Fifth Wednesday after the Epiphany

Malady: We take the miracles of divine grace and acceptance for granted. This explains our lack of motivation to reach out to others with the Good News.

Means: Jesus’ death and resurrection empower us to cherish our relationship with him and overflow with the Good News to others.

Grace to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus demonstrated his commitment to proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. It didn't matter whether people rejected his message or embraced it. He was going to continue to proclaim it. This was his agenda, and it comes as no surprise.

It is surprising however, that from the beginning of his ministry, Jesus demonstrated his plan to carry out this proclamation by sending others to speak on his behalf. It's even more surprising to see whom he sends.

Perhaps we would assume that Jesus would continue to send angels to be his messengers. Instead, he sends human beings. He sends people who, in many cases, not only seem to lack the worldly qualifications to serve as spokesman for the Lord but who all lack the spiritual qualifications to stand in the presence of the Lord, much less speak on his behalf.

So how does he prepare them? He makes them recipients of the very cleansing he commissions them to proclaim. He draws unworthy sinners into his presence to provide them the free gift of holiness that they lack. Once cleansed, these same sinners jump at the opportunity to be the ones through whom God does the same for others.

Yes, the messengers God sends are in many ways the least qualified for the job. However, those who deserve to be cast out of God's presence are first drawn in and then sent out.

Last Sunday we heard Jesus make this declaration, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God in other places too, for that is why I was sent” (Lk 4:43).

The necessity of those words bring him to the Sea of Galilee looking for disciples. And they are the words that bring him to this place—Wednesday night after Wednesday night—seeking you and me. So this evening we will learn about those who are Caught without Christ, then hear about those who are Caught by Christ. Finally, we will learn how Jesus intends to Catch Others.

The occasion of the Gospel reading today we find a resident of Capernaum who is not so sure whether Jesus should stay. The apostle Peter says, “Go away from me, Lord.” Those are strange words for a man who’s just been given a whole boatload full of blessings, but they can’t keep Jesus from staying with Peter because by his very nature, Jesus is a loving seeker. Let’s talk about what happened.

Caught without Christ

It is difficult to comprehend that God would look for people who may not be interested in seeking him. But that’s exactly what we have in today’s reading. Jesus is concerned about the large crowd of people pressing around him. In other places in Scripture, he says they remind him of sheep without a shepherd. Here and elsewhere, Jesus’ response to their need is to teach them.

Jesus our Lord is constantly searching for those who are without a shepherd, including the sheep who have wandered away from His flock. The history of humanity has been the continual refusal to cling to him and his promises.

This started in the Garden of Eden. Deceived by the serpent, Eve and Adam trusted the lie of the devil more than the love of God their creator. Before they were expelled from Paradise, God promised them that he would send one—through the seed of the woman—who would rescue them by crushing the head of the serpent, thereby paving the way for humanity’s return to God’s presence.

So Jesus—the Seed of the woman—first takes care of the most important need—humanity’s need for Him. That’s because Jesus knows that all people are caught-up in their sins without Him. We heard Isaiah confess his sinfulness. Yet, Jesus’ concern is translated into action. So he gets into Peter’s boat and puts out just a bit from the shore so he can teach the people who are all around him.

Peter, of course, is included among those who are caught without Jesus. Even though Jesus has already healed many people, including Peter’s mother-in-law, Peter and the other disciples were still trapped in the net of sin, as are all people.

However, Jesus’ identity is starting to sink in for Peter, because although he calls Jesus “Master,” a polite term, he is willing to obey this Master.

Caught by Christ

What’s interesting is that this “carpenter” from Nazareth is about to give some advice to a “professional fishermen”. They have been out all night. They haven’t caught a thing. And anyone who knows anything about fishermen knows you don’t ask “Did you try over there?” to someone who comes in empty-handed after fishing all night. But Jesus ignores conventional wisdom. It’s no accident that He chose to use Peter’s boat, because Jesus’ words about seeking people by preaching the Good News are still ringing in our ears, and Peter still has some Good News to hear.

Put yourself in Peter’s place. You’re a fisherman—a pro—and you know everything there is to know about fishing. You know that if the fish are going to run at all, it’s going to be at night. You know that you don’t catch fish in deep water, but in shallower areas. You respect Jesus—he’s a great healer, he speaks in a compelling manner. But what does he know about fishing?

Miracle of miracles, instead of saying, “You stick to what you’re good at, and let me be the fishing expert.” No. Instead Peter says, “Because you say so, I will let down the nets.” That is because Peter thinks he is the one who is going fishing. He doesn’t realize that the net of Jesus’ seeking love has just surrounded another soul for his Father’s kingdom.

You know the rest of the story. Peter responds in faith, and he and his partners bring in more fish than they can handle. The fishermen pull up their boats, leave everything, and follow Jesus. That’s why Jesus was sent not simply to do some miracles and impress people, but to be a seeker after people.

People like Peter, and the disciples, and the crowds, and you and me can hear the Good News of having our sins forgiven, and then follow him. Jesus says, “This is why I was sent. This is why I was conceived. This is why I was born. This is why I suffered. This is why I was crucified. This is why my Father departed from Me, because I became sin for you. But then I died and rose again, crushing the head of the serpent once and for all—to bring you the Good News.”

Catching Others

What Peter learns is that God plan for catching others always include the efforts of his followers.

But have you ever noticed that sometimes God’s people just don’t seem interested in catching others? Remember another fish incident in Scripture?

A man by the name of Jonah was running away from the Lord, not because he was preoccupied with his possessions or activities, but because he just didn’t want to get involved when God wanted him to preach to the people of Nineva.

After he repented, God used his witness to bring faith to an entire city.

To all of us who have ever been “Jonahs,” the word is clear: Jesus says, “Repent and stop being afraid—I’ve forgiven you. Now I’ve got things for you to do.”

Could Jesus be calling you men and young men to catch others for Him in the vocational Pastoral ministry?

Jesus cleansed Isaiah from sin in our OT reading and Peter in today’s Gospel, who then out of gratitude and empowered by Christ’s Word began to serve by telling others the Good News of Christ Jesus. So too, is Jesus calling you?

As I look around the room I see several young men who have been cleansed from sin, made into a new creation—are now holy in Christ. ___________, are you willing to consider that God may be calling you now into this life of ministry for the sake of His kingdom?

Are you willing to consider that God may be calling you into this life of holy ministry?

Jesus delivered the best news a sinner trembling in the presence of a holy God can hear: “Don’t be afraid” (Lk 5:10). Instead of casting Simon Peter from his presence, Jesus draws him in. Then Jesus sent him out to do the very same thing for others that He is doing. And, Jesus is doing the very same thing for you.

Don’t be afraid! “Faith comes from hearing the preached Word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). He sent Simon Peter to fish for people, to find sinners content with their place outside of the presence of God, and by casting the Gospel net, draws them in. ___________, are you willing to prayerfully consider that God desires to send you to do the same?

But Simon Peter is afraid to go fishing with Jesus for another reason:

He and Isaiah—from our Old Testament Reading—are shivering in their boots because they realize they’ve just been in contact with the most holy person in the universe, and they realize how far short they fall from his expectations. And yet, God uses them.

You and I must realize we’re in the boat along with Peter and Isaiah, and we must respond along with Peter, “Lord, I am a sinful person,” and with Isaiah, “Here am I, send me!”

Yet, the glorious good news for today is Jesus is still seeking and He is still in the boat with us.

When it feels like your sins are about to catch up with you and you wonder if God could love and use a person like you, he says, “Don’t be afraid. I have taken away your sin, and the gift from my altar confirms this as it touches your lips. Your sins are atoned for. Now, I want you to go fishing with Me!”

This is love and acceptance, that the greatest fisherman in the world isn’t put off by your sins, instead He carried them to the cross and they were nailed there with Him. And now He continually seeks after you so that you can be with him, and do the same things HE does.

When you realize that you have been accepted by God, and are now surrounded by the net of His seeking love, then your response of faith puts you in the same position as Peter (and Isaiah): ready to do whatever Jesus says and ready to go wherever he sends.

That’s what happened to me many years ago.

At the age of 39, though we were financially stable, I was dissatisfied with pushing paper in my former career. So I turned to the Lord lamenting, “Is this what you want me to be doing with my life?”

It was then it became clear that Jesus wants me to go fishing with Him.

Despite our sinfulness and unclean lips, we need not fear God’s holy powerful presence, or Christ’s call to catch men; for Christ has atoned for our sin.

Jesus said to Peter, and now to you and me, “Stop being afraid. I have forgiven your failures and your fears and all of your excuses. Now, join me in fishing for others.”

What a great way to be reminded that our God loves to fish and His desire and will is for all of us to bring others into the net of His forgiveness, love, and grace. What a joy to be sought and found by Him, and what a privilege and honor to go fishing with Him!