Trinity Lutheran Church

Luke 5: 1-11

The Calling of the First Disciples

 1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding round 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 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 signalled to 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.

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 “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

 The greatest honor for a Jewish boy (or man) was to be asked by the rabbi to become his student.

 But Peter…he can’t imagine it. He has heard the teaching; he has witnessed the wonder; he has been bested even at his own profession by this teacher…a teacher whose father was not a fisherman but a carpenter at that. And all Peter can see is the truth—that he is not worthy.  And this truth—and the fact that he is in the presence of a rabbi, a teacher of unimaginable power, frighten him.

 “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

 But Jesus simply says—“Don’t be afraid. From now on you’ll be catching people.”

 Rob Bell tells us that Peter—who had grown up to be a fisherman…as well as James, and John, and the rest of the disciples, had not made the first draft of rabbinical students. For one reason or another, when the rabbis of their local synagogues had been looking through the young men of their villages for students, they had not asked them. Now—this was not an insult—only the very brightest and most talented were taken on as students because, eventually, the students would become rabbis…but nevertheless, the fact that Jesus takes them now—the bench warmers, the second team if you will—to become the messengers of God’s holy gospel, is nothing short of remarkable. And it makes us understand Peter’s cry on an even more intimate level.

 
 Our gospels are slightly different in their approach to Christ and his ministry—each writer seeks to emphasize something slightly different about the savior—but they are all alike in some ways. And in every Gospel we are supposed to see ourselves in the boat. We are supposed to identify with the disciples. We are supposed to mouth the words of Peter’s cry–“Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” or woman…or child.

 And, when you realize that most of us, most likely, do not have genetic ties to the Jewish people, you recognize that we, like the disciples, are even more the second string. We weren’t the first on the list. We were the Gentiles Jesus came along to pluck off of the bench, whispering in our ears—“Get into the game.”

 When you look at all this, you recognize that Jesus wants the last to be first in his ministry. That God comes to the second string and makes them into starters. And with all of this comes a command that we be humble, as well as righteous. That we recognize that we are really, in the end, sinful men and women, made good with God only by the love of our savior.

 God takes the bench warmer, the second string, and makes us into the messengers of the gospel.

 This week we have seen tragedy. A tragedy that continues to unfold before our eyes and that will continue to unfold as days go by. Haiti, a country our congregation has gone out of its way to minister to, was rocked by a violent and tragic earthquake.  And in a land where rules have often been ignored, where corruption has reigned supreme, building after building, many constructed doubtless without regard to codes and regulations, fell like they were made with matchsticks. And we have seen pitiful scene after scene on CNN of people trapped within the ruins. Crying for help. Pleading for life and release.

 And, of course, into the mix came our old friend, Pat Robertson. Spouting his form of wisdom. Saying the kinds of things that make our young people wonder, “Should I even be a Christian?”

 “A long time ago,” Pat said, “The people of Haiti made a deal with the devil. Get rid of the French, they said, and we will serve you. And ever since, they have suffered.”

 Now I have researched this and can assure you—this is not history, only legend. Unfortunately it is a very old legend, so many believe it, but it is a legend nonetheless.

 But Pat Robertson? This is a man who looks like he’s part of the first team. He has his own TV show, has sold his cable channels to media moguls for huge profits, he has a large following, he even has run for president….

 But look, if you will, at the difference between his words and those of Peter…“Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

 Look at those words…and maybe you start to understand why Jesus chose the second string.

 I hope and pray that I—that you—will always be content to be the second string. I hope and pray this because I have come to realize that there are few things more dangerous than a person who decides they no longer need to seek the grace of God. Pat Robertson has wealth beyond our imagining, influence in high places, and has truly begun to confuse what he thinks with what God thinks. And that, of course, is the greatest sin of all.

 I want to be second string. I want to be led by Jesus—not assume Jesus wants the same things as me.

 And because of this—I will help my fellow sinners—no matter what they have done. I will help them because that is precisely what Jesus meant when he said, “when you have done it for the least of my brothers and sisters you have done it for me.” I will help them and I will not judge them because I know that if I were judged I, too, would be found wanting.

 The second team is the place to be, because the truth is the whole human family is on the second team. And those who believe they are first team are deluding themselves. And when you delude yourself about your place in the world and your place next to God—you end up saying some pretty stupid things.

 So today, as I have done so many times in the past, I throw my net in with Peter. I realize my failings. I recognize my sin, and I throw it all at the feet of my savior. And in response I will not judge, not exalt myself, but rather simply see my brothers and sisters in need and follow.

 I pray that we will all follow, and leave the rest to God.

 I pray that all of us will do the same. See our brothers and sisters in our same boat and respond. m