Luke 5:1-11
When I was in college, I learned to
kayak. Kayaking is rather different from the canoeing I was familiar with—you know,
there’s that upside-down thing! Of course, our coach wanted us to be able to
right-side-up our upside-down kayaks, so he told us how to do that: While upside-down
and under water, lean forward, extend the paddle parallel to the craft, and
then sweep the paddle backwards “over your heads” to the back … and again parallel
to the craft. He said if we did that, it would flip the kayak right-side up. When
the test came, Coach James flipped my kayak over, and even though what he said
to do made no sense at all, even seemed ‘counter-intuitive,’ I did what he said.
My kayak and I flipped upright….
In the scripture reading today, we
find that story of the amazing catch of fish. I believe that experience did for
the fishermen the same thing the miracle does for us today—it calls us to take
a closer look at this Rabbi who preaches from boats. As I read this passage in preparation
for the sermon, I wondered how in the world these fishermen became candidates
for “disciple.” What did Jesus see in them? Obviously, they were hard workers,
and they were persistent. But the deal breaker was their trust—their belief in,
their faith in, their confidence in this fellow who teaches from boats.
The fishermen had every reason not
to do what he asked. They had fished this lake for years. They knew the waters.
They knew the best time to fish. They knew where to fish. They also knew that
if they were going to make a run the coming night, this was not the time to put
out and drop the nets. But, they must have heard something in what he had been
saying—“…the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of
God.” Maybe there was something in how he was revealing God. All we know is
that these fishermen went against their “better judgement” and dropped the nets
for him.
If “trust” is the thing that makes all the difference, then that’s
something we need to aspire to. We need to take note that “trust” was not just
something that happened in the mind; it was something that led to action. Those
fishermen didn’t nod and offer Jesus their boat. They pulled their boat off the
beach…they went out…and they dropped their nets where he said to drop them. Trust
is what allowed me to be flipped over in a kayak and to do what my coach told
me to. This is what the life of trust looks like—doing, responding, living out
what one believes.
In a world steeped in fear and anxiety, trust means embracing the
words of scripture—“Do not be afraid”—that are repeated over 100 times. In a
world that seems intent on “getting even,” trust means hearing God say, “Vengeance
is mine, says the Lord,” and then living that way, letting go of the desire and
plans of retribution. In a world that is increasingly isolated and lonely,
trust is believing Jesus when he says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
In a world that tells us to focus on ourselves, to take care of #1, trust is
latching on to the message of Jesus that calls us to lives of agape love—selfless
acts of loving-kindness…whether we feel like it or not.
If Jesus can teach seasoned fishermen something about catching fish,
Jesus can surely teach you and me something about living better. In my own
experience, when I trust, when I live as Jesus calls us to live, life is
better. I still manage to screw things up from time to time, but when I trust—live
faithfully—life is better. May we determine to trust, to live as disciples.
Sunday, January 26, 2025
“…Shared Ministry: Disciples”
Watch/Listen: HERE
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