Thursday, February 14, 2019

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany


Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (C)
February 10, 2019
Text: Luke 5:1-11

            The boat, the Word, the water, and the nets.  A sinful man, a fisherman by trade, named Simon, and the people who have come to hear the Word of God from the mouth of the Lord Jesus.  That is the scene.  The crowd is great in number, and they are pressing in on Jesus.  He gets into the boat belonging to Simon and asks him to push out a little from the land.  And there He sits and teaches the people from the boat.  Jesus is in the boat, speaking His Word across the water while the fishermen are washing their nets.  And this is how it will be now that the Kingdom of God has come in the flesh of Jesus of Nazareth.  For the boat is a picture of the Church.  The Church is the ark by which we are saved through the flood of Baptism.  We even call the sanctuary of the Church where you are sitting “the nave,” a nautical term.  We get the word “Navy” from the same root.  It is in the Church where Jesus sits, speaking His life-giving Word to those gathered to hear Him.  He gathers them by the Gospel in the water, the nets in the sea, the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word.  He gathers them into the boat, into the Church.  And in this way, they are saved. 
            The sinful man, Simon (we know him as Peter), is at the helm of the boat.  He and his partners (his brother Andrew and the sons of Zebedee, James and John) know how to fish.  Or so they thought.  But here they’ve toiled all night and caught nothing.  Now Jesus, who has finished His sermon, tells them to put out into the deep and let down their nets for a catch.  Well, that’s just silly.  It’s not the right time for fishing.  If we didn’t catch anything all night, we’re not going to catch anything now, in the light of day.  And who are You, anyway, Jesus, to tell us how to do our job?  The disciples had not yet been called, but they did know Jesus.  Why, it wasn’t so long ago that Jesus had healed Peter’s mother-in-law of the fever, and many others of their afflictions and cast out demons in front of Peter’s house.  So, while the request is rather absurd, let’s humor the Preacher once and do what He says.  At Your Word, Jesus, I will let down the nets.  And what happens?  Such a large number of fish the nets begin to break!  Both boats are filled, and they begin to sink!  It’s such an over-the-top miracle, which is just like Jesus to do.  There is always more with Jesus, more than we can think or ask.[1]
            And Peter is terrified.  He’s a sinful man.  And Jesus is holy.  It’s a rerun of our Old Testament reading (Is. 6:1-13).  Isaiah, the sinner, the man of unclean lips in the midst of a people of unclean lips, believes he is a dead man in the presence of the thrice-holy God.  And he’s right!  He would be, were it not for the cleansing that comes from the altar, the coal with which the angel touches his lips to purify him.  Here in our Gospel, Peter falls down before the Lord Jesus, confessing his sins.  And Jesus absolves him, takes away his sin.  Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10; ESV).  Do not be afraid.”  “I am not here to condemn you, Peter.  I have not come to kill you, but to forgive you and give you life.  And I have come to call you as my own, and ordain you my Apostle, a preacher in my stead, to pilot, not just a fishing boat, but my holy Church.  The net you will be casting is my Word, the preaching, the Gospel.  And this forgiveness of sins I have bestowed upon you, you and your fellow Apostles will bestow upon others as my own mouthpiece.  You will cast the nets into the water.  You will wash my people clean.  That is the Office I here create.  The Preaching Office.  The Office of the Keys.  The Office of the Holy Ministry.” 
            From now on you will be catching men.”  Actually, that doesn’t quite catch the Greek.  Better would be, “From now on you will be catching men alive!  What a beautiful phrase.  Not only will you not be catching men unto their death, as you have been catching fish, but you will actually be catching men into life.  That is what happens when you catch men by the Gospel in the water and bring them into the boat that is the Church.  They live.  They do not die.  For the first time in their lives, they live!  Because Jesus is in the boat.  The Gospel is the Word of Jesus.  The water is that included in Jesus’ command and combined with Jesus’ Word.  Therefore it puts the very life of Jesus into those who were dead in their trespasses and sins. 
            So Jesus is in the boat, and at His Word, the nets do their thing, and in comes the catch.  Get it?  When Jesus is not in the boat, and has not given His Word, Peter and the guys fish all night and catch nothing.  No matter how hard they work.  No matter what tricks they try.  But when Jesus is in the boat, speaking His Word, the Word does what He wills it to do.  It reminds us of what we confess in the Augustana, Article V: That we may obtain justifying faith in Christ, “the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Ghost is given, who works faith; where and when it pleases God, in them that hear the Gospel, to wit, that God, not for our own merits, but for Christ's sake, justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ's sake.”[2]  The Spirit works faith when and where it pleases God in those who hear the Gospel.  Christ is in His Gospel.  The Gospel delivers Christ.  Men are caught, that is, come to faith in Christ, as it pleases God to make it so in the preaching. 
            And not when we’re trying our own gimmicks and tricks.  Not by our hard work, toiling all night.  Not by our know-how and ingenuity.  Men aren’t caught and the Church doesn’t grow by Church-growth principles, denominational programs, or religious fads.  Men are not caught by attractive people in skinny jeans with drums and guitars singing meaningless mantras that ape the culture and may or may not even mention Christ.  Certainly withholding certain doctrinal articles, keeping mum certain teachings of Christ because they might be offensive to newcomers will never catch men.  There is only one thing that catches men.  Jesus in the boat, speaking His Word. 
            And by the way, we don’t always see the spectacular results.  Here we are, trying to launch a boat, a brand new congregation, and we know Jesus is with us in the boat, speaking His Word of life, but we’re not in any immediate danger of sinking because we have too many people.  That would be great, but that isn’t the promise here, and you’ve missed the miracle if you think it is.  People come to faith where and when it pleases God in those who hear the Gospel.  The catch is up to Him.  Not you and me.  We are not called to success.  We are called to faithfulness.  We are called to take the boat into the deep and let down the net.  We are called to go into the deep darkness of this world and proclaim the Gospel.  And it’s silly.  We often toil all night and seems like there’s no reward for our work.  You really want us to keep at it, Jesus?  To keep preaching the Gospel to a world that doesn’t want it?  Okay.  We’ll humor you.  At your Word we will let down the nets.
            And, of course, we’re blind to the miracle it is any time a baby is baptized.  Or an adult, which is an even greater miracle.  We’re blind to the miracle it is when sinners repent of their sins and believe the forgiveness given in the Absolution, when men and women, young and old are catechized in the faith by Jesus’ continued teaching, when the crucified and risen body and blood of Jesus Christ is placed into your mouth to give you life.  You are the miracle!  You’ve been caught by the net of the Gospel in the water.  You’ve been brought, by grace, into the boat.  Because Jesus sent His disciples fishing. 
            Do not be afraid,” Jesus says to Peter, absolving his sins.  And He says it to every Christian pastor, and to every Christian.  Do not be afraid.  You are a sinful man, but your sins are forgiven.  I take them away by my death.  I nail them to my cross.  I cover them with my blood.  I bury them in my tomb.  I am risen from the dead, but your sins will never rise.  They are separated from you as far as the east is from the west.  They no longer accuse you.  And such Absolution always leads to mission.  You, being forgiven of all your sins, declare that forgiveness to others.  The Church is the lifeboat for sinners, forgiving their sins.  Peter and the sons of Zebedee heard this forgiveness, and they got up and left everything to follow Jesus.  They became the first Christian preachers.  Understand, the fishing business was much more lucrative and prestigious than we give it credit for.  Remember how John was able to gain entrance to the High Priest’s house because he was known to him?  Probably the High Priest was a customer of John’s.  It’s a big operation, this fishing business.  And they leave it all, their livelihood, their possessions, in the case of James and John, their poor father.  It reminds us of the seminary students who leave lucrative and influential positions in the world to study for the Holy Ministry.  I’m not talking about myself, by the way.  I came to the seminary right out of college, and my whole education was theology and preparation for ministry, so if this doesn’t work out for me, I’m in trouble.  But these guys are the real heroes who leave everything behind, secure employment and large salaries, pack up their wives and children to become servants of the Word.  What on earth possesses them?  Jesus and His Word of forgiveness.  Their sins are forgiven.  That drives them to preach it to others. 
            But it isn’t just pastors.  It’s you.  Here you are in a mission congregation.  Okay, maybe we’re not a mission congregation anymore now that we’re self-standing, but for all practical purposes.  We don’t even have an office or a building to call home.  We’re totally at the mercy of our gracious hosts, and we’re very thankful for them.  But again, we’re just trying to launch a boat.  It’s hard work.  Humanly speaking, things are not all that certain.  The experts said we wouldn’t make it this far.  What on earth possesses us to do such a thing, to engage in such a venture?  Our sins are forgiven.  And that drives us to preach that forgiveness to others, to confess Christ to our community, to our friends and family and neighbors, to invite them to Church, to welcome them here as our own, members of our family, fellow forgiven sinners, caught by the net of the Gospel in the water, hauled into the boat where Jesus is, speaking His Word.  Do not be afraid,” Jesus says to us.  Whatever happens here, Jesus is doing His thing.  The Holy Spirit is working faith where and when He pleases.  The Gospel is preached.  Sinners hear.  Men are caught.  Faith is bestowed.  The dead are brought to life.  That is what happens when Jesus is in the boat, speaking His Word.  And so it is, here and now, today.  So let down the nets, beloved.  Let’s go fishing.  Invite your friends to Church.  Bring them to hear Jesus in the boat, that their sins be forgiven.  God will bless it.  He has promised.  In the Name of the Father, and of the Son (+), and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.            


[1] Arthur Just, Lectionary Podcast.

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