Day by Day with Martin Luther

Read: Isaiah 3:1-5:30 2nd Corinthians 11:1-15 Proverbs 22:28-29

“The Sheep of Christ”

“As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist,
fulfill your ministry.”
[2nd Timothy 4:5]

In spiritual shepherding, that is, the kingdom of Christ, one should, therefore, preach to the sheep of Christ … not the Law of God, much less the ordinances of men, but the Gospel, which the prophet with metaphorical words calls a rod of comfort and a staff of comfort. For through the Gospel, Christ’s sheep obtain strength in their faith, rest in their hearts, and comfort in all kinds of anxieties and perils of death. Those who preach this way conduct the office of a spiritual shepherd properly, feed the sheep of Christ in a green pasture, lead them to the fresh water, restore their souls, keep them from being led astray, and comfort them with Christ’s rod and staff. Where people hear such preachers, they should believe, for they can be certain they are hearing the words of Christ.