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Last updated on
Jan. 14, 2004
Fishing with Jesus
Delivered February 8, 2004
by Pastor Werner De Jong
Text: Luke 5:1-11
Main Idea: Jesus calls followers who will share his concern for the crowds, and who will obey his voice and cast aside whatever is necessary in order to lead others to God's love.
Purpose: To challenge the listeners that following Jesus means living for others; to encourage the listeners that Jesus will provide his power and his presence to enable us to fulfill our call.
Introduction: The fishermen of Simon Peter's village were baffled. Every day for years they had worked alongside Peter and his partners, fishing the Sea of Galilee. It was a strenuous job, dangerous and difficult at the best of times. And the profit margin was slim, which made long hours necessary. They would often fish all night and clean their nets by day. But yet, something about the regular rhythm of catching and cleaning and swapping stories on the shore had a way of working itself into their blood; as trying as their vocation was, they were drawn to the sea, and to the camaraderie that only those who sweat and toil together can know. They shared the good times and the bad times, the good harvests and the poor ones.
But they had never seen a catch like the one Peter had pulled in a few days ago. With the new rabbi Jesus in his boat, they had stood on shore and witnessed Peter's apparent folly of trying to catch fish in the middle of the day. They elbowed each other in the ribs and chuckled–good old Pete should have known better than that. He was never going to live this one down! A fisherman taking fishing advice from a rabbi! Already they began to anticipate the ribbing they would give him. But when they saw the size of the haul, they were speechless–enough from one net to begin to sink two fishing boats! Impossible! If they hadn't seen it themselves, they would never have believed it. Lucky Peter! They watched incredulously as he and his partners struggled under the hot sun to row the boats and drag them onto shore. More fish in one catch than they normally caught in an entire week. Now Peter and his partners could afford the rare luxury of taking a few days off.
When Peter didn't return the next day, that is what some of them thought had happened. But others said that couldn't be, for they had left their fish behind in their boats! How foolish, everyone knew fish fetch a better price if you sell them when they are fresh. But now a few days had passed, and the other fishermen gathered around the boats in wonder, with the pungent stench of rotting fish beginning to foul the air. One fisherman said, "When I saw Pete and his buddies leave with the rabbi, I thought they were going to celebrate the great catch, and then come back to clean these fish." But another said, "I did too, until I heard that they have all become the rabbi's disciples." And when a third one said, "How stupid to leave their boats and nets and fish behind, to give up their very livelihood," the rest all nodded their heads in agreement. And a final one said, "But what does it mean? What does it mean to be a follower of this Jesus?"
That is a question which Christians have wrestled with ever since. Because of the Bible we now know much more about Jesus than the common fishermen of Galilee did, but the concern has echoed through the corridors of time: "What does it mean to follow Jesus? What does he ask of us? What does it mean to be his disciple?" That is a huge question, and although it is impossible to answer it fully in one sermon, some critical answers are suggested in our text, answers which help provide a basic framework for understanding the disciple's call.
The Reason for Discipleship: First of all, we need to broaden the context of our story. Luke's gospel tells us that there were more people present on that day than Jesus and the fishermen. It all began when crowds of people found Jesus standing by the Sea of Galilee. His fame was beginning to grow, for he had healed several people in their area, and had begun preaching in their synagogues. And now the crowds were pressing in on him for, according to Luke, they wanted "to hear the word of God" (v. 1). For hundreds of years the prophets had been silent, and now the people were hungry to hear from their God. They began to hope that perhaps they could hear his voice through Jesus, for when he spoke, he spoke as one who had authority, as one who knew God and heard from God. And he had the remarkable touch of a healer. So people with many needs began to seek him out, sick people and lonely people, oppressed people and frightened people, curious people and people who were desperate to hear a word of hope from God.
The crush of the crowd that day forced Jesus to improvise. He saw two boats there at the shore of the lake, and he got into one of them, the one belonging to Simon Peter. And he asked Simon to put out a little way from shore. When he did so, Jesus sat down in the boat, like a typical rabbi, for rabbis customarily sat when they taught. And then Jesus began to address the crowds. It wasn't until after Jesus had finished teaching that he turned to Simon and asked him to take the boat out into deeper water and let down the nets for a catch.
Remembering this backdrop, the eager crowds, the noise, the teaching, is immensely important to the call story that followed. For it provides us with the reason why Jesus called Peter and the others to follow him. He did it precisely because of the crowds. In one sense, we could say that Jesus was a victim of his own success. As his popularity grew, so did those who wanted to hear him. As he sat in Peter's boat, still at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus obviously realized that he couldn't continue to minister to the crowds on his own. His heart reached out to them, and he had compassion on them, but he was only one person. Here he was in the small fishing village of Capernaum and already the crowds were huge. What about the rest of the region? What about the rest of Israel? And one day, beyond that, what about the rest of the world? Jesus couldn't be everywhere at once. He needed help. He needed to recruit others. So after teaching the crowds, that is exactly what he did. As Simon Peter and his partners grappled with the fish flopping in the boats, Jesus said to him: "From now on you will be catching people" (v. 10).
Immediately the point becomes very clear: Jesus calls disciples to join him in the work of reaching out to others. Outreach is the mission which provides the foundation for discipleship. Discipleship is all about other people. From the very outset those called to follow Jesus are called to look outwards, to share Jesus' compassionate concern for the crowds. Disciples are to invite others into God's kingdom. Disciples are to seek to meet the needs of others as Jesus did. Jesus specifically calls us for the purpose of helping him demonstrate God's love for others. This is such an important point to make, for being a Christian has at times been reduced to a very private matter. Throughout her history the church has sometimes reduced discipleship to a "Jesus and me" theology. As long as things are OK between Jesus and me, things are okay. As long as I know I am following Jesus to heaven, I am content. But Jesus would be appalled by a discipleship that is only inward looking. While a relationship with Jesus is wonderful, Jesus also asks us to follow him out into a hurting world. Discipleship is not only about Jesus and me–it is about Jesus and me and the crowds. That is why Jesus called Peter and his partners, and that is why he calls us, to partner with him in the task of reaching out to people struggling with sin, and to the sick, the hungry, the oppressed. In that regard, this text asks a great question of us: Will you follow Jesus by living for others? Will you answer the disciple's call?
Obedience: The Way of Discipleship: Our text demonstrates that the true disciple of Jesus will obey the voice of Jesus. We know that Peter and his partners, Andrew, James and John (according to Mark's gospel), immediately left their fishing gear and followed him. That leads into the next point: if the reason for discipleship is others, the way of discipleship is obedience. True disciples obey the voice of their Lord.
This is wonderfully illustrated by the way Peter responded to Jesus' request to put the boat out into deeper water. Peter was no inexperienced fisherman–he knew that fishing in such water during the daytime was unlikely to net anything. He even expressed his reluctance to Jesus saying, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing." But then he added the words which mark him as a true disciple: "Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." Peter's obedience is actually heightened by the very fact that, despite a fruitless and wearisome night's fishing trip, he still was prepared to do as Jesus asked. It went against his fisherman's instinct, and it went against his fatigued body which was looking forward to some sleep, but still he did it. And of course we know the results–his obedience netted a record catch of fish.
This incident highlights a specific principle of obedience. Even if we don't know why Jesus asks us to do something, we should still do it. Or as Beverly Gaventa puts it, "the followers of Jesus are not necessarily expected to understand, but they are expected to obey" (Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary based on the NRSV–Year C, p. 139). That is difficult for us–if we can't see the purpose behind doing something, we naturally are reluctant to do it. Especially if we feel tired and unmotivated. But it is at those very times that we are best able to demonstrate our faith–I may not know the reason why God wants me to do something, but I trust that God knows, I trust that God's vision is better than mine, I trust that God's ways, which are not my ways, are better than mine, and so I obey. For example, I may sense God's Spirit prompting me to visit someone whom I just saw yesterday, and things were fine, and I feel tired, and I think, "Surely God wouldn't ask me to go visit now, I need some rest," but if I really sense that God is talking to me, the only proper response is to say, "I don't see any reason to visit, yet if you say so, I will do it." Those are the words and the way of the true disciple, whose life is marked by obedience to the Lord.
Another way of stating the same truth is this–just because we can't see the reason behind a command or a teaching of Jesus is no excuse not to obey it. In the Christian life, faith must triumph over reason. This is not to say that faith and reason will always seem opposed to one another–most often, I think, we know the reason why God wants us to do something. Very often faith and reason both point in the same direction. But in those cases where they don't seem to, like Peter being asked to fish at mid-day, the disciple is called to walk by faith, and not by sight. If we choose reason over faith, who knows what potential harvest we may miss. Jesus calls us as disciples to live for others, and we can be sure that when the Spirit prompts us do something it will be for the benefit of others.
Let me give an illustration from my life. As you know, I recently preached a sermon on Christian unity at the interdenominational service at the Anglican Church. I have mentioned how the area pastors met to decide who should be responsible for doing what during that service. The other pastors all immediately chose things like reading the Scriptures, choosing the songs, or leading a prayer. Before I could say anything, the only thing left to do was the sermon. When I mentioned that in church, Doreen came to me afterwards and said, "I don't think that was an accident." Now, what I didn't mention (to her or to the church) is that when we met as pastors I felt the same thing–I had a strange feeling inside that maybe I should be the one to preach that day. But I was wrestling with the question, should I offer or shouldn't I offer. I hesitated because the service fell in the middle of the busiest week I have had in a long while–I had five evening meetings that week, and we had just started home-schooling again. As I say, I was wrestling with offering, when the matter was decided for me. I like to think I would have offered anyway, but God probably decided I needed a push. Regardless, I immediately had a feeling of peace about it. And I must say that I don't remember ever having preached a sermon that was so well received. I continue to hear back from people about how God spoke to them through the message. Just to give one example, it was passed on to me that one lady from another church said, "For the first time I no longer feel like the bad guy who won't associate with the other churches. What the speaker said made me feel that in Jesus we were all loved and accepted members of one family." I've heard many other comments like that which humble me. When we obey the voice of God, even though we may feel we have a very good reason not to listen, God will use our obedience to benefit others.
That is what being a disciple is all about, and it is not always easy. Which is why, I think, Jesus sometimes rewards our acts of obedience in a tangible way. Now in our story Jesus called Peter to a relatively easy act of obedience, to cast the net again. Sure it was a pain, but it wasn't asking a great deal. However, Jesus knew that Peter would face much greater challenges. Therefore Jesus rewarded Peter's obedience in a way that would build him up and encourage greater obedience in the future. He gave Peter such a bountiful harvest of fish, the likes of which he had never dreamed possible. And in doing so he communicated to Peter something of his divine presence and power. For Peter, the experienced fisherman, knew that this was no natural catch. When he saw that there were enough fish to flood two boats, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" (v.8). What Peter expressed was the sense of unworthiness and fear and inadequacy which people throughout the Bible felt in the presence of God. Peter became acutely aware of his own sinfulness, of a human being unworthy to stand in the presence of the Holy One. But Jesus didn't reveal himself to Peter to condemn or terrify him; rather, his intent was to transform him and to call him. And so Jesus replied with words of comfort and challenge: "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people" (v. 10). The same power that caused him to fall on his knees now lifts him up into the service of God. Later in his life Peter must have been reassured by the thought, "If Jesus can help me catch so many fish, surely he can also help me fulfill my vocation to call people into God's kingdom." As followers of Jesus, we too can be assured that when we obey our Lord, we will know something of his power and presence with us. I can't think of a better partner to go fishing with! The way of the disciple may not be easy, but we do not walk alone, nor in our own power.
Cost of Discipleship: Before we close we need to draw attention to a final critical point our text makes about discipleship. The point is this: discipleship is costly. In verse 11 we read: "When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him." They abandoned all of their fishing gear–boats, nets, oars, and even the fish. We are not all asked to pay the exact same kind of cost–farmers aren't necessarily asked to abandon their fields and their tractors, teachers aren't necessarily asked to abandon their students and their books--but this is nevertheless an excellent illustration of the fact that discipleship does have a cost. Our Lord does not hesitate to ask his followers to make sacrifices. We must never assume that if something is costly to us that it cannot be God calling, for God calls us to sacrifice. Let me repeat the words of Jesus which we read last week: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Mt. 16:24). But always, of course, it helps to keep in mind that Jesus asks us to sacrifice for the sake of others. We must never lose sight of the crowds whom Jesus loves. And always we must remember that Jesus himself set the example by making the ultimate sacrifice.
Even though we may not all be called to leave our possessions, this story does teach that we are to have a radical unconcern for them. Jesus asks us not to allow ourselves to get so attached to things that they will prevent us from faithfully following him. And it is not only possessions that Jesus may ask us give up–it is anything that prevents us from answering his call. It may be selfish ambition, it it may be familiar surroundings, it may be an unwillingness to leave our comfort zones. The main point is this: whenever and wherever Jesus leads, he merits the casting aside of anything and everything, even of one's own livelihood.
In one sense the disciples had it easier than we do. They could see Jesus to follow him, they didn't have to wrestle in the same way we do as to what it means to follow. That didn't make it any less costly for them, but it was clear to them what Jesus was asking–leave your lives as fishermen, leave your gear and tackle, and come with me. The call was clear, even if obedience was difficult. But what does it mean for us to follow Jesus? What sacrifice is he asking us to make? No one can answer that question specifically for another person. We all need to take time to listen to the inner voice of the Spirit, as we meet God in prayer, in the Word, in Creation. For Jesus calls us in a myriad variety of ways.
But generally speaking, we can say this–following Jesus will cost us our love of being in control of all our circumstances. Today many who call themselves Christians simply adopt the model of the world around them–they plan their lives as they choose, and they arrange their circumstances as best suits them, without ever really consulting God. And only after things seem to be in a comfortable order do they then try to fit Jesus in. Their calendars are full of activities, and Jesus is scheduled in where it seems to suit best. But Jesus calls us to do things the other way around–we are to start with him, we are to make him central, and we are to build our lives around him.
Conclusion: In conclusion, when we become disciples, a radical new life begins, old ties are broken, and new ties are formed. And always Jesus is at the centre, and always this central Jesus asks us to share in his mission of laying down our lives for others. And always we must prepare to answer the question: What might Jesus be calling us to sacrifice in order to participate in his work of loving others and inviting them into the Kingdom of God? That is what discipleship is all about. Jesus calls followers who will share his concern for the crowds, and who will obey his voice even when it doesn't seem to make sense, and who will cast aside whatever is necessary in order to lead others to God's love. May we, like Peter, willingly forsake all to follow our Lord.