EDITOR'S NOTE: On Oct. 23, 2021, I was ordained as a minister of word and sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and installed as pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. I also served the same church for four years from October 2017 to October 2021 a synodical authorized minister. The journey together these past seven years has been an amazing one, full of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. This sermon took place on Feb. 9 2025.
This week's gospel text: Luke 5:1-11
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
5 Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
The message:
I think if I were to plan an ordination these three and a half years since my first ordination … after all of the things that have taken place … I might utilize this gospel text -- Luke 5:1-11 -- as the preaching text.
Because I can’t think of a text that better describes what God calls us to do after we’ve encountered Christ … which is to drop our nets, leave our boats and become “catchers” of men.
Faith Family … That’s it. … In all we do as faithful people, that is our call: to become catchers of other people for Christ.
And for many of us, this conversion to becoming a catcher of men probably is as awkward and frightening of an experience as it was for Simon … who after witnessing Christ’s amazing hospitality and faithfulness … falls on his knees and shouts, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
Because, you see, it’s at that point that Simon realizes just how little faith he had prior to witnessing Jesus’ miracle. … And he thinks to himself: I am not worthy of your love, Jesus!
But who could blame him right? … Who could have chided him for the lack of belief in that moment?
After all, these three professional fishermen -- Simon, James and John -- had toiled all night, and they had come up empty handed. Not a fish among them. Their nets were empty.
And I have to imagine that when Jesus approached him … Simon was tired, exhausted and a bit dismayed that an entire night’s work had produced nothing in return.
So when Jesus says to him, “Let’s put out the nets one more time,”... well, it’s no wonder Simon’s answer was, “Oh, OK, Jesus, if you say so. … But look, we did this all night, and we caught nothing. Zero.”
And I think Simon’s was a very natural … very human … reaction to Jesus’ request. … And yet it also wasn’t the faithful reaction that God asks of us … was it?
This morning … I wonder how many of us can relate to poor Simon?
I wonder … how well does any one of us actually answer Jesus’ call? … How often does any one of us, after our encounter with Christ … actually … drop our nets, leave our boats and become “catchers” of men?
I know I didn’t. … Well, not at first. … And that’s why I say that if I were to hold my ordination all over again, it would be this text I would use.
Because … you see, in it, I see myself as Simon … the once fisherman called to reluctantly become a catcher of people instead.
And I know that I had the same reaction that Simon had when I was asked to lay down my net: “I’m not worthy, Jesus. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you and drop the nets without hesitation when you asked!”
For me, my moment of disbelief came about a year ago now when I could feel I was heading toward a change in careers.
You may remember that it was February last year when it was announced that the Forum was selling the software company I had built while working for them.
And the signs were there all along that I wasn’t going to be employed with the new company for long. … I mean, in my first meeting with the company’s new executives they asked me to take a 35% pay cut.
Over the next three months, it felt like I let down my fishing net and came up empty nearly every night. And, like Simon, it was a time in which I was very dismayed.
Culminating in May when the new company finally laid me off, which upended my world in ways that are hard to explain now these many months later.
But you already know the arc of this story … what happens next … and I know that come late last summer Jesus asked me to have faith and cast my net … just one more time … and well, this time the net came up with so many fish, it was breaking. … Just like Simon’s net.
This full net last August led me to the realization that it was my time to walk away from fishing for fish and to start catching people instead.
And this led me to the vocation that I realized that Jesus had been calling me to all along … full-time pastor … and that was a scary proposition.
But it was a proposition for which when I finally trusted and dropped the net at Jesus’ command … without hesitation … that I realized my nets were always going to be full.
The decision to accept the position at Churches United last fall hasn’t led to an easy road -- nor, I’m sure, did Simon’s decision to walk away from fishing to become a disciple either.
But I can tell you that not once since making that decision have I ever felt that my night’s catch was empty. … And that is why this gospel text speaks so powerfully to me today.
Faith Family … I don’t believe that this gospel text tells us that Jesus is literally asking each and every one of us to walk away from our current professions. … No, Jesus isn’t necessarily calling you to walk away from your job.
Some of us, yes … if that’s what it takes for us to stop fishing for fish and start catching people. … But for most of us, what Jesus’ abundance is calling us to … is the obedience of following his call and then the risk of what that means for us.
For me, yes, I believe that Jesus was waiting for me to finally realize that he was calling me to obediently become a full-time pastor … just he was asking Simon to obediently put down the nets one more time and then become a disciple.
But how about for you, Faith Family? … What has Jesus been calling you to do?
Have you been realizing that Jesus has been calling you to put down your net just one more time … even though as of late you’ve been casting and casting … and coming up empty … coming up without a single fish every single time.
Have you been hearing the tug way back here at the back of your conscience to let that net out one more time?
Faith Family … Where is Jesus asking for your obedience in your life right now? The place where you’re most reluctant to give it?
And then what is he asking you to risk once you’ve given in?
For Simon … Jesus asked him to let down his net one more time … and then to walk away to become a disciple.
For me … Jesus asked me to finally say goodbye to a media career that had served me well and comfortably for 30 years … and then walk away to full-time pastoring.
So today, I wonder for you … what net is Jesus asking you to put down one more time … and then what is he asking you to walk away from so that you can join Simon as a catcher of people?
And that is the Good News for this Sunday, the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, Feb. 9, 2025. … Amen.
Comentarios