Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Luke 5:1-11
Pastor: Pastor Schlicht
Sermon Date:  February 6, 2022

Today’s Gospel account starts with some dirty nets and discouraged men. Three are mentioned by name, but there were actually four—Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, is named in other accounts. So we have Andrew, Simon Peter, and then the sons of Zebedee, James and John. Before they became Jesus’ fulltime disciples, these four men were fishermen. Not recreational fishermen, but workers whose families went hungry if there was no catch. That is what made this a discouraging morning for the four fishermen.  They had fished all night and caught nothing but sand, seaweed, and a few tears to mend.

There was a crowd on the beach near where they were working.  A big crowd. They were listening to Jesus, the famous Rabbi and prophet, powerful in word and deed. Jesus had recently returned from Jerusalem and his return to Capernaum had not gone unnoticed. People came from all over Galilee to hear the great teacher. The four men washing nets also knew Jesus. They knew his teaching. They, like many, thought that he might be the promised Messiah. But this morning they were too dejected to be focused on his Words, they had work to finish, and likely would be headed home to get some sleep. But Jesus had other plans for them that morning.

The crowd was pressing right up to the water’s edge so Jesus walked along the shore to the four men washing their nets and he stepped right into Simon’s boat. “Would you row me out a little ways and anchor?” And Simon immediately obeys. I have no doubt that he was exhausted at this point, but it would be an honor to serve the great teacher, somewhat of a consolation prize in that he hadn’t caught any fish the night before but at least he was able to help Jesus that morning. He and Andrew threw in the nets and put their shoulders to the boat, driving it into the water. They hopped in and, with not much more than a couple pulls, we came a few yards off shore and dropped anchor, turning the boat so that Jesus could teach the people from the stern. From this floating pulpit Jesus continued to teach the crowds all morning into the early afternoon. When he finished and all the people went home, Simon grabbed the oars to row them in. But just then Jesus turns to him and says, “Put out into the deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.” It was really something for Jesus, a carpenter’s son to tell a professional fisherman how to do his business. And Peter answered Jesus immediately by explaining the facts of life to him. “Master, we worked hard all through the night and caught nothing.” He says, in effect, “It won’t work.”

Have you ever been there? You do your best.  You work hard. And the results are zero. An important relationship goes sour and there is nothing you can do, it seems useless to try. You watch a marriage dissolve and you can’t save it.  A project you’ve worked hard on just won’t pan out.  You know what I’m talking about.  It’s where it seems as if the harder you try, the less you produce.  It’s the place where all your wisdom and all your experience tells you to just give up.  I’m sure you’ve gone fishing all night and come up empty too, I know I have. Peter and Andrew, James and John, they knew the lake, the ledges where the fish congregated, the kind of weather you had to have to bring in a good catch. Their families had been working the lake for generations.  They knew the time to fish, and where to fish. They had gone fishing at the right time, and at the right place.  And they got nothing. Jesus could see that. Anyone could see that. Dirty nets and no fish in sight. And yet Jesus still says, “Try over there … over there in the deep water.” In the deep? The worst place to fish, in the heat of the day, where the nets will be clearly visible to the fish? Really, Jesus?!

But, in spite of being exhausted, in spite of better knowledge, in spite of a multitude of good reasons not to,  Simon Peter replies, “But at your word I will let down the nets.”  Why he agreed to row out into the deeper water, we do not know.  Maybe he was learning to trust Jesus, or he did it just to appease him, maybe it was because of something in Jesus’ tone of voice. Whatever the reason, Peter did what Jesus asked of him. 

And you heard what happened… They threw the nets out and caught so many fish that the nets began to break. John and James came alongside and helped, filling both boats to the point of sinking.  It was an amazing catch.  A catch made in deep water.  A catch where there should have been no catch.  A catch taken at a time of day when it should have been impossible. 

My friends, it seems there is always something holding us back from getting over our ordinary concerns, worries and frets and cares. There is always something holding us back from jumping into this Christian life with both feet, from really obeying God’s Word and supporting Christ’s kingdom. That could mean telling someone about him, or making a truly sacrificial offering to him, or keeping a commandment, or even just taking a risk in loving and living confident of the Lord being able to provide the strength you need. There’s always a reason not to. Remember what Peter said? “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.”  

I bet you know all sorts of reasons not to as well.  There’s always a reason not to… not to say something, not to ask for something, not to risk something. We know the lake. We know the conditions. We know ourselves. Maybe too much! We know others are more qualified and better liked. We’ve been burned before. We know how badly it turned out for someone else. We know how hard it is and how fruitless it seems. And so, even though God’s promised us all the resources, gifts and abilities we need, we often choose to simply go back to the shore and complain. And you know why? It’s because of fear.  In the end all of our reasons not to boil down to fear.  Whether it’s fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of losing our freedom, fear of embarrassment, fear of it costing us too much, fear of disappointment, fear of ending up alone, fear of getting hurt or worse.  It all comes down to fear.

You can hear it in Peter’s voice when he falls before Jesus, waist-deep in flopping fish, and says, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Peter was realizing his fear. His knowledge and experience hadn’t prepared him for this. His faith had been shown feeble. His understanding was lacking. And as he stood there pulling in fish and fish it dawned on him that the one who saw down to the bottom of the lake could also see to the bottom of his heart. He realized that man in his boat was also the holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, and he knew he did not deserve to be in his presence. Just like Isaiah, he knew that his sin and doubt should repel the holiness of God. But what did Jesus say to him? “Have no fear.” The Lord, who in love had hidden his glory in flesh and yet who possessed such obvious power and authority over all creation, says to Simon, “Have no fear. From now on you will be catching people.”

But what about the fish?  Who would clean them?  Shouldn’t they be taken to market?  What about tomorrow?  When will the nets get washed? With a couple more catches like this, they could add that extra boat… There were all sorts of reasons not to become fishers of men, but because of Jesus “after they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.”

Brothers and sisters, there’s always going to be a reason not to do what the Lord asks—be it a call to serve, an opportunity to witness, a chance to give more, a time to sacrifice for others, or follow his commandments. As sinners our fears seize upon those reasons, real or imagined … but Jesus is here this morning to say “Have no fear” Don’t be afraid! And there’s also a good reason to listen to him, for he is more than the one who fills nets with fish that weren’t supposed to be there.  He’s not just an ancient teacher, he’s the Savior of the World.  Look to his cross to see him take your sins and guilt and fear of punishment away. Look to his empty grave to see him take the fear of death away. Then look at Simon Peter kneeling among all those fish and hear Jesus’ words spoken to you as well as to him. “Have no fear.” Put away your fears of failure, of rejection, of disappointment, of embarrassment taken away too, for the Lord is in your boat.

Where is he asking you to go today?  Where’s the deep water he wants you to put out into…those places you’ve decided are pointless to go anymore? May we trust what Simon Peter came to see: that our knowledge and our experience are not equal to God’s wisdom, that his ways are not our ways, that his timing is better. That his grace not only forgives our sins and but calls us to be part of his kingdom and his mission! Imagine what people would have said when they saw those boats, teeming with fish, abandoned on the shore…There’s always going to be a reason not to answer when God calls, but because of Jesus no reason is good enough. Have no fear and follow him!  Amen.