Fellow redeemed in Christ,

In our continuing study of the question, "What's good about the public ministry?", we have been using the verses of hymn 485 as summaries of the answers which Scripture has so far given us. We have reached the end of this hymn, but there are several more truths concerning the public ministry which deserve our attention.

Perhaps you've heard someone say: "If you're going to be a pastor or teacher in the CLC, you have to be willing to make a real sacrifice. There's just no way that you will be able to afford all the nice things in life that other people take for granted." On the surface that observation may seem to be correct. Yet when we let Holy Scripture shed some light on the subject, we find out that we ought not speak here about personal loss, but rather about gracious gain.

Listen to this word of God from Luke 18:28-30--a text which is true for all Christians, but which holds special encouragement for ministers of the Word: "Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all [literally, our own things], and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."

The twelve disciples had, according to human ways of reckoning things, given up much for the sake of that Gospel ministry to which the Lord Christ had called them. In following Christ they had left behind homes and lands, family and relatives, businesses and professions. But really they had not lost anything at all. Christ assures them that God would give them in this present lifetime far more than they had given up, and in the life to come blessings which would last for all eternity.

Surely there are many Christian pastors and teachers who can testify to the truth of what Christ promises in our text. While their material possessions might not add up to a large amount, God has given them all of the things that they really need for their bodily welfare. What's more, He has given them the kind of contentment with these earthly blessings that is unknown even to many of the richest people in this world. And if they have suffered the loss of family and relatives because of their following of Christ, God has given them fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, within His own family, the holy Christian Church. And beyond all this, God will bring them finally into the inheritance of heaven, and then any lack of material possessions in this life will seem like a very small thing indeed!

Surely you will have to agree with Christ that these blessings from God more than compensate for any personal loss that a pastor or teacher may incur because of his calling and his following of Christ. And these blessings are all a gift of God's grace, for the minister of the Word recognizes his own sin and guilt before God, and he is therefore quick to confess with the patriarch Jacob: "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant" (Gen. 32:10).

This does not mean, of course, that the budget in the parsonage or teacherage may not be tight at times. But if this happens, it serves to teach the minister and his family the truth of what the Apostle Paul says: "Godliness with contentment is great gain. . . . And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content" (1 Tim. 6:6,8). Furthermore, it encourages them to place their trust in that Lord of heaven and earth who promises: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:33). There are so many ways in which the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ, can provide for the bodily needs of His undershepherds. One thinks of the words of a Lutheran pastor who lived through the Great Depression. He said: "Our family was never really hungry, for God gave my wife the ability to make a banquet out of a hog's hide!"

The pastoral and teaching ministry brings with it a lot of joy-~the joy of proclaiming day by day to fellow sin- ners the marvelous, saving truth that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3: 16). Don't let that joy be dimmed by thoughtless talking about the personal sacrifices that such a servant of the Word has to make. In the light of our text let us speak rather about the gracious blessings which God bestows upon all those who may have given up some earthly things because of their following of Christ.

What's good about the public ministry? You can add one more item to the list: It's good because it involves, not personal loss: but rather gracious gain! Amen.