Table of Contents
Christ’s Flexibility: The Paradox of Pastoral Fruitfulness
Constantly stopping for individuals despite being with the crowd
Allowing interruptions while he taught
Pedagogy and Pastoral Differentiation
Last week’s post examined the elements of a pastoral plan. As there is no one-size-fits-all structure, flexibility is essential in implementing a pastoral plan. Flexibility in pastoral action is not the absence of planning but the capacity to respond faithfully to concrete human situations without losing sight of the Church’s mission. Christ himself provides the perfect model of such pastoral flexibility. Hence, in line with my Christo-centric approach, today’s post examines Christ’s flexibility in pastoral action.
Christ’s Salvific Mission
Christ’s pastoral action on earth was in line with God’s love and purpose in sending him into the world for our salvation (John 3:16-17). Christ’s salvific mission is summarised in Christ’s words: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). This abundant life is a holistic salvation for all. Holistic salvation encompasses both temporal and spiritual salvation, reflecting the physical and spiritual dimensions of the human person.
Because Christ’s mission was the salvation of the whole person, his pastoral methods were never rigid. His flexibility stemmed from the nature of his mission.
Christ’s Flexibility: The Paradox of Pastoral Fruitfulness
As a recap, pastoral fruitfulness integrates effectiveness (faithfulness to the Gospel) with efficiency (wise stewardship of resources).
Christ’s ministry demonstrates that while efficiency supports effectiveness, certain actions that appear inefficient by worldly standards are indispensable for authentic pastoral fruitfulness.
One can identify three categories of Christ’s flexibility: constantly stopping to speak to individuals despite being with crowds, allowing interruptions while he taught, and pedagogical and pastoral differentiation.
Constantly stopping for individuals despite being with the crowd
While with the crowds or going along with them, Jesus constantly stopped to speak to and care for individuals. Instances include pausing to bring back to life the only son of the widow at Nain (Luke 7:11-17), turning to speak to Zaccheus who climbed a sycamore tree (Luke 19:1-10), responding to blind Bartimaeus who interrupted him journey with cries of “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:46–52 also Matthew 20:29–34; Luke 18:35–43), and stopping to call Matthew as his disciple (Matt 9:9).
The case of Jairus’ daughter’s healing is even more compelling. Matthew’s gospel reads that he was at table with tax collectors after the call of Matthew when a ruler came in and invited him to come and lay his hand on his gravely ill (or dying) daughter so that she might live. The scripture reads: And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples” (Matt 9:18-19). Mark’s and Luke’s gospels say that Jesus was with a crowd when Jairus arrived (Mark 5:21-22; Luke 8:40-41). As Jesus went, a woman with haemorrhage also interrupted the journey by touching Jesus’ cloth. Jesus also stopped to address the situation (Matt 9:20-22; Mark 5:24-34; Luke 8:43-48).
Several lessons can be learned from this flexibility. First, it shows that the crowd does not dilute the theological foundation that humans are created in the image and likeness of God. Consequently, it concretises God’s particular interest in a soul, with a love that is deeply personal, attentive, and attuned to specific situations. This is Christ demonstrating his teaching on the parable of the lost sheep, where the shepherd will leave the ninety-nine to pursue the lost one (Luke 15:3-7).
Second, the category of people for whom Jesus stopped is also instructive. They were blind people, the tax collectors, the discriminated and the ostracised. By stopping to attend to them, Jesus validates his manifesto that he came to bring liberation to the oppressed.
Finally, the crowds sometimes followed Jesus for free food (John 6:26) or because they believed he would be a political messiah. By stopping and speaking face-to-face with one person, Jesus showed individuals that the gospel is anchored in personal relationships rather than in crowds.
Allowing interruptions while he taught
Throughout his ministry, Jesus allowed interruptions during his teaching because he never considered them disruptions; instead, he saw them as opportunities to explain the gospel message further. There are several instances.
First, while Jesus taught inside a fully packed house in Capernaum, four men who could not get close to Jesus went through the roof and lowered a paralytic before him. Instead of rebuking the intrusion, Jesus stopped teaching, praised their faith, and used the moment to explain more about His authority to forgive sins before physically healing the man (Mark 2:1–12).
Second, when Jesus preached, a man interrupted him, demanding that he intervene in his inheritance dispute with his brother. Jesus paused his discussion on spiritual boldness and immediately used the interruption, through the Parable of the Rich Fool, to teach about greed and the vanity of goods without God. (Luke 12:13–21).
Third, when Jesus was teaching the crowds about the sanctity of marriage and about divorce, people began bringing little children, and even infants, to him so that he might lay hands on them and pray. When the disciples tried to stop them, Jesus became indignant and rebuked them, saying: “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; cf. Luke 18:15-16).
Finally, as Jesus taught in the temple, the Scribes and Pharisees brought before him a woman caught in the act of adultery. Jesus stopped his formal teaching, stooped down, and wrote, asking the one without sin to cast the first stone (John 8:1-12).
Pedagogy and Pastoral Differentiation
Jesus used various pedagogical methods to address different needs, such as speaking with authority, using parables and visual aids, repeating key points and adopting an inquiry-based approach. This pedagogical diversity is intentional in its flexibility; a deliberate pastoral strategy rooted in discerning the needs, capacities, and contexts of different persons.
Jesus also adopted pastoral differentiation while carrying out his mission. Pastoral differentiation simply means tailoring pastoral care and planning to the unique and concrete circumstances of individuals or groups. It is the opposite of applying a rigid one-size-fits-all approach.
Hence, while Jesus publicly taught the crowds, he privately taught his disciples. While he taught the crowds in parables, he privately explained his parables o the disciples. Jesus engaged in theological discourse with Nicodemus and in a contextual dialogue with the Samaritan woman. Jesus used metaphors to speak to fishermen (fishers of men) and agricultural parables (e.g., seed sowing) to speak to farmers. He sent the twelve on a special mission to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt 10:5-6), and sent the seventy into every town and place where he himself was about to come (Luke 10:1). After his resurrection, Jesus expanded the mission of the disciples, mandating them to go to all nations to preach and baptise (Matt 28:19).
Conclusion
Flexibility does not mean the absence of structures. Jesus had a solid structure and plan and followed it (Gal 4:4). Many of Christ’s actions would appear pastorally inefficient when judged solely by modern managerial standards. Yet, this flexibility was paradoxically indispensable to the effectiveness of his mission.
May God continue to help us🙏🏾
K’ọdị🙋🏾♂️
