C, Epiphany 5 - Luke 5:1–11 "Dumbfoundedness"

Luke 5:1–11 (ESV) On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret,  and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.  Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.  And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”  And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”  And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.  They signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,  and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”  And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Have you ever heard of a fisherman getting into a boat to get away from the fish?  In essence this is what Jesus was doing.  Jesus was crowded by those whom he would catch through his death and resurrection.

But these fish were not fish of the sea!  No, they were land-based fish on the shore of Lake Galilee or the lake of Gennesaret as it is alternatively known.

Those land-based fish were the people pressing in on him to hear the word of God.  It is here on the shore Simon Peter, James and John were cleaning their nets.  They had been fishing throughout the night.  Washing and preparing their nets for the next fishing event, the fishermen were also in earshot of Jesus teaching the people about the good news of the kingdom of God. 

There is a sharp contrast between Jesus and the three fishermen.  We know from the text that they were cleaning their nets after a night of catching nothing.  Picture them doing this work of hauling in their nets, working in expectation for a catch.  As they lift the nets out of the water, they clean the nets of debris, and they don’t even receive a prize for their work.  Think how embarrassed they would have felt as Jesus catches a crowd, and they catch nothing except the rubbish they clean from their nets.

The least Simon Peter can do is grant Jesus’ request to push out a little from shore, so Jesus can catch the ear of all straining to hear him. 

But it is not so much the wider catch that is the focus of this text.  Simon Peter, James, and John first appear to be a footnote in the story.  However, Simon Peter, one of the three fishermen, becomes the focus of Jesus’ attention, and therefore ours too!  Our attention is captured by Jesus, when he makes a second request of Simon Peter, after he had finished speaking to the crowd.

Jesus said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”  (Luke 5:4 ESV)

We can hear the tiredness and sigh of Simon Peter’s words as he responds with his lament, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!  But at your word I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5 ESV)

Simon Peter very quickly learns that Jesus’ word was no ordinary word.  We know Jesus is not just a master of the word, or a commander of commandments, but that he is the very Word of God. 

Simon Peter was being called by someone greater than a master of the boat, or a commander commanding him to put out into the deep and let down the nets for a catch.

Simon Peter, James, and John were fishermen, they would have known the waters well.  They would have known when the best time of day and year was for catching fish.  They knew from experience what fishing was like on the lake.

It was never like this!

Such is the power of Jesus’ word to draw the crowd.  They let down the nets into the deep.  Simon Peter and his crew did as Jesus asked.  The nothingness of their nets was replaced with nets so full of fish they began to break.

This event left its mark on the three fishermen.  None more so than Simon Peter, who fell down at Jesus feet and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8 ESV)

Simon Peter realises that he is not worthy to be in Jesus’ presence.  This master fisherman catches the crowd and reveals that this Galilean fisherman misses the mark and never lets down his net in the right place to catch fish like this!

The irony of the situation is no laughing matter for Simon Peter.  He could catch nothing, and here is one who catches to excess.  He asks Jesus to leave.  We can only wonder why?   Perhaps it was due to extreme embarrassment, anxiety, or humiliation.  Or perhaps it was the sheer shock of the size of the catch.  Whatever it was, Simon Peter was dumbfounded, overwhelmed, and changed by the experience.

In fact, it dumbfounded not just Simon Peter, but all who were with him.  Little did Peter know, but later he would dumbfound others, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, when he healed a beggar at the temple in Jerusalem sometime after the Pentecost.  (Acts 3)

The Greek word used, meaning “dumbfounded”, appears only eleven times in the New Testament.  Two times in Luke and twice again here in Acts where the crowd witness Peter and John’s healing. 

The word is also recorder another seven times, but only in the Gospel of Mark.  We know John Mark recorded his Gospel from Peter’s proclamation of the gospel.  This highlights Peter’s language of dumbfoundedness and astonishment throughout his ministry of service to our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The point in all of this is: Simon Peter was forever affected by what Jesus did, beginning with this event on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

We know his dumbfoundedness, his inability to speak, was overcome.  Despite missing the mark as a fisher of fish, Jesus says to Simon Peter, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”  (Luke 5:10 ESV)

This narrative is drawn to a close in hearing that they left their boats and follow Jesus.  Now any fishers of fish here, will know for certain, this event had a massive impact on Peter, James, and John.  Having caught the largest catch, after fishing all night and catching nothing, these fishermen left everything and followed Jesus. 

Would you?

Jesus is not one who is employed to increase the catch of our desires.  Rather, like Peter who was called into witnessing the Gospel, we are called into this life as well.  Jesus is prepared to sail with you through the storms of this life. 

Are you willing to let Jesus sail with you through them? 

Either way, tumult, and tribulations are a reality.  The word of God tells us they are!  Even if the word didn’t tell us, the sinfulness of our humanity attracts turmoil and trouble anyway.

Like Peter, you might want to recoil from the call, saying, “Depart from me for I am sinful, Lord!”  You might think you are not worthy or capable to do God’s work.  The reality is you are not, and nor was Peter, or any since him!   Yet despite this, the fisherman left what he knew and followed Jesus. 

It is time to step aside from your fears and step out in faith and follow Jesus.   Jesus does not necessarily want you to chuck in your job and sit on a hilltop and wait for his second coming.  But he does call you to give up the futile effort of fishing for the idols of your heart and allow him to catch you and carry you.

Jesus has been catching you your whole life!  He continues to catch you and carry you!  His faithfulness towards you may or may not be easily visible.  But we know his faithfulness is completed in the cross.  And even then, he doesn’t stop being faithful to you.  He sends the Holy Spirit to lead you in his written word, to give you the will to follow his call, and the eyes of faith to see this call happens in a called community of dumbfounded listeners.

To obey the call is not so much about what we do.  Obeying Jesus’ call is about listening dumbfoundedly and allowing Jesus and the Holy Spirit to work in your dumbfoundedness and astonishment.  It is not you who speaks and acts, but Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who speaks and acts through you.

Amen.