EASTER - WEEK 2 - MONDAY

LESSON: LUKE 5:27-32

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Matthew 9:12

Even though we are weak and sickly, we should still not lose heart and begin to think that we do not belong to the kingdom of Christ. The more we become aware of our infirmities, the closer we should walk with Christ. For it is His office to heal us and to make us well.

If you are sick and a sinner and feel your need, you have all the more reason to come to Him and say, “I come to you just because I am a sinner so that you may help me and rescue me from my sins.” In this way, your need drives you to Christ. For the greater your weakness, the more necessary it is for you to seek help and healing. That is also what He desires, and hence He coaxes us so that we joyfully approach Him.

Those who are not such shepherds suppose that they can lick people into a godly shape by shouting at them clamorously in hostile fashion and bringing force to bear on them. They succeed only in making matters worse.

One sees the result of this on all sides in today’s conditions. Matters have reached such a pass through the activity of hirelings in the Church that utter confusion prevails everywhere. “He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them” (John 10:12).

SL 11:784 (15)

PRAYER: Lord God, our heavenly Father, give us shepherds who really care for Your sheep and protect them from all hirelings, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 3:17-31.