JESUS THE LEADER

Luke 5:1-11

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this morning’s meditation is our Gospel lesson for today, Luke, chapter 5, verses 1 through 11, particularly these words:  “One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’  So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”  This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. The crowds which came out to hear Jesus preach and teach were different from all Christian crowds of following generations. Our text tells us that the people were crowding around him–some translations even use the term “Pressed upon him”–they wanted to be close so that they could hear clearly. Modern Christians prefer sitting in the back pews–rather than being up front.

But Luke, in our text, tells us that the crowds were pressing around Jesus, so much so that he was looking for some way to keep them from pushing him into the lake in their eagerness to hear him speak. Jesus saw two boats–he had Simon push one into the lake just enough where he could easily address the crowd–and yet the crowd could not push him any further. And from the boat he spoke and taught.

Why were so many people, so eager, to hear what Jesus had to say? Why were they so excited about listening to Jesus?

There are probably many reasons why they were so excited about hearing Jesus preach. Maybe they had heard about the water turned into wine. Maybe they had heard that he was a miracle worker who had made lame people walk, and deaf people to hear. Maybe they had even heard about what he had said in Nazareth–that he was the Messiah, who had been promised by God, through the Old Testament prophet Isaiah.

Now he was here among them. Now they had an opportunity to see him first hand–to personally hear what he had to say. This was their opportunity to be close and to see him work a miracle or two. They wanted to learn more about this Man who proclaimed himself to be the promised Messiah of God.

How many people today are like that crowd. They really are excited about religion—-but they really don’t know what religion is all about. Some people flock to the Charismatic churches because they think religion is to be found in some kind of emotional charge with the congregation clapping their hands and waving their arms and speaking in tongues. Some people run to false churches and false teachers who offer them something that looks exciting, but usually offers to them a list of rules—rules that if followed fully will make them disciples of the false prophet–not God’s people. Some people join a particular church because it is a good social move in the community or in their job, and some join because they have this feeling that if their name is not on some church role, God won’t accept them.

This kind of “RELIGION” is doing no one any good. In order to really find true religion–you must first know Jesus Christ. You must know, WHO he is, WHAT he did for you, and the PROMISE that is yours through him.

The crowd flocked to see a Messiah, a preacher, a miracle worker—Most of us met our Savior first of all in our Baptism, when the Holy Spirit created saving faith in our hearts. We know he died for us. We know he intercedes for us. We know we have eternal life because he took our sins upon himself, and set us free from the guilt and the punishment of sin. He is our Lord. He is our King. He is our Savior.

The crowd wanted to know more  –  the crowd wanted to hear more  –  and so they kept pushing. Finally Jesus was saved by the boats. With the boat pushed a few feet away from the shore, he could preach to the people and they couldn’t push him back any further. The words of Jesus were important to the people and they listened.

The words of Jesus had authority to them. Elsewhere in the Scriptures we read that people wondered at the sermons of Jesus because he preached with an “Authority like no one else possessed.” The authority of his message and his voice must have been very apparent because of what happened after he had preached his sermon.

Peter and his crew had been fishing all night and they hadn’t caught any fish. Now, when Jesus finished his sermon, he tells Peter,   “put out into the deep and let down your nets.”

Just suppose you were Peter. If you were Peter, what would you say? After all, Peter is a professional fisherman. He knew the best fishing holes in this lake. He knew the best times to go fishing. He made his living catching fish—and after working all night, he had caught nothing. He and his crew had cleaned their nets and put them away–they were tired, they were ready to go home and to rest. But Jesus said, “Let down your nets.” And Peter, realizing the authority in the message and the voice said, “At your word I will let down the nets.”

It’s too bad that ALL people are not like Peter was that day. We all seem to have our own idea of the way things should be run, or the way things ought to be done, or the way things should be. There are a lot of things that God asks us to do that we think are just a little bit foolish, old fashioned, or impossible—-and so we tell God that we know better. Jesus said of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, “This is my body, This is my blood.” And modern man says that is impossible–it only represents, or symbolizes, Christ’s body and blood. God says “He that believes and is baptized, shall be saved.” But man says, “I have to do good so God will love me and take me to heaven.” God says, “Ask and it will be given you.” and we pray only after we’ve tried all our other options.

Too bad we’re not like Peter, “At your word, I will let down the nets.”

In the Lutheran Church, we talk a lot about God’s Grace. We even say that we are saved by “Grace Alone.” This miracle of Jesus points right to that grace alone. Peter, the professional fisherman, had fished all night and caught nothing. The Bible says, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Jesus said, “Without me, you can do nothing.” Like Peter with his empty nets, we come to Jesus with empty hands, hands stained by sin, looking to His cross alone for our forgiveness. And Jesus fills our lives with His Love, His grace, His forgiveness. Just as Jesus filled the two boats with so many fish that the boats began to take on water, so Jesus fills our lives with His peace – a peace which the world cannot give. A peace of knowing that our sins are forgiven, that we are right with God, and that we have the promise of life eternal with God in heaven. As Peter’s boat was overflowing with fish – so our lives overflow with God’s blessings through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Seeing the miracle, Peter falls at Jesus’ feet in worship and adoration. And Jesus says, “From now on Peter, you will be catching men.” Jesus tells Peter that he now has a new calling–and that is to follow Him. Peter and his partners pull their boats to shore, leave everything, and follow Jesus.

May we follow Jesus. May he lead our lives through his Word. May his life, death, and resurrection give meaning and direction to our lives as “we love him, who first loved us, and gave himself for us.”

To God alone be the glory. Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.