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INJ
St Luke 5:1-11
'Faith, Not Sight'
Matins
The Fifth Sunday after Trinity Sunday | June 22, 2008
Dear Saints,
We've been on Catechism Retreat this week, studying the Lord's Prayer. The Gospel text before us today has to do with the fourth and fifth petitions. Jesus answers the prayer for daily bread by providing the great catch of fish, and He answers the prayer for forgiveness of sins when He says, “Do not be afraid.”
What we are learning from this text, then, is that we trust God and His Word to provide all that He has promised. We trust His Word, even when what He promises doesn't look like it could possibly be true. In all of this Jesus is teaching us to walk by faith, and not by sight.
St Peter is the example. Here he is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, washing His nets, getting ready to pack it in for the day, having fished all night and caught nothing. Peter is a fisherman. He knows this Sea, this shore, these nets and boats and ropes and these fish. Peter knows that if you're going to catch fish its going to be at night and it will be by the shore where they come in to feed. He's known this for years; his life depends on him knowing this.
But here comes Jesus. He's a traveling Rabbi, not a fisherman, and after sitting in the boat to teach the crowds, He tells Peter to go out into the deep water and throw out his net.
We don't know what Peter thought, or what he was tempted to think. Perhaps something like this, “Deep water in the middle of the day, this man knows nothing of fish.” But Peter puts all of this out of his mind. He has heard the teaching of Jesus, and trusts His Word. “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing. But at Your Word I will let down the nets.”
Here Peter stops being a fisherman and simply trusts the Lord's Word. He forgets the things that he knows, the things that he's seen, and follows what Jesus says.
This is very similar to Mary who, when the angel promised that she would have a baby even though she had never known a man, said, “Let it be to me according to Your Word.” Peter is like Gideon who lets his army be cut to 300 men by the Lord's Word to fight against thousands, and still prevails. Peter is like Abraham who, even when he was old, trusted the Lord's Word that His Seed would save the world. Peter is here like every Christian, from Adam and Eve to us and our children: he trusts in the Lord and His Word. And His Word is true, the fish which should not be there are dragged out of the water. Two boats are needed for all of them.
So even when we think that we know better we trust the Lord's Word.
But while Peter does well in following the Lord's fishing instruction, he doesn't do well in what comes next. Peter forgets that he's a fisherman, but he doesn't forget that he's a sinner.
When he sees the fish Peter looks at Jesus and is terrified. “But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.'”
Luther gives us this insight:
“Earlier, Peter conveniently forgot what he was and said, 'Lord, I am a fisherman, and know how to fish; but now I'll forget that and at Your Word I will throw the net out.' That's what he should have done here, too, saying, 'Lord, I am a sinner and not worthy to have You with me, but now I will no longer think of my sinfulness; instead I will risk everything on Your Word and remain with You.' But here Peter now drops the Word, looks at his unworthiness and says, 'Lord, depart from me, I am a poor sinner.' Ah yes, dear Peter, once you were an excellent master but now you've forgotten the art entirely. Before you said, 'Fisherman, be gone! Here's a Word I'm going to follow.' So you should also say now, 'Sinner, be gone!' A different kind of man is needed here, one who doesn't worry if he's sinner or holy, but simply and without fear puts complete trust in Christ's Word of forgiveness. As you were not beforehand concerned whether you were a fisherman, so you should not now worry whether you are a sinner.” [Martin Luther, House Postils, Complete Sermons VI.292]
It is difficult to let go of our human wisdom in all areas of our life, but especially this: the knowledge that we are sinners. This is an especially difficult struggle for Christians.
Those who have not heard the Lord's Word are generally unconcerned with sin. They speak of their goodness and intentions and noble service in the cause for the good of humanity, and go about their business as if God is completely pleased with whatever arrangement they've come up with for their lives. If you go outside the church I think the chief adjective used for God would be “nice,” and by nice is meant “unconcerned with my sin.” Now, this kind of pagan pride sneaks into the church as well, but we see it for what it is, the sinful flesh's attempts at self-justification.
But Christians know better. We've heard the Ten Commandments and learned about God's wrath and holiness, and we know that we don't measure up, that we're not good enough, that we fall short of the glory of God, not just once, but constantly, not by accident, but by our own plotting and choice and planning. If nothing else, we know that we are sinners deserving God's wrath.
And here's the rub, the sin, even when Jesus comes promising forgiveness and life and salvation, we can't believe it. “I'm a sinner,” we say, “How can Jesus be pleased with me? How can He forgive that sin?” This is an especially sharp temptation when the hour of death draws near, and the devil bring his despair, “Surely you don't think that you've been good enough, that you've done enough or prayed enough or studied your Bible enough. I'm not even sure if you believe in Jesus. Remember that time you thought that the Bible is just stories written to make us feel better? Or the time you thought the church was just a big scam? Your just a Christian because your parents are. Do you think you'll make it to heaven with questions like this.” Or whatever it is, the devil brings us doubt and despair, putting our eyes on ourselves, so that we know before anything else our sin.
But Jesus would have it differently. Forget you sin. He has. That's what the Scriptures say.
Isaiah 43:25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
Quoting Jeremiah 31, Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”
The death of Jesus has given God a heavenly amnesia. By the forgiveness of your sins He has forgotten that you are a sinner. By His blood He has forgiven your sin and cover your shame. By His Word He has declared you perfect and holy and righteous.
You, dear saints, are given to know, above all else, Jesus and His cross. His death for your life, and His forgiveness. Trust His Word. It is always true, and by it you have the certainty of the forgiveness of all your sins.
When Peter tried to send Jesus away because of his sinfulness, Jesus spoke the Word of forgiveness and absolution. That Word is for us as well, “Do not be afraid.”
May God grant us His Holy Spirit, that living in the freedom of forgiveness, we would not be afraid of sin, or death, or the devil, but rather rejoice in the life and salvation that the Lord has won for us. Amen.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
Hope Lutheran Church | Aurora, CO
