The Fifth Sunday after Trinity – Sunday 9 July A✠D 2023
✠ Psalmody: Psalm 27:7a, 9b;27:1a, 11-12, 14;84:9, 8;21:1
✠ Lection: 1 Kings 19:11-21;1 Peter 3:8-15;St. Luke 5:1-11
In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Christians, even the pious ones who read the Scriptures while outside the walls of the church, who pray in bad times and in good, who honestly seek to live by the Holy Word handed down from the prophets and apostles, even those Christians need constant reminding of the teachings of the one true faith. And what does that say about us all? That the same is true for every one of Christ’s sheep because we all battle daily against the sinful flesh that is constantly active in trying to purge our minds, hearts, and bodies of all that is good. To fight well in our true war, the Lord has blessed us with His most precious, breathed-out Word, profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness and outright necessary for all such things. Christ gives us His Word to use in battling the lies of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, allies that the wicked one always instigates against all those things holy and good. Our foe seeks to keep mankind captive in the night, in the darkness of hate, division, sloth, pride, apathy, and chaos, and he works incessantly to lead astray as many as possible, even the Elect who are free in Christ. The Christian must be diligent in remembering that all that is heard, all that comes against us are but the symptoms and result of what is evil and unseen. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) All the problems this world, and you, face must be approached, must be measured with the unseen in mind, with the understanding of the root problem of sin in us all, and with the understanding of the Solution of the Savior from that sin, thus also the Solution to all that ails you and the world, no matter the trending issue.
Our constant need for instruction, for teaching, for receiving, is evident by the core of the Faith to which the Holy Spirit by St. Luke calls us this morning. Almighty God had granted to Peter, James, John, and all their workers in their fishing business the knowledge, the opportunity, the equipment, and the desire to catch fish in order to provide food for their tables and a source of income for all their other bodily needs. Their practice was well-established, meaning they were at least moderately successful and knowledgeable in their trade, yet also remained day and night at the mercy of God and of often stubborn fish. No matter how successful we are in any venture or task, it is wise to remain mindful of the One, and only One, Who is in control of all things. By the tradesmanship and the wisdom that these fishermen had accumulated, they had decided, and attempted, to spend the cool, night hours drawing in a hopeful catch that they and their families and those of their neighbors depended upon. They were professionals and knew that naught could be done if their nets came up empty, especially after toiling all night and taking nothing. Such was the uncertainty of their vocation. Such is the uncertainty of many of our vocations, both of those that are done for income and of those done out of charity and service to neighbor. We never know for sure that good will come out of them. We are simply instructed by God of what good works are and are called to trust Him with the outcomes. The good that we seek to come out of all our deeds is to be left up to the Lord and His good and gracious will. Let us trust Him at His word.
And in this setting upon the Lake of Gennesaret, we can see ourselves, oddly enough, as both fish and fishermen; as ones needing to be snatched out of this world’s clutches and as ones who have knowledge of how God catches by His Good News, all the while also continuously finding ourselves frustrated by the same struggles over and over again, showing ourselves fruitless in both analogies without Christ entering in, bringing order to our chaos. But look to the Word and that is where you will discover us most comfortingly. First, as those dwelling in the darkness of the night or the deep, engulfed and surrounded by darkness, often too content with an ungodly existence that only reaches as far as our little eyes can see, enduring each new day, but quick to ignore whatever my try to interject from above. The flesh seeks to swim in the familiarity of sin and all its satisfactions as the world is glad and quick to keep us surrounded with. We trust us only to ourselves and our ability to make the necessary darts and wiggles so that we continue a way of life that is comfortable. How many times have you wondered why can’t I just be left alone? Why is the wickedness of this world and my own heart so stinking persistent?! Yet, when help comes from above, our fallen bent is to flee from it because of what such words may call us to turn from, especially if it comes to us as reproof or correction of our current way of living. But even better still, the saving net of Christ’s Holy Gospel is thrown out repeatedly into the waters of this world wholesale so that we are caught by its goodness and brought to repentance and forgiveness.
Those in the Church thrive when she repents, because that is Her identity: a body of repentant sinners. She thrives when she repents because the darkness surrounding her, and within her, is exposed by this sanctification to the Eternal Light, Who absolves her sins and sets her free from bondage, even in this age. There’s only one way by which the Church grows and persists. There is only one way any are brought out of darkness. We can have all the creativity in the world, all the proven tactics, all the latest gear, fads, websites, gadgets, the catchiest, funnest programs and activities, and all the insight of how to win friends and influence people. We could even have the most spectacular church sign and building, but all would be in vain, just like all the able efforts of the fishermen that night were in vain until the Lord gives the catch; just as all our efforts are in vain without Christ and His Word founding them all. Jesus is the Lord of all. He took the divinely-ordained opportunity to teach the soon-to-be Apostles and the crowd where and upon what all of life really depends; not only life of soul-less fish over which we have dominion, but of people who can observe and comprehend the struggle, the affliction, the sin that so pervades this life.
To produce a catch, Jesus did not introduce these doubtful men, or at least Peter, to deep-sea trawling poles with 100-lb fishing line and $100 flashy lures (with loud guitars, kick drums, flashing stage lights, and wanna-be rockstars seeking to entertain the fish into the boats). He did not direct them to where there had been other apparent successes by fishermen farther up the shoreline. He did not tell them to try harder in human wisdom but to trust Him and do what He says for there is power in the Word of the Creator. He showed what is necessary to accomplish catching souls alive and that is for He and His Word to be central and the cause of all; to have Him seated in the center first and His Word to go out for all to hear regardless of how much they love the chilly darkness in which they dwell; to trust in Him to have His way whether He chooses to increase or to cease; to keep the faith in His Word even if it seems foolish to continue to do so. Many so-called churches have gone the route of worldly-wisdom. Since the Gospel seems to no longer work and bring people into our pews, that means the power of God is no longer in those sweet words, right? By no means! A great catch of men can only ever come by Christ and His Word. All else is bait and switch at best, if not outright foolish evil, because God never changes. Just as through the waters of the great flood He delivered Noah and his family into life, and just as He delivered you in your baptismal waters into life everlasting, it is by Christ and His word that those who dwell in darkness are brought to the salvation found in His Church and kept therein, shown by how the power of His Word brought this mighty catch by what Jesus said. Oh, how easy it is not to trust Him.
Praise God that there is not only one boat in which we can seek the gifts of Christ, but we know that wherever His Word is faithfully proclaimed and His sacraments rightly administered, there He is and in Him is the life you need to make it today, to make it this week, to make it this life. Remember this basic truth. Remember it is your Savior Who matters even if all the gimmicks come crashing down like they should. Remember Him even if the days of your life or of this little congregation come to an end, because there will be no end to the unseen Church where Christ dwells securely with you in hand, always ready to show patience, care, strength, love, steadfastness, and forgiveness to those belonging to Him. So, no matter what lectern, font, pulpit, and altar you sit in front of, Who you hear and receive is the determinant of whether that is a good place for you. Hopefully here, but wherever that measure leads you in all your days, trust your Lord’s voice where you hear His words proclaimed into your ears and His Body and Blood brought to your lips, for from that place you can confidently listen and do as He says, “Come. Follow Me.”
In ✠ Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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