LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1986, Sheet 101

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ALIVE IN CHRIST—THE PASTORAL OFFICE 99

(Is. 53:6). “Tend that flock of God whose shepherds you
are, and do it not under compulsion, but of your own free
will, as God would have it; not for gain but out of sheer
devotion; not tyrannizing over those who are allotted to
your care, but setting an example to the flock. And then,
when the Head Shepherd appears, you will receive for your
own the unfading garland of glory” (1 Peter 5:2-4). “In the
world,” said Jesus, “recognized rulers lord it over their
subjects, and great men make them feel the weight of au-
thority. That is not the way with you; among you, whoever
wants to be great must be the willing slave of all” (Mark
9:41—-45).

The pastor desires not recognition of his lordship, but
acknowledgment of his servanthood. Walther wrote: “The
more faithfully a pastor administers his office, then the
more highly the congregation will esteem and admire him.
A congregation has no right to depose such a faithful ser-
vant of Jesus Christ; if it does so, it rejects Jesus Christ
Himself, in whose name he directed it.” (Pastoral Theology,
Gerberding, 106).

An Empowered People of Priests Call the Pastor
God said on Mt. Sinai to Moses and Aaron:

“Tell this to the sons of Israel: ‘You have seen with your own
eyes how I have carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you
here to Me. If only you will now listen to Me and keep My
covenant, then out of all peoples you shall become My special
possession; for the whole earth is Mine. You shall be My king-
dom of priests, My holy nation’ ” (Ex. 19:5-6).

“{ have Myself taken the Levites your kinsmen out of all the
Israelites, as a gift for you, given to the Lord for the mainte-
nance of the Tent of the Presence” (Num. 28:6).

God’s tent for sacrifice is gone. God’s last and best sac-
rifice was Christ, God’s High Priest, at Calvary. Christ
“appeared once and for all at the climax of history to abol-
ish sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26—28).

No more need Levites be consecrated as priests by ani-
mals’ blood. As Peter says, Those who accept Jesus as Lord
and Savior are “God’s people, hallowed to His service by
the Holy Spirit, consecrated with the sprinkled blood of
Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:1-2). They are “a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, and a people claimed
by God for His own, to proclaim the triumphs of Him who
has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
You are now the people of God, who once were not His
people; outside His mercy once, you now have received
mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

God’s new people, alive in Christ, for Christ, with
Christ, to the glory of Christ, as God’s priests, do their
liturgy, their service, telling penitent sinners, “Your sins
are forgiven!” When Peter made such a confession, Christ
said: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,

whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”
(Matt. 16:13—19).

This announcement is made not only to Peter as a priest
but to all Christians, who are priests. That is what the
Lutheran Confessions emphasize:

What is here spoken in the singular number, (“I will give
you [thee] the keys” and “whatever you bind”) is elsewhere
given in the plural (“whatever you [ye] bind”), etc. In John,
too, it is written, “If you [ye] forgive the sins,” etc. (John 20:23).
These words show that the keys were given equally to all the
apostles and that all the apostles were sent out as equals. ...
the keys do not belong to the person of one particular individ-
ual but to the whole church ... Christ said, “If two or three
of you agree on earth,” etc. Therefore He bestows the keys
especially and immediately on the church,” [and LISTEN TO
THIS] and for that same reason the church especially pos-
sesses the right of vocation, [i-e., calling a pastor] (Treatise on
the Power and Primacy of the Pope, 23-24).

So the church is an empowered people, a nation of
priests, who speak forgiveness, declare the Gospel, dis-
tribute sacraments, discipline members, and call a pastor
to perform publicly what they possess privately.

Dr. Walther, in his Law and Gospel, (p. 285), says:

All that is recorded concerning the angels in Holy Scripture
does not equal the greatness of the office of teachers and
preachers, in which men became helpers in the task of bringing
fallen creatures back to their Creator. Without doubt these
rescued people will forever and ever thank them by whose
ministry they were saved from perdition and brought into life
everlasting.

So we have the divine call to faith in Christ—to a vo-
cation which is good—to a congregation to proclaim for-
giveness—with a Synod to have mutual faith and concern.
So we have the pastoral office—a mission with a message—
a gift with goals—not an order as much as an office—em-
powered by a people, a priesthood of believers.

God grant us wisdom and courage for the facing of this
hour that we have pious men in the ministry serving the
people and the Lord of grace and glory. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Prayer

Glory, praise, and power be unto You, O Father, for
granting us forgiveness, life, and salvation in Christ, for
permitting us to be involved in Your church to do Your
work to proclaim Your love and grace. How often we have
failed You, You know more than any or all of us. By grace
and mercy forgive us. Renew us in the power of the Holy
Spirit through Word and Sacraments. Give unto us a pious
ministry, O Lord, that Your will be done, Your kingdom
come. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

Rev. George W. Bornemann, STM, LLD, em