ABOUT THIS EPISODE
October 18, 2026
Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 17:1-20; Matthew 14:1-21
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
We know from the gospels that St. Luke was not one of the Twelve Disciples of Jesus, but the early church historian Eusebius wrote that St. Luke was among the seventy-two sent out ahead of Jesus in Luke 10. Paul’s letter to the Colossians refers to Luke as the “beloved physician.” As we draw these few details together, let us find in the feast day of St. Luke an opportunity to give thanks to God for the Office of the Holy Ministry and the Means of Grace, and the healing God works in us thereby.
There is a sense in which Luke 10 speaks mostly to pastors—they are those sent out ahead of Jesus into every place the Lord wants to go. They are faithful lambs going out where there is danger of wolves. They bring little with them and depend upon what is provided by the congregation. Most importantly, they speak peace to the house they enter and heal the sick therein.
God accomplishes this by Word and Sacrament—that’s the Word of peace and the healing of the sin-sick soul. Our Augsburg Confession, article V, teaches us that this is why God gives us pastors in the first place: He sends them as Jesus once sent the seventy-two to speak, to heal, to declare the Kingdom of God. It is not because the individual men have such great heavenly power or because they’re less sinful than the rest of us—it’s because the power and authority to heal, to forgive, to grant peace all come from God and His Word!
When I, as a pastor, teach my congregation about these things, I almost always conclude this way: Jesus is at work in this place to forgive you, to heal you, to comfort you with His Word, His Spirit, and His Supper. His voice just so happens to sound like mine!
One last thing: there’s also a sense in which passages like Luke 10 speak to all Christians—according to your vocations as son or daughter, friend, student, co-worker, you, too, are called upon to bring the peace of Jesus into every place. You’re probably not called to be a pastor—yet!—but even in you, who have received the peace of Jesus, the kingdom of God goes forth into the world.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Almighty God, our Father, Your blessed Son called Luke the physician to be an evangelist and physician of the soul. Grant that the healing medicine of the Gospel and Sacraments may put to flight the diseases of our souls that with willing hearts we may ever love and serve You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Rev. Roger Mullet, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Buffalo, WY.
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