Loving God, you come to us in the person of Jesus Christ and invite us to experience both your power and your love. Fill our hearts with your Spirit this day, that we might be faithful witnesses of your grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

It needs to be said at the outset that Simon Peter had already seen some of what Jesus could do. In fact, Jesus had been at Simon's house and had healed his mother-in-law while he was there (Lk. 4:38-39). In addition, Simon had seen Jesus heal many other people and had heard him teach in the synagogue. And so, when Jesus shows up in Simon's boat one day and teaches the crowds who are gathered on the shore, this is not a first time meeting. However, this is the first time that we hear about Simon's response to Jesus.

It is very instructive for us to notice the order in which things happen in today's gospel. Simon does not begin with some grand statement of faith in Jesus. Rather, he begins by obeying Jesus. Simon has seen enough to begin to think that this Jesus guy might be for real. And so the first step that Simon takes is to act on Jesus' command.

Simon - and probably everybody else with him - is tired after having worked all night trying to catch some fish. And along comes Jesus - not a fisherman by trade - who tells Simon to head for the deep water and let down his nets for a catch. Now, I'm pretty sure that Simon could have come up with many excuses for not doing what Jesus says. In fact, he does make sure that Jesus knows that they were fishing all night and caught nothing. However, Simon's final answer is: "If you say so, I will let down the nets" (Lk. 5:5).

As soon as Simon acts on Jesus' command, he discovers the power that resides in Jesus. Just as with God's word, the word of Jesus does not return empty. In fact, Simon suddenly finds himself with more fish than he, or even his partners, can handle. With Jesus there is abundance - so much abundance that they barely know what to do with it!

All of this makes me wonder what would happen if those who aren't sure what they believe started out by obeying Jesus' commands. We tend to have this picture in mind that says that the first step for people in coming to faith is to say, "I believe." For Simon, this isn't true. First he is exposed to Jesus: He hears Jesus' teaching and he sees what effect Jesus has on other people. Then, Simon acts on Jesus' command. In his case, this command is to let down his nets for a catch. What command might we act on?

Seeing as we would probably want to see some concrete results, just as Simon did, there are a couple of possible courses of action that come to mind. The first comes in the form of a very concrete command and promise. We find it in Luke, chapter 6:

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back"

(Lk. 6:38).

It is a truth that never really sinks in for us until we have tested it out. Generosity on our part always results in even greater generosity from God's hand. This is a command and a promise that is all over the place in both the Old and New Testaments. In fact, the prophet Malachi practically dares people to try it and see. He writes:

"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing" (Mal. 3:10).

It is a concrete command with very concrete results. When we are generous with our finances and with our material goods, we always end up with more than we started with. When we are giving generously in support of the work of the kingdom of God, we always find that we have more than enough to look after our every day needs. I have found this to be quite true in my own life. Have you tested it out and experienced God's generosity? "The measure you give will be the measure you get back."

Another concrete step to take which is perhaps more spiritual in nature is to enter a specific situation and to ask God to work through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will always be given to those who ask for it in prayer (Lk. 11:9-13). It is also true that we never discover what the Holy Spirit can do through us until we make ourselves available for God's use. Depending on the situation, the Spirit might give us the words to say, whether to another person or to God in prayer or in a written message. The Spirit might work through us to help another person with physical needs. The Spirit might work through us to lead us to the right place at the right time. However the Spirit works through us, we don't discover the abundance of God's power until we act on it. All it takes is a simple prayer: "God, please work through me in this situation by the power of your Spirit." And then - just see what happens!

In Simon Peter's case, and in our case, too, when we act on Jesus' commands, we see God's power at work. In fact, Simon's response to God's power is also very instructive for us. He immediately falls down on his knees before Jesus and confesses his sinfulness. In fact, in today's readings we hear about two other people who do the same thing: Isaiah and Paul. When presented with God's holiness and awesome power, the people in the Scriptures seem to have one response: They fall down on their knees and worship, and they confess to God that they are sinful and unclean.

Next to the Almighty and Holy God, we are nothing. Were we standing in the presence of God on our own merit, we would indeed have reason to fear. Yet, Jesus' response to Simon is the same as he would say to us: "Do not be afraid" (Lk. 5:10). God is our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Saviour. Just as Isaiah's sin was blotted out by a live coal from the altar, so our sin has been blotted out through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we follow him and put our faith in him, we have nothing to fear. Instead, we have work to do.

After Simon has seen God's power at work and has confessed his own sinfulness, Jesus tells him two things. The first is: "Do not be afraid." The second is what Simon will now be doing: Literally, he says, "From the now, you shall be catching alive people" (Lk. 5:10). And Simon's response to these statements is to leave everything and to follow Jesus.

In the case of Simon, James and John, they left behind family obligations and economic security in order to follow Jesus. Such things were unheard of in their culture, for the family was of the highest order in terms of both personal obligations and making a living together [Stoffregen - http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/luke5x1.htm]. Yet, in Jesus, these men had found something that was ultimately more important than their families.

For us, of course, the question becomes: What are we asked to leave behind in order to follow Jesus? Certainly, for some people - especially those who serve professionally as missionaries or pastors or diaconal ministers - often families and economic security are left behind in order to answer the call to ministry. Yet, not everybody is asked to do this. What is it that we are asked to leave behind?

The answer actually will be different for different people. We are asked to leave behind whatever our ultimate concern is. My memory is a little bit fuzzy, but I believe it is Paul Tillich who talks about our ultimate concern as our god. When God is actually our ultimate concern, and living as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we've got things properly ordered in the grand scheme of things. However, when something else is our ultimate concern - in other words, the most important thing in our lives - we are essentially worshipping an idol - a false god. And so Jesus asks us to leave behind anything that we find to be more important than the kingdom of God. This is an appropriate response to our Saviour.

And so, recall again the order in which things happen: There are some encounters with Jesus and some observations of the effect that Jesus has on other people's lives. Then there is obedience to Jesus' command - taking action. When the power of God is experienced, the response is worship and confession of sinfulness. Upon receipt of Jesus' forgiveness, there is work to do in the kingdom of God. And then everything else is left behind in order to follow Jesus. May we find our ultimate concern in Jesus and experience the power of his Spirit in our lives. Amen.

Epiphany 5(C) Luke 5:1-11

February 4, 2007 Isaiah 6:1-13

St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church 1 Cor. 15:1-11

Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore

? 2007 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved