Luke 5:1-11

(sermon note: 01-26 sermon note)

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

This morning’s reading reminds me of the one about two idiots who went on a fishing trip. They rented all the equipment – the reels, the rods, the wading suits, the rowboat, the car, and even a cabin in the woods. They spent a fortune! The first day they went fishing, but they didn’t catch anything. The same thing happened on the second day…and on the third day. It went on like this until finally, on the last day of their holiday, one of the men caught a fish. While they were driving home, they were really depressed. One guy turned to the other and said, “Do you realize that this one lousy fish we caught cost us $1,500!” The other guy shook his head and said, “Wow! It’s a good thing we didn’t catch anymore!”

Who knew that’s the price for catching a fish?! That might explain why I haven’t caught too many fish in my lifetime…I just didn’t pay the right price! Seems a little steep though. Of course, it IS absurdly steep! No fish is worth that price except maybe those rare deep-sea fish…ya know, the 1,000 lb. tunas! But heck, you more than make up for the cost once you sell ‘em. I guess I’m just destined not to catch too many fish regardless of what I pay for the experience. But it is a relaxing experience and good to convene in God’s creation every now and then. And I know that some people spend well over $1,500 and don’t even catch a single fish so I shouldn’t feel bad about my measly record.

I can certainly commiserate with Simon Peter when Jesus asked him to put his nets out after a whole night of not catching any fish. “C’mon Jesus, we’ve been at it for hours! The fish just ain’t biting!” That’s just the nature of the game though. Fish will bite when they want to bite and there’s no amount of prepping that you can do to ensure they will bite when you want them to bite. Fish, like people, have a will of their own. Not to mention the sheer multitude of factors that can influence a fish into biting. Sometimes the water’s too cold, sometimes it’s too hot. Sometimes there’s plenty of alternative food sources, sometimes there aren’t. Sometimes the water’s too deep, sometimes it’s too shallow. Sometimes the bait or lure just isn’t appetizing! There is a MULTITUDE of reasons why the fish aren’t biting besides the fisherman’s ineptitude! I take comfort in this as I’m sure Simon Peter did as well. Some days are better for catching fish than others and there’s no reason to lose sleep over it. Just pack up your nets and try another day…

Unlessssss you have Jesus entice you to throw out your nets just one more time! With Jesus, you can never go wrong, and you’ll be surprised at what you can catch. Heaven knows Simon and James and John were quite surprised to bring in their overwhelming catch that day! They shouldn’t have been. Jesus can make the impossible possible. But they didn’t know that yet. Sure, they’d heard rumors of what Jesus could do but they hadn’t witnessed his mighty powers quite yet. Jesus enabling such an abundant catch was the first time they witnessed firsthand Jesus’ mighty power. They, like all of us, needed to experience firsthand the power of Christ to become faithful followers and believers. And that power can be overt or subtle depending on all the different types of personalities. Some people need something extraordinary to come to believe. Others something less extraordinary. Some people are naturally prone to believe while others need a whole lot of convincing. I suppose people aren’t all that unlike fish in that regard. Some people are eager to bite while others need just the right conditions to bite. It’s no wonder Jesus used the men’s miraculous catch to illustrate how they would eventually become great fisher of people. Belief and fishing have surprisingly similar characteristics.

And in order to have belief we must also have faith, which for many people this seems like a contradiction. For many people, the idea of belief involves conviction and certainty. They don’t believe unless they’re convicted or certain about that which they believe in. But true belief requires some degree of uncertainty. True belief requires faith. And what is at the core of faith? TRUST! Jesus wants us to believe in him, but we must first place our faith and trust in him. We must first be willing to walk into the unknown with him leading the way. The certainty and conviction will come but only through uncertainty and trust.

Jesus called several people to come and follow him and they variably wanted to know why or where they were going. Recall his words of response, “Come and see.” Jesus isn’t a destination. He’s a journey; a journey into the unknown. For every answer he gives, another question arises. Absolute certainty is fleeting. Jesus doesn’t give absolute certainty. Jesus gives an experience of peace and understanding and wholeness and contentment. It’s no wonder the Proverbs tell us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.” (3:5) To trust with all your heart means to show faith. It means to allow God to show you the way. Psalm 37 says, “commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” (vs. 5) Friends, let HIM lead the way! We only get lost when we lead ourselves. But He knows where we want to go and only He knows the way to get there.

Jesus enticed those fishermen to leave their nets, follow him, and become fisher of people. We should be similarly enticed. Just look at how Jesus transformed their catch into one of abundance! Our God is a God of abundance! Our God is a loving God! The prophet, Isaiah, proclaims, “trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock.” (26:4) What a gift to have a rock! Thanks be to God!

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