Catching People: Luke 5:1-11 - Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

DSC00010 - Hunger and Thirst by Dennis Jarvis on flickr. CC BY-SA 2.0

¹Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, ²he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. ³He 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. ⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” ⁶When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. ⁷So 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. ⁸But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” ⁹For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; ¹⁰and 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.” ¹¹When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. (NRSV)

I’ve only been fishing once. But it’s common knowledge that fishing is an exercise an extreme patience. Unless you go fishing in certain parts of the Mississippi River, known for its vast schools of Asian Carp—an invasive species of fish that literally leap right out of the water—and often right into your boat. Imagine that—you don’t have to bring a pole, bait, or a net—they practically come to you.

When it comes to fishing for people, this is the mindset of today’s church: if you build it; if you offer it; if you promote it—then they’ll come. But this is not how Jesus catches people.

Consider the first disciples… Simon Peter is no stranger to Jesus. Very recently, Jesus stayed at his home and even healed his mother-in-law. Today, Jesus has borrowed his fishing boat and used it as a kind of pulpit, using the winds on the lakeshore to carry the sound of his voice to the gathered crowds. When he finished speaking, he told Simon to put down the nets into the deep water for a catch. But Peter and his partners, James and John, had been doing that all night—and caught nothing. Yet, because Jesus said so, they lowered their nets—and ended up catching more fish than their nets and their boat could carry. “From now on,” Jesus said, “you will be catching people.” But they don’t exactly feel up to the task.

Simon Peter is probably still shaking in his boots. “I’m a sinful man!” he cries. It’s no different for the prophet Isaiah—or the Apostle Paul. Their immediate reaction to God’s call is resistance, objection, and terror. They feel unworthy—because they are. Paul murdered Christians and persecuted the Church. Simon Peter will prove to be impulsive, fickle, and egotistical. James and John will not prove much better.

Nevertheless, Jesus calls them. On account of all that Jesus had done for them—they leave their nets and follow him. They will, indeed, catch people—just like they caught fish—and like Jesus caught them.

So how did Jesus catch you? Where were you? What were you doing? What was going on in your life? How did you know that Jesus is in your life?

For all our talk about church growth and reaching new generations of believers, this is something we seldom talk about—and that’s a shame. Lest we forget—you’re not here by accident! You are the Body of Christ because of God’s action. So what’s the story?

Many of you are here because you were born into the church and the Christian faith. There was NEVER a time when you wouldn’t have called yourselves “Christian.”

Some of you may be new to the faith. Some of you may have spent years or decades away from the church and the faith, but now you have returned. A few of you may be even questioning whether or not this church and faith stuff is all worth it.  Yet, you are here—because of Jesus.

This would be a good time to point out that when Jesus tells his first disciples, “you’ll be catching people,” he didn’t mean that they were going to end up like the fish they caught—as someone’s dinner. Jesus’ disciples—and the people they will catch—will be captured into new life.

We heard Alex’s amazing story of deliverance from death—and we know that he and his family will never be the same again because of God’s saving grace.

When Jesus sends you to capture people into new life, it’s not your outgoing personality or evangelistic skills that will capture them. And it’s not programs or building facilities or children’s activities that bring new generations into the church. It is Jesus’ activity in your life—and the new creation you become—that attracts people. People will be attracted to you as someone whose sins have been forgiven and who is loved unconditionally by God. People will be intrigued to the patience and mercy they see in you; how you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. People will be inspired to the generosity and compassion they see in you. People will pay attention to your testimony on how God has acted for your deliverance. They will covet your hope.

But to embrace this new life, Peter, James, and John left their nets. You could say that Jesus released them from their nets. But they had to let them go.

In every Christian’s life there are entanglements—stuff that thwarts and prevents new life from flourishing in you. In every Church, there’s stuff that keeps us from catching new generations. These are complicated questions and there are no easy answers. But I believe that the number one reason is our failure to pay attention to what God is doing—followed by our failure to talk about it! We’re all too distracted by worries, pressures, and personal ambitions. And we’re afraid of losing our safety nets. We’re afraid of what new life will mean and where discipleship will take us. We want salvation to jump right into our boats like the Asian Carp—whether it’s an easy answer to our prayers or it’s wealthy, young families to keep the church going.

But remember—Simon Peter didn’t follow Jesus on a whim. He saw what Jesus had done. Today’s faith in tomorrow’s hope is born in yesterday’s graces. Jesus is working hard in your life because he loves you and wants for you and your neighbor to enter into the new life he won for you at the cross. It’s no longer a question of IF on his part—but if you’re crazy enough to pray for Jesus to release you from the nets you’re in so that you can be captured into new life.