Luke 5:1-11

Can we get a miracle?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Pastor, can we pray for a miracle?” The eyes of the adult daughter stared through me on the front stoop. We had just stepped outside her parent’s living room, where we heard together that her father had cancer and there was nothing the doctors could do. Her life, her mother’s life, and her father’s life were all outside of their control at this harsh news. So, the question was asked, “Can we pray for a miracle?” We did pray for a miracle, but for that man and his family, there wasn’t a miracle. With heavy hearts, we gathered for a funeral because for this man and this family, there wasn’t a miracle.

But what is a miracle, anyway? Often, that word is used to describe something wonderful or something we don’t understand. The 1984 US Olympic hockey team’s gold medal run was, “The Miracle on Ice.” The Christmas movie “The Miracle on 34th Street” has no problem claiming a miracle. We could go on and on, talking about miracles in our culture. But when we look at Holy Scripture, the word “miracle” along with the phrase “signs and wonders” have a particular meaning. To be picky for today’s sermon, miracles are “God intervening in the created world through extraordinary ways to create and strengthen faith.” Unfortunately for our hockey playing olympians, their gold medal doesn’t meet today’s definition of “miracle.” Neither do the events on 34th street. But the events in that fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee (also known as Lake Genesseret) do certainly apply as a miracle.

Jesus needed a little breathing room, so He compelled Peter to jump in his fishing boat and push out just a bit so that the crowd didn’t push Him into the sea. When Jesus was done teaching the crowd from the boat, He told Peter to go to the deep water and drop his nets to catch fish. You can almost hear Peter roll his eyes in his response, “We worked hard all night and caught nothing! But, since you say so....” Peter dropped the nets, and that’s when the miracle happened. The nets enclosed a great catch of fish. The nets were breaking, so Peter called for the other boat. They came, and as they hauled the fish in, both boats dropped low in the water because there were so many fish in the boats.

That was a miracle. Peter didn’t use any new or special techniques. Jesus summoned the fish for the catch. Jesus intervened in the created world in a an extraordinary way. Why did Jesus do that? To create and strengthen faith. Peter got it. He fell down at Jesus’ knees and begged Jesus to leave him because he was a sinner. Peter echoed the words of Isaiah the prophet, who, when he saw God in His glory and the Lord’s angels, cried out, “Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips!” Peter knew several things in that moment. First, this teacher in his boat could do holy, miraculous things! Second, Peter recognized that he himself was a sinner, and being that close to the holy power of God wasn’t a safe place to be. But when Peter told Jesus to depart from him, where did Peter think Jesus was going to go? In a fishing boat floating over the depths, for Peter to not be near Jesus, there were only two possible outcomes - and both of them involve one of those two -Peter or Jesus - getting wet.

Thankfully for Peter, Jesus did not depart from him. Instead, Jesus told Peter to stop being afraid. Now, Jesus would make Peter into a fisher of men. This miracle that Jesus did called Peter to faith, and Peter believed in Jesus. So did the others, James and John. When they got to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus. The miracle was the great catch of fish. Better than a miracle is this faith that led these disciples to follow Jesus.

So, back to the front stoop and the teary eyes and the question, “Pastor, can we pray for a miracle?” Maybe you’ve asked the same question. Maybe you’ve thought it but didn’t want to say it out loud. Can you pray for a miracle? Absolutely. But don’t put your faith in a miracle. Don’t look for a miracle and think that, if the miracle you want doesn’t happen, that God doesn’t love you or doesn’t care or that He cannot do what you asked. Pray that God would care for you as He knows best, and if that’s a miracle, so be it! But don’t believe in the miracle - believe in Jesus.

Jesus is the one who brought many fish into Peter’s net. A wonderful gift, but not the most wonderful thing Jesus did. Jesus is the one who turned water into wine at the wedding at Cana. A spectacular occasion, but not the most spectacular thing Jesus would do. Jesus is the one who calmed the storms and walked on water - but He would do even greater things than these. In other words, there are things that are better than miracles. These “better than miracles” are what you need from Jesus.

Think again about Peter. If Jesus hadn’t led to the great catch of fish, what would have been different for Peter? He would have heard the teachings of Jesus, but not caught so many fish. We can’t say if Jesus would have called Peter to follow Him and be a fisher of men without all the fish that Peter would have or wouldn’t have followed Jesus. Jesus could have revealed His power to Peter another way. But what is the greater-than-a-miracle event that Peter needed? Peter needed the death and resurrection of the perfect Lord of all for his forgiveness. Jesus’ death and resurrection is a miracle, certainly! But it’s also more than a miracle - it’s a reality of God’s love for you that forgives your sins.

Miracles are great, and when they happen (in Scripture or in the world around us) we thank God for them. Yet, miracles aren’t enough for sinners like Peter and sinners like us. Today, we have plenty of “more than miracles.” The Lord Jesus spoke through Pastor Wilken and forgave your sins. That’s not a miracle - it’s better than a miracle! The Holy Spirit worked in you when you heard the Scriptures read and even in this sermon to strengthen your faith - that’s better than a miracle, too! In a few minutes, you will receive the body and blood of Jesus under bread and wine. That, too, is better than a miracle! Then, God will bless you and keep you with His promise of peace. All these things are better than a miracle for sinners like you who desperately need the grace of God.

So, yes, pray for a miracle. But don’t you dare settle for a miracle. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, has come for you to forgive you all your sins. He brings His grace to you, week in and week out. Miracles are good, but the forgiveness of your sins, life, and salvation, are even better! Pray for a miracle, and pray that Jesus would reveal Himself to you and strengthen your faith. And when you pray that, be confident that He hears your prayers and He has acted for you on the cross and in the empty tomb. Amen.