Sermon 02-07-2010

Psalm 138                                                                                                     Luke 5:1-11

“Going Deep”

The word deep is interesting to me! Webster defines deep as: “Extending far inward from an outer surface.” That is how Jesus is using it in this text: “to put out into the deep water.” The word deep also means: Extending far downward below a surface” like into the water as in snorkeling or scuba diving.                                  (Webster’s II. New Riverside Dictionary, pg. 185)

A few years back I had the opportunity to take a youth group to Puerto Rico. We worked doing mission work at Ryder Hospital in Humacao, for nine days. We also had a couple of tours of the city and a snorkeling day at a close by island. As I may have shared with you before I don’t do water, vast quantities of water that is!

So, on we go to this beautiful island, everyone was ready to go deep, as inward and then under the water to see the coral reefs. As some of you may know some reefs rise close to the surface, but the deeper you go into the water the more fascinating the adventure and experience. The deeper you go, the more coral varieties and other of nature’s beauties, rocks, fish and the like, you may find.

Well, there I was with my mask ready, the ocean water up to my neck, and that’s it, I froze. The thought of going under and deeper freeze me, drowning was the only thing that was going through my mind. I only was able to get my head under water and enjoy the beauty that was limited by my fear. I only could walk so far, as soon as my feet lost touch with the sand, I was backing up again. I was not able to enjoy fully the magnificent creation that lived there under water. I was offered a hand but I could not trust! I could not let go of my fear!

PRAYER

“The famous body of water in Galilee is called by three names – the Sea of Galilee, the Sea of Tiberias and the Lake of Gennesaret. It is thirteen miles long by eight miles wide. It lies in a dip in the earth’s surface and is 680 feet below sea level. The last time we heard Jesus preach he was in the synagogue but now he is at the lakeside.” In Jesus’ days there were nine townships clustered round its shores, about 15,000 people.”                                                          (Barclay, Luke, pg. 56)

“The industry of catching, preserving, and selling fish was an important source of income in the region around the Sea of Galilee. The suppliers of the equipment that fishers needed added to the economy of the area.”

                                                (Seasons of the Spirit, Cong. Life, pg. 112. Feb. 07-2010)

“An average boat in the Sea of Galilee and perhaps Peter’s boat was about 26.5 feet long, 7.5 feet wide and 4.5 feet high.”    (Sermon Seeds, ucc.org/worship/Samuel/Feb. 07-2010)

“…the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake… and Jesus got into the boat, the one that belonged to his friend and disciple Simon, and calling to him asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught from the boat.” Luke 5:1-3.

When Jesus calls he finds you where you are.

“Jesus did not call Simon to the synagogue. He went to where Simon was in the middle of his daily work of fishing. He gave Simon the dignity of being needed by using his boat to speak to the people. As we see, Simon was having no success in fishing. And he did not think there was any reason to listen to Jesus’ words to try again. Yet he obeyed. That is Luke’s point (to his readers and to us). No matter what the prior experience in fishing has been, listen to Jesus!” …and try it again!

Simon was frustrated and disappointed; his fishing did not go well the night before. When Jesus asked to go deeper and to let the nets down, Simon answered: “We have worked all night long but have caught nothing.” (v.5)

“Listening to Jesus, brought great success that Simon had to signal to his partners in the other boat to come and help them. They caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break, and the boats were about to sink. (v.7) The miraculous catch of fish that cannot be contained is unexpected, for sure. Simon senses too that the ways of this teacher, Jesus, cannot be contained and reveals something about God at work.”

What is sin but the separation from God’s presence?

“Simon Peter realizes he falls short of God’s intentions, and confesses his condition as a human, he is a sinful man. ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.’ What was Simon’s sin? Was it the fact of not trusting Jesus’ word that there would be a catch? Or was it the fact that he was trying to escape Jesus’ call because Simon felt inadequate?” Or he felt bad because he doubted for a moment and questioned Jesus’ request to go deeper and to try it again. “But Jesus did not go away from Simon. Jesus called him regardless of his sin. Jesus stayed and called Simon to the task of fishing for people; and he told him “not to be afraid.” Why not be afraid? Because… as we read in psalm 138 God’s steadfast love and faithfulness will endure, preserve one in the middle of our trouble, and fulfill God’s purpose in the ones called.”            (Nan Duerling. The Word and You, vol. 1, pg. 101-102)

What separates us from God?

What do we fear?

Is going deep into prayer, His word and relationship with Christ a fearful thing? It can be that we become more aware of our vulnerability and of our fear to trust and hold on to the assurance that in God everything is going to be all right.

Looking back at my snorkeling experience, I stayed back, my fears held me back, and I was left behind at the shore.

What do we need to leave behind at the shore of our lives in order to go deeper with Jesus?

Jesus said to Simon and is still saying to us today: “do not be afraid.” and invites and commissions him to a greater task “you will be catching people.” (v. 10)

 “Jesus not only invites Simon Peter but also the others with him, to join Jesus in proclaiming the reign of God and inviting others to join them. The fishers presumably leave a viable business and their financial investment in equipment and fishing rights in order to cast the good news of Christ into the deep reaches of society.”                                                                                 (S. of the S., idem)

“With a boat as an early Christian symbol for the church, one might see here a beginning of an ecumenical movement of churches sharing in an overwhelming missionary task.”                                                                     (Nan Duerling, idem)

Or, can we see us as a “boat’ called to welcome people of all ages, tongues and races, as diverse as the fish in the net that come from the seas of the world. 

So, how big is your boat?                    

At the end of the story we find the fishermen coming back from the experience and leaving their boats behind on the shore to follow Jesus.

What do we need to leave behind?

“Another metaphor for the Kingdom of God in the New Testament, and God’s reign in our midst might be fishing – casting God’s saving word of justice, peace and mercy into the deep social waters of hatred, oppression, and greed in order to draw all people into the Body of Christ. When God transforms those who respond to God’s word, the results cannot be contained. In what ways are we experiencing God’s word as a call to ministering to those around us? What does it mean to follow Jesus and fish for people today – as an individual and as a church?”                                                                                                                                                             (S. of the S., idem)

BENEDICTION

God is calling us to go deep…

Jesus is telling us “be not afraid for I go with you always.”

Let us go deep into the Spiritual Seas…

Let us enjoy the surprising adventure that is waiting for us!