{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Reflections","title":"Thursday of the Nineteenth Week After Trinity","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":356,"description":"October 15, 2026\n\nToday's Reading: Catechism: Table of duties: what hearers owe their pastor\nDaily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 13:1-18; Matthew 13:1-23\n\n“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13)\n\nObey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Heb. 13:17 (What the hearers owe their pastor)\n\nIn the Name + of Jesus. Amen.\n\nIf nobody ever told you this, being a pastor is hard sometimes. Scratch that, being a pastor is hard a lot of the time. From weeks with back-to-back funerals (yes, you read that right) to someone being incredibly nasty, sometimes being a pastor is hard. \n\nBut being a pastor is a joy as well. Being a pastor means, quite simply, that you get to bring Jesus to people! \n\nSo what does Dr. Luther admonish his hearers to do here? First, he cites 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13. It says that those who labor (work hard) among you are to be respected. Why should someone show respect to those who labor among them and are over them in the Lord? It is because that man (the pastor) is the one whom God has called to bring Jesus to His people. Pastors are not just there for no reason. They bring Jesus to you!\n\nSo pray for your pastor! Offer words of encouragement to him. He keeps watch over you because he must give an account to the Lord on the last day. Not only that, he keeps watch over you because Christ keeps watch over you, yes, dear Christian, even you. The same Christ who promised never to leave or forsake his disciples has also promised never to leave or forsake you. The same Christ who said that he is the good shepherd, that his sheep hear his voice, has sent an undershepherd to care for you, yes, even you. \n\nIn the...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/P3eUvssXYVZBQK4BZg1UEKstUh8zuVz_CoZCK6YjRSs/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzI1MTcyLzE3MDI0/Mjg1MzAtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}