30 June 2013 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA
Text: Luke 5:1-11 (1 Kings 19:11-21, 1 Pet 3:8-15)
In the name of +
Jesus. Amen.
Our
Lord Jesus did something that we might think would be entertaining. Before a crowd, He made multitudes of fish
appear in a lake where seasoned fisherman had just worked all night and had
come up with nothing. And what’s more,
Jesus knew this would happen. He told
them where to cast the nets. And even in
the face of their skepticism, it came to pass in dramatic fashion.
It’s
a little like Babe Ruth pointing with his bat to predict a home run, and then
actually hitting the ball over the fence right where he said he would. It’s a little like a magician showing that he
has nothing up his sleeve, and then making things seemingly come from nowhere.
But
instead of cheering or clapping, Simon Peter’s reaction is one of horror. He is stunned. He is terrified. For this was no boastful prediction by a
flamboyant athlete. This was no playful
magic trick by a showman. Jesus truly
commanded the forces of nature to do the impossible, and the impossible
happened before St. Peter’s wide eyes. Or
more accurately, Jesus did what was only possible for God to do.
It
did not take St. Peter very long to figure out who this boat-preaching rabbi truly
was. In retrospect, Peter realized to
whom he was actually speaking when he earlier said rather flippantly: “Master,
we toiled all night and took nothing! But
at Your Word I will let down the nets.”
Peter knew two things that prompted his unusual response to ask Jesus to
depart. Peter understood: “This Jesus is
God, and I am a poor, miserable sinner.”
And Peter concluded: “Because of my sins, I am unworthy to stand before
this Jesus of Nazareth, the Man who is God.”
And
so St. Peter the sinner kneels before the Lord and confesses his sins, “Depart
from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
Peter confesses his sins, but he also confesses Jesus as God: by
kneeling and by calling Him Lord.
And
that, dear friends, is the greater miracle.
Making fish appear in a lake is nowhere near the greatness of the
miracle of faith, of the confession of one’s sins and of the confession of
Jesus Christ as God, of the forgiveness of sins, and of life everlasting.
And
thanks be to God that St. Peter’s prayer “Depart from me” was not
fulfilled. For Jesus would never abandon
the apostle Peter, even when the apostle denied His Master three times. And he does not abandon us, dear brothers and
sisters!
“Do
not be afraid,” says our Lord, with a startling, if not humorous prophecy,
“from now on you will be catching men.”
And Peter, James, and John all walked away from their fishing businesses
to follow Jesus, to study as his students for three years, in order to proclaim
the good news that this Jesus, this Man who is God, has come not to frighten,
but to forgive – and to draw people into the nets of the gospel using “fishers
of men” who were themselves snagged by the Master.
Peter
would see greater wonders, and perform many miracles himself. But the greatest miracles of all involve
confession – the confession of sins and the confession of Jesus Christ as God
and Lord, as Savior and Redeemer. This
double confession is what it means to repent.
And that is the single miracle that brings the hosts of heaven to
rejoicing.
The
Lord taught this same lesson to his holy prophet Elijah. Terrifying blasts of wind, horrific
earthquakes, and raging fires may indeed demonstrate God’s mighty power on this
created earth. But it is nowhere near
the magnitude of the power of the “sound of the low whisper,” that very Word of
God that calls us by name and breathes life into us. Whether shouted from rooftops or whispered in
hushed tones, the real power of God is not in flamboyant displays or
sleight-of-hand, but in the truth of His Word, the same Word that brought all
things into being, that same Word that became flesh and dwelt among us, that
same Word that declares us to be holy.
That
is the real miracle, dear friends. To
confess our sins is a far greater miracle than a whirlwind. To confess that Jesus has come into our world
to forgive us poor, miserable sinners is a far greater miracle than an
earthquake. To hear the “sound of a low
whisper” pronouncing the holy absolution is a far greater miracle than a
fire.
Jesus
told Peter “Do not be afraid,” because Peter was made worthy to stand before
our Lord, to enjoy His communion, and to never depart from the Lord’s grace and
mercy. Peter would enjoy that communion
in good times and in bad, in his triumphs and his failures, in his wisdom and
his foolishness.
Dear
friends, we partake of the same miracle today: casting our nets into what
appears to be emptiness only to be rewarded with abundance beyond measure,
poured out upon us at the Lord’s Word, with such lavish grace that we think our
nets will break. And through everything,
the good and the bad, the rejoicing and the sorrow, He also refuses to depart
from us.
St.
Peter would later offer advice to his fellow redeemed sinners by teaching them
likewise not to be afraid: “Now who is to harm you if you are zealous for what
is good. But even if you should suffer
for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed.
Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ
the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks
you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and
respect.”
The
forgiving Word of God, even as a “low whisper,” is more powerful than all the
tempests and storms this fallen world has to offer. For we can stand in the presence of the Lord,
for it is this mighty voice that says: “Do not be afraid.”
Amen.
In the name of the
Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
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