Catechesis Notes for the Week— We need pastors! Have you ever thought about your need for a pastor? We might say, “We need Jesus!” Every Christian would agree with that statement. We need Jesus who has died for us, shed His blood for us, who forgives our sins and gives us the gift of eternal life and the resurrection from the dead. We need faith in Him to receive what He has done, but this is why Jesus instituted the Office of the Ministry. It is not only necessary for Jesus to have suffered and died for our sins and to have risen from the dead the third day according to the Scriptures, but it is equally necessary for this Gospel to be preached to us that we might be called to repentance and faith in Him. This is why Jesus instituted the Office of the Holy Ministry. We need pastors to preach the Word of God to us, to call us to repentance, to baptize us, to forgive us, to give us Christ’s body and blood, to pray for us, to shoulder our burdens, to admonish us, to comfort us, and to give us counsel from God’s Word. We need pastors as much as a child needs a mother and father. The gift of pastors is rooted in Jesus’ compassion. “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt. 9:36/ESV). “Pastor” means “shepherd,” so Jesus says, “pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest.” May we always pray for the gift of pastors to serve us with the life-giving Word of our Savior.

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