Posts with the tag “office-of-the-ministry”

You see how quickly Christian faith can be lost in a place in only a generation or two. Man in his sin has no interest in Christ, which is why the laborers in the harvest are so important. Certainly l...  Read More

This is the gospel of Jesus, our Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep. We have our own painting of the Good Shepherd here at St. Paul’s at the rear of the nave. Like many Good Shepherd ...  Read More

We often think of Peter’s first sermon as the one at Pentecost. After the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples, they see tongues of fire above them and begin to speak in many languages. Peter then pre...  Read More

Today’s reading from Matthew is often called the parable of the sheep and the goats, but it isn’t really a parable. It is a description of Jesus’ real judgment at the end of time. Jesus reveals this f...  Read More

The gospel writers give almost no information about Sts. Simon and Jude besides Simon’s name and Jude’s brief mention in John. The extrabiblical traditions about these apostles are also rather mixed a...  Read More

In fact, these words, written by Matthew at his call, could be thought of as his ordination verses. How often he probably turned them over in his mind, meditating on Christ’s life-giving words through...  Read More

Herod was the typical character who saw himself as the star of his own story. This is common for all of us in our sinful flesh, especially kings, pastors, and others in authority who really do have a ...  Read More

No one in the wisdom of this world would say that Jesus’ ministry is successful. Yet the Father is pleased with Christ’s work, for he calls all to himself through the seemingly weak means of preaching...  Read More