Don’t Be Afraid to Drop Your Nets :: Luke 5:1-11

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And when they brought their boats upon the land and left all things, they followed [Jesus] (v 11).

[Introduction]

Our Gospel reading for this Fifth Sunday after Trinity is more than an account of fishermen hearing the call of Jesus, abandoning their boats and nets ... in fact, their livelihood ... and following Jesus. Our Gospel reading provides a picture of how ...

THE CALL OF JESUS CAPTURES THE HEARTS OF ALL MEN AND CREATION

I. In the beginning, the disciples had their hearts on a different kind of fishing.

Simon and Andrew, James and John knew their vocations well. They put all of their heart into fishing. Sometimes they went fishing during the heat of the day, like in John 21[:3], when they didn’t know what else to do. Sometimes they did it all night long, like in our Gospel reading. They loved fishing so much that they made it their livelihood (v 5). They loved it even when they were exhausted and frustrated, poor and hungry (v 5a). 

But then it happened one morning ... Jesus came calling and their lives were changed forever. With the crowd pressing upon Jesus to keep healing and teaching them, Jesus saw two empty boats by the lake (v 1). So he entered the church ... or we should say a Simon’s boat at the edge of the world, a place called Gennesaret, and he sat down. There, he began teaching the crowd following him why it’s necessary for him to preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in every city of Galilee and Judea (Lk 4:43, 5:17). When he stopped teaching, he turned to Simon, and said ... Go out into the depths, and lower your nets for a catch (v 4). 

You can almost hear a heavy sigh from Simon. 

Simon said, Master, we labored all through the night and received nothing (v 5a).

Simon’s clearly tired ... hungry ... frustrated. Last night, he didn’t even catch a minnow. That means, he and his employees won’t be paid today. It means his synagogue won’t receive its tithe today. It means his bills will pile up, and those who rely on his catch of the day won’t have anything to eat. More than that, he just finished washing the nets (v 2). Can’t I go home? But Jesus has taken over the boat. And the call of Jesus is sounding forth.

So Simon said, upon your word, I’ll lower the nets (v 5). 

I gotta say, this next miracle in Luke 5 is like few others. It’s honestly on the scale of the feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000, when everyone had their fill and there was an exceedingly great abundance left over. No one will be lacking today.. 

This miracle is also a picture of the Day of Pentecost, when a crowd had gathered from around the world. After hearing the Gospel ... just like in our reading ... 3,000 souls received the Word of God, became astounded and perplexed at the abundance of gifts given to men. They were subsequently baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. And they began devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers (Acts 2). In other words, we too began pressing in upon Jesus. 

And this is the day the Lord has made at Gennesaret, just days after he began his ministry!

Simon lowered the nets ... or we should say, he cast forth the Gospel ... and the Gospel captured the hearts of a great multitude ... far more fish than he and his brother Andrew could handle (v 6). And they signaled to their partners in the other boat ... that would be, as Mark tells it, James and John, the sons of Zebedee (Mk 1:15-19) ... to come and help. Together, they received so many fish that they filled [both] boats to the point of being immersed. 

Now when Simon Peter saw [the result], he fell to the knees [in front of] Jesus, saying, ‘Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord’ (vv 7-8). 

What an awesome moment in the life of the church!

Do you see and hear what has just happened? 

II. Jesus has captured the hearts and minds of all with the Good News.

First, note that Luke reports Peter’s name has changed. He’s no longer just Simon. Jesus will start calling him Peter (v 8), just like he calls all of you Christian. 

Second, Jesus is no longer just another Master. Now he is the Lord, who has all authority in heaven and on earth. 

More than that, Peter has come to the full realization that he’s a sinner in need of a Savior. He has contrition and faith. He’s mourning that he’s actually a sinner, but he knows who to turn to. Therefore Jesus has led him into repentance. And I think it is fair to say that ... though Peter didn’t want to be in church today ... though Peter didn’t want to listen to another sermon today about how the God of all grace will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Pt 5:10) ... now he knows that God is actually with him, and is still delivering daily bread, still saving men and women in the boat that is the church. And he knows he has been sanctified by the washing of the water with the word (Eph 5:26).

[Catechism]

Yes, there is most certainly a picture of baptism in Luke 5. So let’s look at that. 

Please open your [Lutheran Service Book] to page 325, and join me in confessing the first article of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. 

As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household ... What is Baptism? ... Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word. ... Which is that Word of God? ... Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew: Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And we should add, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Mt 28:20a). 

In our Gospel reading, we have the water and the Word. We have teaching and the church. We hear the call of the Gospel too. Many are being saved by Jesus and coming to the knowledge of the truth. 

Baptizing and teaching go together, just like it did in our Gospel reading. Teaching and baptism are not meant to be separated. Those who are baptized should continue being taught in Bible study. And those being taught, should be returning to baptism daily, confessing your sins and receiving absolution in the Divine Service every Sunday. 

As our Lutherans Confessions teach us: The Sacraments are instituted to awaken and confirm faith in those who use them. Therefore we must use the Sacraments in such a way that faith, which believes the promises offered and set forth through the Sacraments is increased (AC XIII 3).

III. And now we can enjoy the new heart that comes in baptism.

Peter and Andrew, James and John did that when they heeded the word of Jesus and [stopped] being afraid ... knowing that from now on, they will catch men alive (v 10). When Jesus called them to be fishers of men (Mk 1:17), they didn’t say ... let me sleep on it. Instead, they left everything and followed Jesus (v 11).

We should do the same, learning to do all that Jesus taught us ... like loving God and our neighbors ... forgiving and being forgiven, no questions asked ... trusting that Jesus’ perfect life and bloody sacrificial death on a cross actually works atonement for all your sin ... actually pays all of your debt ... and actually gives you eternal life with God. 

And because Hallelujah! He is risen! ...  

His life is now your life. And in this new life, we can practice humility. 

His life is now your life. And now we can stop judging and condemning one another. 

His life is now your life. And now we can start forgiving and being forgiven, nourishing and being nourished, and serving and being served.

[Conclusion]

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we all know people who don’t know Christ. We all know people who live without the forgiveness of sins. We know people who avoid confronting their own sin, thinking that by doing so they can escape the consequences. So give them a reason for the hope you have and tell them about the new life in Christ, who is with you always at Trinity Lutheran Church. Invite them to join you here on Sunday and follow Jesus. Bring them to Bible study, and stop being afraid. If the disciples could follow Christ when they were tired, frustrated, and full of failure in their own labor ... then so can we. 

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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