Sermon | February 7, 2010 - Epiphany 5

Year C - The Year of Luke

Have you ever heard of Lutheran whine? Lutheran whine is the most popular thing in the church. Everyone uses it. Even kids use it. For example, at the end of summer, the Our Savior’s kids always go to Newton Hills for a BBQ and hike. This past fall, we held the BBQ at a different part of the park than we have in the past. Well, there was Lutheran whine everywhere. "We have never done that before. We don't like this spot. We have always done the BBQ at the other place. Why are we doing it here instead of where we always do it?" That is the Lutheran whine. Frankly, there is just a little bit of that type of whine in today's Gospel. However, let us look at Jesus' words first.

"Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

"Give us the liberty of that abundant life," we pray this morning.

Abundant life comes from listening to Jesus, following Jesus and catching people for Jesus.

Now there are several issues raised here. .First, Jesus says, “Let us go fishing," Peter answers with a statement that some people might call a "typical Lutheran whine." "We've tried that before but it didn't work." This is only surpassed by that other variety of Lutheran whine: "But we've never done that before!"

However, to the surprise of everyone, there are fish everywhere! The boats are sinking! This is not the typical fishing experience, especially after fishing all night and catching nothing.

Peter sees this catch and he is filled with awe. "I am not worthy," Peter says to Jesus. Gone is the whine. It is replaced by a desire simply to follow.

Like Isaiah in our first lesson: "I am a man of unclean lips! Surely you do not mean me?"

It is like St. Paul reminding the Corinthians: "Remember, I am the least of the apostles. I was not even fit to be an apostle. I spent my days persecuting the church. But believe it or not, Jesus appeared to nasty, little old me and, well, here I am founding churches and standing ready to help out with whatever problems you are having here."

Peter stands in a long and hallowed tradition. Reminding us all of the central truth of the Bible: God always chooses whomever he wishes do to his work. All of us are up to the call that God gives. Now, he chooses Peter, an ordinary man, to follow him and become a fisher of people.

Then Peter, James and John follow. They leave everything behind and follow him, fishing for people. Why, was because of all those fish? No, it is not about the fish. As was said last week, it is never about the miracles. The miracles only confirm what already is present. Christ changes things. The Word of God changes things, people, and events.

The heart of the story is, “listen to the Lord." We are not told by Luke what Jesus was teaching from the back of that boat. We might guess that it sounded a lot like what he said in Nazareth the week before about good news for the poor, release for captives, vision for the blind, and the Acceptable Year of the Lord!

Whatever they heard, it reached them deeply enough take on a new vocation: fishing for people. They are now fishers of men. The activity we now call Evangelism.

Therefore, the task for us modern-day Christians is to listen to the Lord, follow him, and begin catching people.

This will always mean trying things we have tried before, and trying things we have never done before. Peter really knew how to fish. Soon, however, he was off healing people, teaching people, catching people for Jesus, and writing scripture!

Like Peter, none of us thinks of ourselves as evangelists. Let alone that we might heal people or write scripture. However, one day, a letter you write to someone might bring that someone closer to God in Christ. That is scripture.

One day you will reach out to care for someone and in that act of kindness, they will be healed.

One day you will say something that will cause someone else to say, "You know, I never thought of things that way before," and you will have become a teacher.

Jesus does not call us because we are worthy or, because we are qualified for the jobs to which he calls us. We are worthy and can do everything he did and more because he calls us. We will be fishers of me in ways we never expected, if only we will take the time to listen to the Lord and follow him.

From now on, we will be catching people for Jesus so they too can know what it feels like to be made worthy to stand before God. Peter could do it and so can we! Amen.