Fifth Sunday after Trinity - July 12, 2009

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Fifth Sunday after Trinity, One Year Series
The Baptism of Vallorie Marie Wallace
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (July 12, 2009)

“A Great Miracle”

Readings:
Psalm 16
1 Kings 18:11-21
1 Cor 1:18-25
Luke 5:1-11

Sermon Form Deductive

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 5th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse:

Luke 5:1-11 (NIV)

1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who 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 from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he [Jesus] said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

At Vacation Bible school a few weeks ago the children sang “I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men, I will make you fishers of men if you follow me.” It’s very difficult to even say those words, so much easier to sing them. That song, “Fishers of men” is a very simple song that children can learn immediately and will long remember. The idea and focus of that little song is simple enough like the scripture we are given for this days Gospel lesson. Jesus says to the fisherman, “From now on you will catch men.”(v. 10) But do not be fooled, while this encounter with Christ does include a lake, some deep water, boats, fish, and nets, this is not an epical long-winded fish story about one that got away. Neither is this scripture a transcription of those who were lured into a trap by deception. None of these fishers of men swallowed any hooks by their own efforts. In fact, when Jesus Christ spoke, the future disciple Peter responded with a failed story of men who threw their nets an entire night and all their efforts had gained nothing. But that was then. Soon the nets would be full, for it would be Jesus who would teach about their failures of the past, and about all that would be. But first the class was shown,

“A Great Miracle”

By hearing the Word from his master, Peter again let down his nets and soon they were filled to capacity, even to overflowing. So full were these nets that they were straining and breaking from the weight of all the fish. At Christ’s direction, Peter and the other disciples had moved out into deeper water and they had a miracle catch of food that would nourish their bodies for just a day. Unknowingly Peter, and the other disciples there that day, had become the subject of an object lesson. What does that mean? An object lesson is a lesson in which a teacher uses a physical object familiar to all the students to help them understand the deeper meaning of more important lesson. So on the shores of the Lake of Gennesaret, which is to us known as the Sea of Galilee, became the perfect setting for a deeper lesson set in a miracle.

Christ ordered the disciples out into deep water for that lesson. And when the great catch occurred Peter was astonished. Yet Peter did not revel in the magnitude of that catch. Nor did he gather the fishing team together to do a victory dance, or try to multiply this one day success into a sales pitch for their fishing group. There is no puffing out of the chest as a result of worldly accomplishments and victories. Rather, Peter does what we do to this very day, he falls on his knees in reverence to that miracle which has been performed before him. And upon his knees he makes a confession, saying “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”(v. 8)

Peter had seen the great catch and he made an instantaneous response. A deep response with clear and reverential body language, and with clear language in the words he spoke. He kneeled before Jesus and admitted that he was a poor miserable sinner. It is acknowledgment of sin in words similar to those which we still confess to this very day. Words like that of the Psalm written by King David, “Where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Ps. 121:1-2)

And Jesus replies to Peter as He replies to us this very day, “Do not be afraid,”(v. 10) meaning “Quit being afraid.”(v. 10) Yet these words of Christ have a meaning beyond this moment in time. For just as Luther said, “Our work produces and bestows nothing. Yet it is necessary as a means through which we may receive what God gives. The disciples must use their hands to let down the nets and to draw them in, if they wish to secure anything and must be willing to do so. Yet they are obliged to acknowledge that their labor did not bring about the result, otherwise they would have succeeded in the first place, without Christ. He therefore permits them to make a sufficient trial, and to discover by experience that the toil of this entire night has been in vain and to no purpose. ”( Luther’s Church Postils 2:2:151)

To this very day, with sweat on our brows, we trick ourselves into believing that our thoughts, plans, and profiles are the best way to increase our catch here in this place. Yet to some it would seem that we have toiled in vain throughout many a dark night and that our nets are still coming up empty. Even so, there are still miracles occurring every day. In fact you will all witness more than one miracle this very day. And one of these miracles includes water, though it is not the deep water of Jesus’ miracle. No this is water that is very shallow, but it is not a shallow miracle. The miracle you will see today will be the baptism of Vallorie Marie Wallace. And in that baptism a bit of water will be combined with God’s Word which will provide the promise of an everlasting life. Not a miracle performed by the hands, but a miracle performed by Christ’s command to baptize. Yet we would still like to somehow take credit for that miracle, didn’t we do just a little?

No, we didn’t in fact it was all the work of the Holy Spirit. Those shallow thoughts of self salvation give way to the deeper lesson that applied to Simon Peter and the disciples and still applies to us this very day. For though we would like to think it so, “success does not come through our own effort, skill, or diligence “(ibid, Luther) People are not hooked by various forms of bait, and baptisms are not a result of our efforts. It is by the Word of God alone. People, no matter what age, are drawn to Christ by the work of Holy Spirit, in the proclamation of God’s Holy Word. Scripture even tells us so for, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”(Rom. 10:17)

In fact if you think of that little song, “I will make you fisher’s of men.” It is better to think of that song in terms bringing in those fish with nets rather than by pole and hook. For the Fisher’s of men like the apostle’s, like you and like me, tell the good news about Jesus. And people are brought to faith, not caught by faith. They are brought to the knowledge of their Savior Jesus Christ.

So are we called to tell the good news of Jesus? Yes of course we are, just like the disciples were, called by Jesus. But God brings people to faith in the hearing of His Word and confirms that faith in the water of baptism. God keeps and refreshes that faith by giving us the work of His Son Jesus Christ, who went to and died on the cross for you. And He gives you that victory in His body and blood, in the sacrament of Holy Communion, just as He will later today.

So this day you will hear, see, and receive many miracles. You will heard the miracle of God’s word, you will see the miracle of a child being welcomed into God’s forever family, and you will receive the true body and blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. The hearing of the Word, the baptism, and the receiving of Holy Communion all Wonderful miracles. God is here in this place, in your presence drawing you to the deeper meaning of His love for you. Do not be afraid of God’s miracles. His miracles are gifts for you, they’re free, no special skills, equipment, or effort is necessary. It’s all done and paid for by Jesus Christ who died for you on the cross. In fact, Jesus not only gives you a miracle for every day, He gives you an everlasting miracle, which is the promise of eternal life from this time forth and forevermore. Amen.

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