Leading Means Bleeding: The Good Shepherd’s Costly Love - The Rev. Kevin Portillo

In this powerful sermon, Fr. Kevin Portillo reflects on John 10 and the striking image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. Drawing from a vivid real-life account of a shepherd sacrificing a lamb, he unpacks the deep connection between leadership and sacrifice in the Kingdom of God. Jesus doesn’t just give life—He becomes life (“Zoe”) by pouring Himself out for others. In contrast to false shepherds who take and destroy, Christ gives, protects, and stands in the gap. This sacrificial love is not only the model for clergy, but the calling for every Christian. Through personal stories of vocation and surrender, Fr. Kevin challenges believers to embrace a life of self-giving love—laying down time, comfort, ambition, and even dreams for the sake of others. Nourished by Christ in the Eucharist, we are then sent out to become “life” for the world. Because in the Kingdom of Jesus, real leadership—and real life—comes through sacrifice.