Trinity 5

Text: Luke 5:1-11

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Why do you work? Or, for some of you, why did you work so many days of your life?

 As we examine the grind of daily work, we see and feel its effects physically, mentally, and even spiritually. Our vocations throughout life are as God said to Adam as he was excommunicated from the Garden of Eden.

God said,
             Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
                        and have eaten of the tree
             of which I commanded you,
                        ‘You shall not eat of it,’
             cursed is the ground because of you;
                        in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
            thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
                        and you shall eat the plants of the field.
            By the sweat of your face
                        you shall eat bread,
             till you return to the ground,
                        for out of it you were taken;
             for you are dust,
                        and to dust you shall return. (Genesis 3:17-20)

With these words, God reveals our whole lives to be full of enduring labor and toil.

This is what Peter, James, and John were experiencing in the Gospel. They had been out fishing all night, pulling the third shift with no success. What was worse, they still had to tend their equipment and clean their nets.

In some ways, this seems unfair. But this was part of their vocation as fishermen, and they were doing this as Jesus approached.

Now, in the verses leading up to today's text, Jesus had been preaching in the synagogues. His Word was creating faith in those listening and hearing Him preach, so much so that they continued to follow Him all the way to the water, where Peter, James, and John were sitting exhausted from the night before.

 In many ways, these three men were just bystanders to the crowds pressing in upon Jesus.

But what does Jesus do when He arrives? He gets into one of their boats. The Gospel doesn’t say He asked for permission, either. He just came and sat among them, asking Simon to push out a little to continue teaching the people.

After Jesus finished teaching, it was now time for Simon Peter, James, and John to be taught, too.

So, how does this go?

Jesus told Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

But Simon responds, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!”

 At first, it seems like Simon Peter is arguing or rebuffing Jesus, but then he says, “But at your word, I will let down the nets.”

This is a critical part of the passage: “But at your word, I will let down the nets.”

How beautiful!

Simon Peter listens to Jesus's words and does as He instructs. He doesn’t argue or try to reason with Jesus; he just says, “But at your word I will let down the nets.”

And where is he letting down the nets?

Into the deep depths of the sea.

Not only is this not necessarily the best place for fish, but throughout the Old Testament, the depths of the sea were known as places of chaos, evil, and death.

This is revealed in how Pharoah and his army were drowned in the sea; the sea is where the great serpent Leviathan lived, causing chaos and destruction, and the sea is where Jonah found himself within the belly of the fish – in mental and spiritual anguish because he would not listen and submit to God’s Word and instruction.

But Simon Peter does listen to Jesus’ Word, and it changes everything for Him.

He drops the nets and brings in the motherload of fish, requiring the assistance and need of a second boat to come and help.

Simon Peter knew this wasn’t normal and now understood that the Man he had just heard preaching about the Kingdom of God, the Man who had just said to “Let down your nets for a catch,” was none other than God Himself.

And so, Peter does the only thing He can think of: he says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

These words of Peter form a confession, not only of newfound faith but also of his sin. A sin that we often experience in our vocations.

Are you a mother or father, son or daughter caught up in the chaos of life? Are there Leviathans wreaking havoc in your relationships with one another and within your home? Causing the sea waters to batter and beat down your family’s faith?

Or do you lack faith and clarity in your callings? Is your heart and mind in mental anguish with Jonah as you sit in the belly of the great fish? Have you permitted God to lead you into the unknown callings of life? Or do you sit there begrudgingly in the darkness?

Here’s the thing: Like Peter, James, and John, we are subject to the sin of this world—the sin we inherit from Adam and Eve in the Garden. A deep, chaotic darkness surrounds us; our toil and work will always be arduous, but Jesus is with us like these three.

You see, the boat in today’s Gospel often depicts the Church. In fact, the sanctuary is known as the Nave, which means “Ship” or “Boat.” So, to be in this ship or church is to be in the presence of Jesus – to have Him with you.

Yet, when you sin, lack faith, or find yourself confused, Jesus uses His pastors to toss the net of His Word into the waters surrounding you to bring you back over the railings of the ship and into His safe care again.

For this reason, pastors are sent to hear you confess with Peter, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

But then Jesus speaks to Peter, saying, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

An interesting variance in the Greek here is that the literal translation is “From now on, you will be catching men alive.”

This is the pastor's vocation: to toss and lower the nets of God’s word into the dark world surrounding the church—you.

To hear your confession of sin, and then to announce the words of Jesus to you in the absolution.

The absolution is when you hear the pastor say, “In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

In this way, Jesus also tells you, “Do not be afraid.”

In fact, He’s giving you life – His life at the font and in the deep, dark waters of Holy Baptism or here at this altar in His flesh and blood for the forgiveness of sin.

He gives you of Himself so that as you toil throughout the days of this life, you might do so with His peace. So that your homes may become like the Church, a safe harbor of His presence for young and old alike.

In fact, the Psalmist writes,
            Unless the LORD builds the house,
                        those who build it labor in vain.
             Unless the LORD watches over the city,
                        the watchman stays awake in vain.
            It is in vain that you rise up early
                        and go late to rest,
             eating the bread of anxious toil;
                        for he gives to his beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:1-2)

 While it is difficult and challenging, remember these words as you depart today: Jesus is with you.

He is there building your home, as the need for changing diapers never seems to end. He is there watching over your home, keeping you safe from the threatening perils of evil. And He is there when the anxieties of anxious toil persist – giving you rest and sleep in His unending peace.

So depart today unafraid and forgiven, approaching the toils of this life by following Jesus.

Hear His Word, listen and obey it, and be led into His eternal presence. +INJ+

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI