interpretation that Jesus
wants to address?
Ezekiel 34 is the text
that the Johannine author seems to be referring to regarding shepherds. The
shepherd in Ezekiel 34 refers to political leadership rather than
religious leadership. Besides, the Greek and Roman political
traditions presented kings and emperors as good shepherds who foster a life marked
by security and abundance for the empire’s subjects. So, Jesus’ description of the gate, sheep, and shepherd mirrors the emperor's role as a ruler who keeps secure
borders, a warrior who saves the people from attack or economic harm, and a
benefactor who offers provision and even abundance (John 10:3, 9). This interpretation
does not aim to politicize the Bible. Rather, throughout his story, John
presents Jesus as an opponent of imperial rule, so much so that he is killed for opposing Caesar (John 19:12, 15).
Based on this understanding of the shepherd symbol, Jesus's presentation critiques the Roman Empire, which claimed to bring wholeness and well-being to society, even as its structures brought sickness and poverty to most of its subjects. In contrast to Rome,
Jesus presents himself as the shepherd who knows his sheep by name and their needs (John 10:3), gives his life for their benefit (John 10:11), and serves as
the gateway to abundance (10:9).
In light of this socio-political context, Jesus’ promise of abundant life has two possible meanings. First, Jesus reminds and challenges governments about how far
their policies affirm or deny life, and whether they flourish or suppress it. For instance, despite Hong Kong's status as a major global financial center, a significant portion of the elderly population lives below the poverty line.
Second,
Jesus reminds us that no matter how materially we are deprived, our dignity isn’t
lost, because God is with us. How is this possible? Let me share a story. You may know that, so far, about 2400 people have been convicted for various levels of participation in the 2019 protest. I meet some of them who
are interned, and they witness to me that their experience of transcendence has not been constrained by losing spatial freedom. A young man aged 23 came to me and shared with me that
he would probably be found guilty and sentenced to five years. He said to me,
“I will believe in Jesus when I am in prison. I will have more time to think
seriously about the meaning of life.” Nelson Mandela, who spent twenty-seven years in prison, wrote, “Even behind prison walls I can see the heavy
clouds and the blue sky over the horizon.”
Challenging life-dehumanizing and one dimensional social policy and practice and freeing one's spirituality from the bondage of unfavorable external environments should be understood as mutually dependent. Jesus’ promise of abundant life is never escapism. We always need God's empowerment to persevere in naming and confronting injustice, and at the same time, we realize that an abundant life is more than a materialized life and spatial freedom.
Revised on September 12, 2026.
