03 5th Sunday of Epiphany Luke 5. 1-11
Have you ever experienced a moment that was so amazing, so unbelievable, so incredible awe-inspiring that you knew at that moment you would never forget this experience? This is one of those moments that you share with your children and with their children. It is something that so deeply and profoundly hits you that you know you are never the same. It could be that the reality of the situation doesn’t even hit you until you have begun reflecting on it. But when that reality does hit. Wow.
For some this moment could be meeting a very important person. For others it could be the birth of their child. Or their son or daughters wedding. Or maybe even a baptism. Whatever the event was, it can have a big impact on you. Well for Peter and those who were with him, that day was such an event.
They would not have anticipated the day to be that way, especially after the night they had just had. Here are these skilled professionals, the sun goes down, they head for the deep for a night of fishing. The nets are cast, and…nothing. Again, the nets are cast, and…nothing. All night long this was the pattern. Cast, and…nothing. Until finally it dawned on them. Now the sun was beginning its climb over the horizon, the night was gone and the morning had come. So these fishermen head to the shore. When they arrive they begin cleaning their equipment and getting ready for a little rest. You can almost visibly see their disappointment in their movements as they clean their empty nets.
The crowd, there is a crowd there. They are gathered around someone. Although not really gathered, more like crowding, they were pushing and shoving trying to get closer so that they could hear what he had to say. Peter and his pals probably didn’t even notice until the crowds began moving toward their boats. It was then that they saw Jesus. He was the one the crowds were following, and so he climbs into Peter’s boat and asks Peter to push the boat a little from shore. And so Peter does so and Jesus taught the people from the boat.
When he finished teaching, Jesus tells Peter to go out into the deep and let his nets down for a catch. Peter says, “Surely you can’t be serious. Because Master we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so I will let down the nets.” And one more time, Peter does what had been done all night long. Cast, and…fish! Lots of Fish! So many fish that he has to call the others to come help him, and even when they do, there are so many fish that both boats began to sink. Wow.
Peter seeing all of this, falls down at Jesus’ knees and says, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” There is something about being in the presence of God that is humbling and amazing. Peter reacts differently than the rest of crowds do. When they see a miracle they want more. He gave us bread, let’s go get some more. He healed my neighbor who had a demon. Let’s go get him. Yet Peter realizes that Jesus is not just a miracle worker. And conscious of his sin, he humbles himself and says, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ You can hear echoes of Isaiah and the words he spoke when he saw the Lord sitting on his throne, “Woe is me. I am lost! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts!”
Both of these guys found themselves in the presence of God, and their reaction was basically, “Uh oh!” Does that seem a little odd to you? I mean why would these guys react that way? Especially since they are so often seen as heroes of the faith. Well, they are honest and humble. They find themselves in the presence of God and realize that they are sinful human beings. That they are not worthy of being in his presence. They know that God requires perfection and that they are not perfect. They know that sin cannot be in the presence of God. And so they react in this way.
And what does God do? Well for Isaiah a coal is taken off the altar and touched to his lips. He is forgiven. For Peter, Jesus says to him, “Do not be afraid: from now on you will be catching people.” Words of great comfort are spoken. And the miracle of the fish is explained. Jesus isn’t just showing off his ability with the fish. For the catch of fish is a symbol of the work that the church will be doing. The people of God are not placed into his kingdom so that they can just hang out with one another and wait for God to return. Rather the people are God are placed into his kingdom so that they can spread that kingdom around the world. They are there to fish for people.
This is a truly awesome thing. I mean, have you ever thought about it this way? God allows us to be part of what he is doing in this place. He allows us to care for the world and those around us. He allows us to show love and mercy. He allows us to speak the law when necessary and then gospel after that. Not because we are worthy, or deserve it, but because he is gracious.
Every week you and I come to this place. We come in different ways at different times, but we come. We are sometimes broken and beaten and bruised from a very long and rough week. Sometimes more than others we feel the effects of sin our lives, either sins we have done, or sins that have been sinned against us, or even the loss of a loved one. We come here. And in this place we are in the presence of our God. We hear forgiveness proclaim. We are strengthen with God’s word. We are fed and nourished with Holy Communion. We are assured of our place before God for the sake of Jesus. And through these things we hear the words of Jesus, “Do not be afraid.” Our sins have been forgiven. And so we go out ready to Cast, ready to make a catch.
Now allow me to clarify something here. We do not want to take the fishing analogy too far here. Because once one catches a fish, unless it is thrown back into the water, the fish will die. The work that our God has given us to do, is work that will lead people to life, because the work that we do will introduce people to Jesus, an in him is life. This work that we do, is not done with the intent of deceiving or harming anyone, but of making known to them the one who is the way, the truth and the life.
And so we too cast, but we do not cast out nets, instead we cast out acts of kindness and service. We look at the world around us and see so many who are hurting and in need. And we seek them out to help them, to care for them, to love them, and to share with them the love of God in Jesus.
And so we too cast, but we do not cast lures, instead we cast the good news of God’s love for the world. We proclaim his love and forgiveness, his grace and his mercy. We tell of God’s great love for people, that he sent his only son, that all who believe in him, would not perish but have ever lasting life.
And so we too cast, but we do not cast with fishing poles, instead we cast a community of faith, one where love and care for each other is evident in the lives that we live together. In this community God is presence to each member through the others. So that in the lives they live, they show God to one another, and in the lives they lives they see God in one another. Belonging, and being loved, no matter how many times and to what extent they have been rejected by the world.
It may seem like something scary, but we have with us a God who promises to always be with us. The casting that we do, the service that we give, the proclamation that we make, the lives that we live; these things are never done in isolation, by ourselves, but we also have one another. We are in this thing together. We each contribute with no one being more important than the other. Because it is not about us, it is not about the ones who do the casting, rather it is about the one who has brought us to himself and made us his people, and gave us the tools, abilities and privilege of casting also.
Do not be afraid; from now on you will catch people. And may God bless us and be glorified as we cast out. Amen.