Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
Text: Luke 5:1-11
Pastor Jean M. Hansen
A group here at Faith Lutheran Church has watched four seasons of “The Chosen”, a television series about the life of Jesus. I’m betting that those who saw the episode in which today’s Gospel is depicted viewed it again in their minds’ eyes as this familiar account was read this morning. I know that was the case for me.
As one of the participants noted, a positive thing about the series is that it’s a reminder that Jesus, the disciples and those they encountered were actual people with varied personalities, short-comings and gifts. The amazing thing is, though, that as “real” (imperfect?) as the disciples were, they also became a formidable force in history. Today’s account marks the beginning of a movement that culminated in the founding of the Christian church.
So, let’s begin by reviewing its context, and some interesting details. The first important point is that in Luke’s account, Jesus had healed Simon’s mother-in-law before this event, which means that Simon (who later is renamed Peter) had met Jesus and experienced the “something special” about him before the episode on the Lake of Gennesaret (which also was called the Sea of Galilee).
Therefore, it was only natural that Simon wanted to help Jesus as he taught on the Lake’s shore. The people, many of whom may have encountered Jesus in the towns and villages of Galilee (or at least heard of him), were crowding in to hear what he had to say. So, Jesus got into Simon’s fishing boat and asked to be pushed out a short distance from the shore.
Simon, his brother Andrew, and their business partners James and John were professional fishermen who worked at night, and that morning were cleaning the nets, a tedious job after exhausting hours of work. Yet, given the healing of his mother-in-law, Simon was willing to provide Jesus a platform from which to speak (and perhaps wanted to hear more from him.)
But when he had finished teaching, Jesus ventured into Simon’s world; he told him to put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch. That would be something like me telling Bob or Sarah how to play the organ, or giving advice to Danny and Kaylen about live-streaming. “You’ve got to be kidding,” I imagine Simon thinking, since there were a number of reasons not to do what Jesus requested. “1. I’m the fisherman here and know that the best fishing is done at night. 2. We are exhausted, having caught no fish last night. 3. That would mean cleaning the nets again. So, thanks for the suggestion, Jesus, but NO.”
Instead, though, Simon said, “If you say so, I will let down the nets.” Don’t you wonder why? That was a life-altering moment for Simon as the question hung in the balance, “will he trust Jesus?” I like the way Pastor Bruce Goettsche described the situation, “…would he trust Jesus…even though is friends would not be pleased to clean the net again…even though it didn’t make any sense to him…even though it went against everything he had been taught…even thought it was going to mean more work for him…even though it would make him look foolish in front of his friends? (1)
Would Simon trust Jesus even though he did not see any possible benefit of doing so? That raises an interesting question, how often do we want following Jesus to not really be about following Jesus, but about Jesus accompanying us in our lives and blessing the things we want to do? It seems that Simon took his boat back into deep water and tossed out the net because he wanted to honor Jesus, not because he believed a big catch was in his future. That is what makes what happened next so significant.
The formerly empty nets became so full that help was needed to haul them in, and in the end two boats were filled to the point of sinking. It was almost as if fish were jumping into the boat, anxious to be caught! In this day and age we would be fumbling with our cell phones, trying to capture the moment on video, probably laughing and shaking our heads in amazement. But not Simon, he fell on his knees and proclaimed, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
Simon simultaneously recognized that Jesus was much more than a healer and teacher, and he also saw himself clearly. And, although he asked Jesus to leave, just the opposite occurred; Simon was caught by Jesus and from then on would be catching people.
It’s interesting to note Simon could only experience this miracle because he took part in it: he went out into the deep water even though he might have felt it was a waste of time and energy. Why was that? I think that the Holy Spirit was at work … and continued to be present in Simon (Peter) and the other followers’ lives, leading them to change the world.
It could happen to us too. Listen to how Pastor Leonard J. VanderZee describes that happening: “It all begins when Jesus comes to us in the middle of our loves, where we live, the seaside, the classroom, the hospital, the office, the kitchen, and asks us to trust him enough to do one strange little thing, like fishing in deep water in broad daylight. It’s the kind of thing that’s a little weird, a bit outside your usual routine. It’s the sort of request that demands trust because you wouldn’t normally do it. That’s the way Jesus’ call often comes. Christ invades our everyday lives with one of these little offbeat impulses, these strange biddings. We have the feeling they are coming from him, though we’re not sure. And a lot hangs on what we do with them. What if Peter had ignored Jesus’ strange suggestion?” (2)
How has this, or is this happening to you? I know it is because so much of our ministry as a congregation – like the Laundry Ministry or becoming a RIC congregation or the Community Garden or the Ohio Mission Trip or the Memorial Courtyard – grew out of someone feeling an impulse to wade out into the deep water, so the speak So, let me ask that question again, how has this, or is this happening to you?
It’s also important to note that Jesus’ request of Simon came at a point of vulnerability … they had fished all night and caught nothing. That may be when Jesus’ call comes to us; when we least expect it. It may be when we feel like we’re already in deep water due to struggles, dissatisfaction, boredom or even failure. Can, we will, we trust Jesus then? Will we be willing to go out even deeper, to throw out the net and step out in faith?
Quoting Pastor VanderZee again, “I think Jesus is constantly inviting us into deep places. He’s calling us to acts of trust and courage, while we want to play it safe. He’s calling us to step out in faith and freedom while we cling to our safe and familiar fears and anxieties. He’s calling us to think and live deeply, to face our doubts and fears, and to abandon ourselves to the depths of God’s abundant life.” (3)
For Peter, Andrew, James and John that meant suffering with Jesus, but also hearing his life-altering words, experiencing amazing acts and witnessing the ultimate triumph of life in the face of death. Their lives were transformed, and the world was transformed through them. May it be so for us, too. AMEN
“A Life-Changing Moment”, Luke 5:1-13 by the Rev. Bruce Goettshe, Union Church, LaHarpe, IL.
“Luke 5:1-11 Commentary” by Scott Hoezee, February 10, 2013,
Same as #2