It's Not About the Fish
Isaiah 6:1-8
Luke 5:1-11

Our Call to Worship this morning, from the 6th chapter of Isaiah begins with these words:

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord...."

After many years of peaceful and visionary reign, King Uzziah died and things began to fall apart in the kingdom. But in the midst of national turmoil, Isaiah tells us, "I saw the Lord...." This 6th chapter is Isaiah's story of God's call, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" and Isaiah's response found in verse 8: "Here am I, send me!"

Isaiah remembered the year that King Uzziah died, even as some of us will remember the day that President Kennedy was shot and the Kingdom of Camelot came tumbling down ... or the day that Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and his dream died with him.

There are moments in time for each one us that we will not forget, and moments in time that become life-changing moments for us. The Gospel story told by Luke of Jesus Call to his first disciples is another of those earth-shattering moments - even if no one knew it at the time.

This day began like many other days for this trio of fisherman. They were up before dawn and on-the-lake by sun-up in order to catch their quota of fish. It was a daily task and their fishing success directly affected their ability to provide for the needs of their family. But this day did not begin well - their catch was nothing. They returned to shore and began the daily chore of cleaning their nets, no doubt discouraged by their lack of success.

Nearby they can hear the words of Jesus speaking to a crowd of people who have gathered to hear him speak God's word. Perhaps they reflect on his success, measured by the growing crowd, as compared to their own empty nets. Suddenly Jesus is calling to Simon ... he wants to borrow his boat ... Simon rows Jesus out away from the shore as Jesus continues his teaching from within the boat.

Finally, the sermon is finished and Simon can go home and wallow in his sorrow - but no, Jesus is speaking to him: "Put out into the deep water and let your nets down for a catch." Right! Who does this guy think he is - he's no fisherman, that's for sure! A preacher, yeah, and a carpenter. What does a carpenter know about fishing?

"With all due respect, Master, we have worked all night long and there are just no fish out there. We have caught nothing. Yet, if you say so, well why not - I will let down the nets."

It turned out to be a wise decision - a life-changing moment for Simon. The nets went down and were quickly filled with fish, so many fish that Simon had to call for his partners to come and help him. So many fish ... that they filled both boats until they were nearly sinking.

Perhaps this guy is more than a carpenter! Perhaps this preacher is more in touch with God than I had thought.

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

Simon is now confused about the guest in his boat and cries out that he is unworthy to be in the same boat as Jesus. But Jesus calms his fears: "Do not be afraid... [how often we hear those words in the Gospel story] ...from now on you will be catching people."

Simon stands in a long tradition of individuals we find in the scriptures: God often chooses those who are unqualified to do God's work. That's how we begin to understand that Jesus is of God: he chooses and calls Simon to follow him. And then James and John follow as well. They leave it all behind on the beach and follow Jesus saying, "Here we are, Lord."

And what about the fish? What about that huge catch of fish in the boats? A symbol of their success as fisherman - it is all left behind. For you see, this story is not about the fish!

The lesson of this story is: "listen to the Lord." We are not told by Luke what Jesus was teaching from the back of Simon's boat. But we might guess that it sounded a lot like the stuff he taught in the synagogue the week before in Nazareth: good news for the poor, release for the captives, vision for the blind, and the Acceptable Year of the Lord! [Kubicek]

It's not about the fish, it's about the people. Jesus called Simon to a new vocation - from catching fish to reaching people. For Simon, and James and John, it meant change! They were not people-persons, they were fishermen. They knew how to fish, but now they were being called to try things they had never done before. Soon they would be off healing people in Jesus' name, teaching people about God, reaching people for Jesus, and even writing scripture!

The day that began with empty nets became one of those life-changing moments in time for these disciples. You and I have our own life-changing moments that call us to try things we have never tried before.

Like the earliest disciples, we may not think of ourselves as evangelists, let alone that we might heal people or write scripture.

Jesus does not call us because we are worthy. We are worthy because he calls us. [Kubicek]

 

Has Jesus called you recently, asking to borrow your boat ... or your car, your home, your tools - your tools of hope - in order to share the Good News with those who are eager to hear?

Has Jesus called you recently, asking you to return to the boat where you recently experienced failure? You and I don't like failure or emptiness, but that may very well be the condition that serves to invite the Lord into our lives. [Martin, p. 54]

Has Jesus called you to return to a place in your life where you didn't experience success? Perhaps Jesus is waiting there to transform your failure into a success story.

Perhaps Jesus is calling this congregation to put out into the deep water and let your nets down for a catch. Like Simon, we may argue, "We tried that before and it didn't work." But Jesus may ask us to "try again." We may feel unworthy and would rather not let Jesus see our empty nets. But hear me again when I say: "It's not about the fish." The lesson in this story is about listening to Jesus and being willing to try again where we have failed, so that Jesus can transform our failures and our lives into all that he calls us to be and to do.

I want to suggest that today this congregation has arrived at one of those life-changing moments in time. Here we are on the verge of new beginnings and new opportunities. Someday, one of you will write: "In the year that Pastor Beth came ... I saw the Lord." And some, if not all, of you will hear God's call and respond: "Here am I, send me!"

Today, we install Beth as pastor of the Elkhart Valley congregation. Beth has had her own life-changing moments and I'm sure as you get to know her, you will hear some of those stories; even as Beth, as your pastor, will want to hear about your life-changing moments.

I have known Beth's family, the churches in which she was nurtured, and some of the congregations where she has served. I have valued her leadership for the General Board, first in the area of stewardship and more recently as Congregation Life Team Coordinator for our area. I find Beth to be a committed Christian leader whose life has been touched and changed by God.

But I want you to remember something else about Beth. Beth comes to you as one of you - that is to say, she is fully human and to my knowledge has never learned to walk on water (unless the lake is frozen over). Beth is not only your pastor, she is also the mother of Keith and Craig, the wife of Tim; and a sister in Christ to each of you. Beth, like each of you, is a disciple of Jesus. Respect her as a family member and honor her as a church leader. Work with, and not against her, for the well-being of this congregation. Encourage her to take risks for Jesus and when she puts out into the deep water and finds her nets near the breaking point, be quick to join her and help her in gathering in the catch.

Beth, this Elkhart Valley congregation is filled with many gifted persons waiting to respond to the Call of Christ and the Church with their own, "Here am I, send me." In the weeks and months to come, you will learn to know and love these people even as they come to know and love you. Listen to them. Listen to their stories. Listen to their ideas. Listen to their words of hope and encouragement.

And may each and every one of us listen to God who calls us to venture into deeper water and let down our nets. May we all come to rely on God even as God relies on us to gather people into the kingdom in Jesus' name. Amen

 

Sermon by Herman Kauffman
Elkhart Valley Church of the Brethren
February 8, 2004

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