Pentecost 7 [Luke 10:1-11. 16-20] (7 July 2013)

This sermon was preached at St. John's Lutheran, Karoonda (9 am) and Trinity Lutheran, Tailem Bend (11 am).

Intro: Now just remember, the reason we have pastors is so that pastors and laypeople can always be in competition with each other about who is better, the pastoral office is whatever we say that it is, and when Jesus sends out the 72, there is no connection with the pastoral office whatsoever. Good, now that that's out of the way, let's praise God by hearing something that's actually true (and not false like the first things I said).

1. Sinful pastors and people don't know what to do with each other.
   1. Pastors reject Jesus' authority by defining themselves apart from Jesus' clear words. This can be done by looking to get the most profit you can out of your role, as Jesus says, “And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.”. This can also look quite nice, for example “What am I here for? I'm here to just love the people”. But that hasn't said anything specific, because it makes it sound like every other job in the world treats loving people as optional. Not so. Loving people as Jesus loves them is getting closer, but still the case for every other job. Stand in Christ's place and by his command to deliver the kingdom of God by the forgiveness of sins – that does it.
      1. Jesus' words to the 72 show the peace pastors give isn't their own (Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' ⁶ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.).
      2. The words of pastors aren't their own, and they are hard words (But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' – not preaching “you need to do better” (which in a way you desperately want to hear, because you know you haven't been the husband, wife, mother, father you should be, but “you need to do better” isn't the solution) but preaching “you are so bad that the only thing that God could do to make things better is to shed his own blood for you and die.”
   2. Church members reject Jesus' authority by defining pastors apart from Jesus' clear words. This can look quite nice, for example “What should I do with my pastor? I'll respect him.” But that hasn't said anything specific, because you're called to honor and respect all authorities over you – parents, government officials, police officers, and the like. It's much easier for you to look at the person instead of the authority behind that person. It's much harder to receive a pastor according to his office. It requires listening, as Jesus says, “he who hears you hears me”.
      1. The peace people receive is not the pastor's own, but Jesus' own.
      2. There's a major problem with listening to the type of talk that says, “everyone's a pastor.” First is that this talking doesn't take a lot of time defining things according to Christ's clear word. And second is Jesus himself points the 72 away from rejoicing over their authority but to rejoicing that they are under his authority, in having the office of baptized Christian: “rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” It's not about grabbing authority, but being under authority, as all Christians are under Christ's authority, and Christ is under the authority of the Father, and he's not inferior to the Father because he is truly God along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
2. Jesus knows what to do with sinful people.
   1. He knows his job is to go to Jerusalem, and to be rejected that he might die in your place and in the place of all sinners.
   2. He knows sinful people need his kingdom, they need his cross. What are the 72 to preach? “The kingdom of heaven has come near to you.” The kingdom of heaven has drawn near where Jesus has placed the Word of his promises, the Word of his cross, the Word that says, “Everything you look for from false gods, look for from me. Everything you look for apart from my Word, look for from my Word.”
   3. He knows to protect you from the power of the devil, and to see Satan falling from heaven (so that he can't accuse you) whenever he conducts his ministry of his Word and Sacraments.
   4. He gives you the office you should rejoice over – that your name is written in heaven by the Father who in love sends his Son to do some preaching to you and to give to you the content of all preaching: his cross.
3. Jesus gives you what to do with your pastors (and what your pastors are to do with you).
   1. Pastors give Jesus' peace by doing what Jesus tells them to do in his Word – preaching, forgiving sins. Unique to their vocation is the public preaching of the Word, baptizing, and administering the Lords' Supper.
   2. People receive pastors as Jesus by receiving the peace of Jesus by faith from pastors working in their office.
   3. Christ can do this, give pastors to people and people to pastors and not have their be a problem, because he has given all vocations that can be done according to the ten commandments as holy vocations. None of those vocations are holier than any other.

Conclusion:

When Jesus sends pastors, he knows what he's doing for you.

If Jesus isn't the very heart of everything for your salvation, then all the sarcastic stuff from the introduction is true. But if he is the very heart of your salvation, if he knows what to do with you by taking care of your salvation completely and totally, then you can rejoice in his cross, repent when you despise the Word, and gather around his promises. Amen.