Sermons for the Month
We Too Bring People To A Better Place, A Better Life
DATE: Februrary 8th, 2004
SERVICE: Fifth Sunday After The Epiphany
TEXT: Luke 5:1-11“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
Amazing things are beginning to happen in our Gospel readings as this Epiphany season continues. Crowds are pressing in on Jesus who has healed and cast out demons and is fulfilling his purpose of proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Once empty nets are filled to the breaking point with squirming fish and those who work those nets leave them behind to become disciples.
Excitement is building, lives are being changed, the natural course of events is not so predictable and in the midst of it all we hear Peter's (who also is called Simon in this text) mournful voice, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." Somehow, that request does not seem to fit the mood of building anticipation.
"Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man," that phrase has been rummaging around in my brain for a week. The obvious reason that Peter said it, according to the Gospel reading, is that he and all who witnessed it were amazed at the catch of fish that Jesus had miraculously placed in their nets. But as I reflect on the story I can't help but wonder if there was a combination of things going on for Peter beyond that which was obvious.
Get a picture of Peter in your minds, what would a professional fisherman in the first century look like? I see someone who is strong, with muscular arms and legs that are the natural result of putting boats out into the water and hauling in heavy nets. I see dark, sun burned skin, coarse, matted hair and a man who would rather work than talk. Yet, there is depth beyond the external roughness and a deep desire to be a better person in a better world.
That's the image that comes to my mind. And, as I think about the day that is described in today's text, I cannot help but wonder what it would be like to have been fishing all night, without success, to be cleaning up the nets, more than ready to go home and sleep and then to have this traveling teacher ask to use your boat as a stage.
It's easy for me to imagine that Peter might not be in the best of moods. He wants to call it a night, not get back in the boat. He's tired, frustrated. Some scholars extol Peter's obedience when he responded favorably to Jesus' request. I'm not inclined to give him that much credit.
I wonder if he was grumbling inside, not really wanting to put the boat out from the shore. But, he had been taught to respect teachers; he owed Jesus something because he had healed his mother-in-law. Perhaps, he was curious after hearing so much about this man and is surprised by the huge crowd that is following him. So, he moved the boat and then stood there, listening to Jesus, perhaps overwhelmed by fatigue.
What do you suppose he was thinking when, after he was finished speaking, Jesus told him to take the boat out into the deep water and let down the nets? It seems unlikely to me that Peter jumped for joy, but perhaps I'm a pessimist.
Think about it. This is Peter's profession. He and his partners have fished all night - which evidently is the best time for fishing or they would not be doing it then. The nets have been washed. They are ready to go home! Peter even expresses his doubt; his common sense must tell him that there is no reason to try again.
Maybe I'm imposing my own feelings on this, but it seems entirely possible that Peter did not enthusiastically get back in the boat; he may have internally asked, "Why are we doing this; it's a waste of time?" Yet, he acknowledges Jesus as one who has authority, and does it.
Then, what is usually seen as the climax of the story occurs; they experience a blessing that is almost too much; the catch of fish is so huge that the boat they are in - and a second one that comes out to assist them - are sinking.
Peter falls to his knees. "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." Could it be that Peter is overwhelmed, not only by the sight of all those fish, but because he knows what has been going on in his head? Could it be that all that internal grumbling and doubting has caught up with him?
"Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." He feels unworthy of the blessing and, since Jesus tells him not to be afraid, he must be worried about what will happen next. Will he be punished for his imperfect humanness?"
No, he won't. Do you hear that word of grace? This is the true climax of the story. Jesus tells him that he will from this point on assist in fulfilling Jesus' purpose of proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He will catch people.
It's interesting to me that the closer translation of that verb we usually designate as "catch" is to capture alive, or to trap. Think about it; what's the purpose of a live trap? It's usually used to move an animal, unharmed, to a better setting, either because it is in danger or because the animal is becoming a problem in that environment. So, Jesus is saying that Peter is going to be in the business of moving people on to a better place, a better life.
You and I are also in the business of capturing people alive, of helping them move on to a better place, a better life. That's what we are called to do regardless of how much internal whining, complaining, doubting we have done, nor even if we are convinced that our imperfect humanness disqualifies us. It doesn't.
But Pastor, you say, there were times this week when I really, really fell short of the glory of God. So? You should have heard my internal conversation when, on Tuesday morning, I stumbled into my kitchen and before I could turn lights on experienced sloshing under my slippers. It's always so pleasant to wake up to a kitchen floor covered by water from the roof leak that was supposed to have been fixed last spring. I'm sure the Lord was not too please with what I was thinking about those who had done the repair work. But, I was not suddenly disqualified from my "moving people to a better life tasks" for the day. And perhaps it was fortunate that this time I only had to ask the Lord for forgiveness.
You see, my colleagues in ministry, the Lord will not go away from us anymore than he went away from Peter. We are people who have been touched by the forgiving grace of God, and who are in the midst of transformation.
Jesus won't walk away from us, but neither will he let us off the hook. His work is our work, even if we do not do it perfectly. As Carolyn said so eloquently at the leaders' meetings this week, the church is the only organization that exists for people other than its members. We exist to "capture people alive" and bring them to a better place, a better life.
Somehow, even before the church was the church, Peter, James and John grasped that vision and left that huge catch of fish - imagine, the biggest catch of their lives - they left it behind to follow Jesus. Were they perfect people? The testimony of scripture is that they were not. But did God use them? The fact that we are here today testifies to the fact that God empowered their witness.
I believe the words that Jesus spoke to Peter as he knelt in that boat, burdened by his own short comings, are for us as well. In spite of it all, Jesus says to us, "Don't be afraid. You too will be catching people." AMEN