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Sunday Feb. 4, 2007 Epiphany 5CHave you ever been pushed beyond your limits? It is seldom a comfortable feeling, being stretched perhaps beyond what you thought yourself capable of. I remember my wrestling coach sitting me down after I won the district title and reminding me that the district was only the prelude to the state tournament – there was a much bigger battle ahead and I needed to prepare mentally for it. I recall my Old Testament professor Michael Floyd assigning more work than any other professor, and both resenting it and loving it at the same time because his high expectations told us of his deep respect for us and for our calling to ministry. We all have had times in our lives that someone expected a great deal of us, that we now look back on with gratitude because it was not just something they did to us, but rather something they did for us. We would not have pushed or stretched ourselves as far had it not been for their presence in our lives, and their vision of our potential.
It is early in Jesus’ ministry. In fact, he has not yet chosen his disciples, but his popularity will soon require it. He has been traveling, teaching and healing in the region of Lake Galilee or Gennesaret as Luke calls it. He has made some friendships in the area, especially among the fishing families along the north shore of the lake. He is no longer anonymous. Crowds materialize wherever he goes. Today the crowds are overwhelming, pressing in upon him. He can hardly find a place from which to address the crowd, feeling as though he is almost being forced into the lake itself. He is standing at the edge of the water, facing the green hills that gently slope into the lake. Realizing that the place is like a natural amphitheatre he gets an unusual idea. There along the shore are fishermen busy mending their nets after fishing all night. He gets the attention of one of the fishermen with whom he has become acquainted, by climbing into his boat and asking him to drift out just a little way from the shore. Simon puts down his nets, jumps into the boat with Jesus and pushes them out a few yards. He’s heard that Jesus has a gift and he’s interested in listening himself. Now with space in front of him and the water to carry his voice to the people, Jesus begins to teach. When he finishes, the crowds begin to disperse, returning to their homes and fields.
The lake is quiet. It is warm and sunny. Jesus and Simon sit rocking in the boat as the small waves slap against it. It is Jesus who speaks first, suggesting that Simon that they put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch. Peter sighs, explaining that they’ve fished all night, the best time to find the fish this time of year and they’ve caught nothing. It won’t work. It’s not worth it. It’s a waste of time. But something about Jesus changes Simon’s mind, we aren’t told what. Perhaps it is the way Jesus looks at him, or the tone of his request, or perhaps his teaching has intrigued Peter and a little more time on the lake to talk with this teacher is attractive. Together Peter and Jesus take the oars and begin to pull the boat out into deeper water. The nets go down and they wait. Peter doesn’t expect much, except to be proved right. There are no fish to be found, especially not in the heat of the day.
Immediately the nets fill with fish, more fish than they can handle. The boat is almost overwhelmed. Things become frantic and exuberant as they motion and call wildly for help from the other boat nearby. There is laughter and shouting and swearing and amazement and a kind of childish delight in all of those fish writhing and squirming in the nets. Now this is a fish story. Fish are piled high in both boats by the end and there is much rejoicing and congratulations all around. This will make a big difference in the monthly income of these humble fisher folk.
Where is Jesus in all this frenzy of fish? It is far too easy to assign him a place apart as much of Christian art assumes. But I think not, Peter is not left to struggle alone with these bulging nets, sweating and swearing and straining while Jesus sits serenely at one end of the boat. No, Jesus is present here in the flesh, a young and physical man, compelled into action by the filling nets. Remember it is Jesus who was looking for a catch. There are two men in this boat, bare legged, sweat dripping from their bodies, muscles straining, hard at work to save this miraculous catch.
At last the catch is secure and the second boat moves off toward the shore. Once again Jesus and Simon Peter are left alone in the boat now full of fish. They have shared an experience that has forged a special bond between them, the kind of friendship that is discovered in the midst of accomplishing something difficult together.
In the quiet of the moment, what has just happened begins to dawn on Peter. He thinks to himself, “This is the world I know and I know how it works,,,if you can turn my fishing world upside down, you’re for real.” His eyes meet those of Jesus and he begins to recognize something extraordinary in this new friend. Without realizing it, a deep sense of humility overcomes him and he feels as if somehow he is unworthy to be with this man, but at the same time he knows he would not want to be anywhere else. “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man,” he exclaims in the presence of the holy. (Luke 5:8)
Peter has had quite a day. He has gone from the failure of a fishless night to an uncanny sense of awe and humility in the presence of this man Jesus. But it doesn’t really end there for Peter does it, nor for his friends? “Do not be afraid,” Jesus says to him. Fear is the expected companion of transformation but it need not paralyze. “You will be catching people now.” The word catching here means “to take alive” in the sense of rescuing from death. This is only preparation for the real work Jesus has for him, but the methods will be the same trust over calculation, love more than power, risk instead of security.
Simon and several others, James and John find something in Jesus worth pursuing even at the expense of their wild catch and their livelihoods. We are told simply “they left everything and followed him.” This is the story of their call to discipleship that is to unfold in the pages of Luke’s gospel. It is a story that continues to unfold in this place today after many centuries. Simon Peter is not alone, his story is not an isolated one, millions upon millions of people have put out into deep water with Jesus since that fateful fishing trip. Many have quit their nets, leaving behind what hindered them and followed Jesus. It is one of the reasons St. Michael’s chose to place the window depicting this scene right next to the main doors of the church. Each week in this place we are called to follow Jesus, and sent out from here to share the Good News of Christ in the world. As we leave this place we are reminded of this calling in picture, color, glass and light.
One of the things I love about this story is its movement and action. It moves from shallow waters into deep waters. It takes us from quiet observation on the shore to active following, from skepticism about a catch to awe and wonder in the presence of God’s abundance. It moves us from holding onto our nets to leaving everything, from our temporary truth to trusting God.
The story itself invites us to wonder about where we are within it. Are we caught up in our own work, our careers, cleaning nets too busy to listen to Jesus? Are we one of the curious crowd that leave at the end of the presentation? Are we pulling against the oars with Jesus for deep water? Are we amazed at God’s surprising abundance in our lives? Have we left something behind to follow Jesus?
There are people and times in all of our lives who force us out into deep water, sometimes deeper than we want to go, people who push us to perform, who help us to mature, who create chaos around us, those who urge us to do what we did not think ourselves capable of doing. These messengers often sent into our lives by God help us to realize that we are capable of far more than we may have dreamed or imagined. Now I do not know where your deep water lies. It may be the deep waters of relationship and the hard work that love and reconciliation requires. It may be the deep waters of fighting for justice and equality for all in this state. It may be the deep waters of servanthood complete with all the joy and pain of true sacrifice. It may be the deep waters of healing destructive behaviors and attitudes. It may be the deep waters of intimacy and connection that you repeatedly run from. Maybe it’s not any of these things at all, maybe it is the simple realization that letting go of your nets scares you to death. You and I are so concerned about building security into our lives. It makes us crazy. At times it seems we are culturally defined by our pursuit of security. After age 30, that is who we are. The idea of questioning that security is threatening in the extreme. In short, it is so difficult for us to leave our comfort zone or our respectable self-image in order to go onto a new path.
But then there is Jesus jumping nonchalantly into the boat of our lives and throwing the invitation over his shoulder, “Put out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.” Are we terrified of what might happen if we actually trusted him? If we listen closely, quietly at the edge of the lake, the water lapping at our feet, drifting over the water into the amphitheatre of our lives we hear the three words we most need to hear as we consider following this teacher and friend, “Don’t be afraid.”
End Document — St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church