This Week
Livestream
Pentecost 8 Sunday morning
8:00 AM
Ordination and Installation service
4:00 PM
What Difference Does It Make? Christians live as wheat among weeds
The variety of wheat that grows in the Middle East looks much like wild grass or weeds. It is often difficult to tell wheat and weeds apart until shortly before harvest time, when the wheat stalks develop a head containing the kernels of grain. Pulling the weeds out of a wheat field could lead to accidentally pulling up a fair amount of wheat. People need to wait for the harvest to separate wheat from weeds.
Jesus uses this image to illustrate life this side of heaven. What makes Christians different? We are like wheat planted by the Lord. Unbelieving evildoers are pictured as weeds.
We might want God to take care of evil now, pulling up all the weeds. But he tells us to wait for the harvest of Judgment Day. So in this present age we live as wheat among weeds, being faithful, fruitful, and mindful of the coming harvest.
The ordination of Candidate Daniel Gensmer into the Holy Ministry and Installation as pastor of Emmanuel Ev. Lutheran Church
Jesus instituted the Holy Ministry. First he instructed his disciples to pray for workers. Then he appointed them to be the workers—apostles sent out to work in the fields of souls that are ripe for harvest.
Jesus gives his Church the gift of pastors. Pastors shepherd the flock of Jesus in the name of the Good Shepherd. Pastors are called to feed the sheep with God's Word and water the sheep with living water from Jesus. Pastors are called to track down and reclaim sheep who are straying, to bring them back to the flock. Pastors are called to fight off ravenous wolves who would destroy the sheep with their lies and deceptions. Pastors are called to shepherd the flock and care for all the sheep the Lord has placed into their care. It is a joyful and privileged calling to shepherd Jesus' flock!
