February 11 Sermon - Peter Saw
the Light,
while Fishing with Jesus – Luke
5:1-11
We’re still at the very beginning of Jesus ministry in Luke’s gospel –
and also the beginning of Luke’s story of Simon Peter. At this point, Peter had heard some of Jesus’
preaching. Jesus had even visited his
house and healed his mother-in-law.
Probably he considered Jesus just another traveling preacher and
faith-healer.
A large crowd was gathered on the lake shore listening to Jesus. Near-by Simon Peter and other fishermen were
cleaning their fishing nets – listening to Jesus as they worked. I guess the sermon wasn’t compelling enough
for them to stop work and give it their full attention. So Jesus walked over to Peter’s boat, got in
and asked him to put out a little way from the shore so he could preach from
the boat. Now he had Peter’s full
attention.
Jesus concluded the sermon, and said;
“Put out into the deep water and
let down your nets for a catch.” 5:6
Simon Peter replied: “Preacher, we fished all night and didn’t catch a
thing. We’re tired.
“This is a waste of time, but if it will make you happy, we’ll make one
more try at it.”
Peter was in for a big surprise.
The nets soon filled with fish.
He had to call for another boat just to hold all they had caught.
When Peter saw all those fish, he realized he had completely
underestimated Jesus. Peter saw the
light.
He fell to his knees before Jesus and said “Lord, please leave me,
for I am a sinful man.” 5:8
No longer does he address Jesus as teacher, but now calls him
“Lord”. Jesus may look like a man, but
he is filled with the power of God.
Peter feels unworthy to even be in his presence.
+
Did you notice how similar Peter’s reaction is to Isaiah’s in our first
lesson. The setting is entirely
different, for Isaiah was attending a worship service in the temple. Suddenly he felt he was transported to God’s
throne room in heaven. He see angels and
hears them singing “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might…”
Isaiah was awestruck – totally humbled.
He fell to his knees and cried out
“I’m doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have unclean lips,
and live among people who are unclean.” Isaiah 6:5
But instead of sending a lightening bolt, the Lord sends an angel to
purify Isaiah’s lips – a sign that his sins were forgiven.
Then he hears the voice of the Lord:
“Whom shall I send as a messenger to this people? Who
will go for us?”
Isaiah replies “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8
+
For both Peter and Isaiah, being in the presence of the Lord, whether
it was in a fishing boat or in the temple, brought a sense of unworthiness – a
smallness compared to the greatness of God - a recognition of sinfulness
compared to God’s holiness - our dark side revealed by His searching light.
But Jesus is the Lord who has come not to call the righteous, but
rather sinners. God comes into our lives
– issues a call to service. Like them,
we may feel unworthy and totally unprepared when we sense his call.
And we are – but the Lord who gives us an assignment will also give us
the power to undertake it. We do not
rely solely on our own strength, but rather on God.
+
On that day, Jesus didn’t say, “I’m interested in forming a group of
disciples to follow me. If you’re
interested, please raise your hand”.
The Lord doesn’t wait for us to volunteer. Rather he interrupts our lives and calls us
to service when we are in the midst of doing something else. Isaiah was simply attending a worship service
when he felt his call to serve. Peter
was working on His fishing nets.
He calls those who aren’t expecting it – and who seem unlikely
candidates – fishermen, tax collectors, political zealots and ordinary guys and
gals – and they weren’t wildly waving their hand in the air, saying “Jesus pick
me.”
+
At first all that Jesus asks of Peter and his fishing buddies is to
continue doing what they were doing, but under his direction. When they do, they haul in a big catch – and
these holy mackerel opened these fishermen’s hearts to respond when Jesus asked
them to do something they hadn’t done before.
+
"Do not be afraid; from now on
you will be catching people." 5:10
The Greek word translated “catch” literally means to “capture alive”.
In one of his sermons on this passage,
In Augustine’s interpretation, the first step is not to try to convert
them, but simply to invite them into the fellowship of Christians – thus
relying of the Spirit to work through both God’s Word, and the actions of
believers, to draw them closer to the Lord.
+
Jesus’ call to service and witness still comes to people today. His call may come as you listen to the words
of scripture and sense that it applies to you.
His call may come through the voice of another member, who asks you to
work with them.
Like then, the Lord calls unlikely people who are in the midst of doing
other things, and had no thought of volunteering. He doesn’t wait until we are ready – His call
comes on His schedule, not ours.
What Jesus asks you to do may, or may not, be in line with some skill
you’re already comfortable with. It
could be some talent you’ve already developed, but it may just as likely be a
use of a talent you didn’t know you had.
But Jesus knows.
+.
When they had brought their boats to shore, they left
everything and followed him. 5:11
Peter and his fishing partners began that journey from town to town
with Jesus, as he healed and taught.
We all share a natural human desire for stability in our lives. And the church, with its sturdy walls and
ancient ritual can be an element of stability. Yet, as members of the church,
we are called to follow Jesus on a journey – to be like those first disciples
and leave stability that we might journey with Jesus toward something new.
Our Lord is on the move – always on the move. The Church thrives when it is on the move
Christ commands us to go out and make disciples. Not simply to wait for folks to find us, but
to go and meet people where they live and work and play. Jesus tells us to "Put out into the
deep water and let down your nets for a catch."
Do we have the courage to walk with Jesus into an uncertain future,
knowing that he is always ahead of us, and ever on the move?
*
One of our former presidents told this story. “While I was president I went out fly fishing
in a remote area. Naturally, I wasn’t
alone – the secret service and some aids were watching. I hung a big fish – a really nice fish and
when I snatched the pole back to bring him in, the hook came loose from the
fish and came back with such force it embedded itself on my face. It wouldn’t come out and I could see myself
coming back to civilization – and the cameras of the media – with a fishing fly
on my cheek.
Finally one of the aides put me on the ground, with his knee on my
chest and snatched out the hook and fly.
“So I was the biggest one I ever caught.”
If you follow Jesus and fish for people, it may turn out that you are
the one to be caught by the Lord. When I
do as Jesus commands, it opens my heart to Him.
As I rely of His Spirit to help me, I become open to the Spirit’s
guidance in other areas. When I talk
about my faith and my church with others, it is my faith that is
strengthened. The process of verbalizing
my belief – putting something in my own words, helps to make it mine.
When Jesus says "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be
catching people." - Remember you may be the biggest one you ever catch
for Jesus.
Be sensitive to the
opportunities the Spirit presents to talk about your faith and your
church. That means being more
sensitive to others and also open to God and His guidance.
We are called to fish
--
-- seek out and welcome all who wish to
express their faith in God
through Jesus Christ.
Amen