1 Kings 19:11-21; 1 Peter 3:8-15; St Luke 5:1-11
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
Speak, O Lord, Your servant listens, let Your Word to me come near (LSB 589:1). It is the Word of the Lord which brings order out of chaos. The Word which pierces the darkness with uncreated Light. The Word which goes forth from His mouth and does not return to Him empty. It is the Word of the Lord which caused the crowds to press in Jesus in our Gospel today and nearly push Him into the sea. Not miracles. Not bread. Not gimmicks and tricks and VBS skits. The Word.
It is the Word of the Lord which causes the masses to flood the shore to hear Him. The Word which commandeers Simon’s little boat into place. The Word with which Jesus catechizes the crowds upon the beach. And it is at the Word of Jesus that Simon puts out into the deep and lets down the nets for a catch.
And that Word is foolishness to the hearts of men. A stumbling block to our natural reason. The prophet Habakuk once asked of the Lord, Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things without a ruler over them? (Hab 1:14). He didn’t, Habakuk. But ever since Adam and Eve listened to the deceptive word of the Serpent, mankind has rejected the Word of the Lord. The Word which brings life and light. The Word which brings order out of chaos. Mankind has turned away from the Ruler and Creator of all things.
You have too. Look at all the chaos around you. We are like fish under the sea, chaotic and disorderly, swimming mindlessly all around. Fish going in all directions, all doing their own thing. Some men have turned away and become like sharks, preying on the weak. Some are like piranhas, eating you up and spitting you out. Some are like eels, slippery and slimy, lying and cheating their way through life.
They are ignorant and reject their true Ruler. Instead they take direction from another one. One whom Jesus calls “the prince of this world.” This ruler has set up all finds of false gods, all sorts of modern Baals to fall down and kiss. All sorts of nets in which to catch us and rule us. And so we’ve been ruled by our wallets. Ruled by our lusts. Ruled by our bellies. We’ve been ruled by our desire to be happy, rather than faithful. Ruled by the desire to be ruler of our lives and tell God how He can assist. Everyone does what is right in his own eyes. To paraphrase, “We all like fish have gone astray, we have turned everyone to His own way.” No wonder our world is chaotic, our families are dysfunctional, and our souls are a mess. Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man.
But into this world of chaos a Fisherman has acted and brought order. He is the One who loved the world that He sent a Ruler for wayward fish like us. God the Father is that Fisherman. And into this chaotic and fallen world ruled by the devil, He sent His Son, the Word made flesh. He is the Word who has gone forth from the mouth of the Lord and does not return to Him empty. Like a Net, the Word enfolds you in His love, pulls you away from all those false gods, away from the chaos and mess of your own life, and into the little boat of His Church.
The Father is the Fisherman. But He is unlike any other fishermen you know. He is unlike Simon, or the sons of Zebedee, or any others. Fishermen are usually interested din dead fish. Dead fish mean profit. Fishermen want dead fish so that they can strip their spines, salt them, and sell them. But the Father is interested in fish alive. Fish that are kept alive forever. Cherished, loved, and never to be tossed back. Fish that are not eaten, but fed. And that’s what you are to Him. For through His marvelous Word He has caught you.
The Father saw stubborn mankind, like ignorant fish, swimming mindlessly into the jaws of that satanic leviathan. But the Fisherman acted. He sent His Word into the flesh to be like the prophet Jonah - swallowed by a big fish. Our Lord Jesus was thrown into the jaws of death by your sins, swallowed upon by Satan’s hate, and died. But on the Third Day the Father raised Him up in love toward you, tore open the belly of that big fish, and began calling and gathering wayward fish into Christ’s little boat called the Church.
He did this for you. He reached down into the sea of Holy Baptism, and by the Net of His Word, He pulled you from death to life. From chaos to order. Brought you into the boat of His Church and catechizes you from the stern of His Pulpit and Altar.
And He does this not only for you, but for all His elect little fishes; for the whole Christian Church. Like Simon and Andrew calling to their partners, James and John, hauling in a drought of fishes do large the boats begin to sink, so is the Christian Church pictured. She appears to all the world to be tossed to and fro on the waves, in distress, being dragged under and sinking amidst a sea of trouble. Yet she is always growing, by the grace of the Lord’s Word. Always welcoming aboard the little fish of Christ, rescued from troubled waters and given life in His Ark.
Thus like Simon and Andrew, James and John, and even Elijah, you are not alone. The Word of the Lord has called you to Himself. So has He also called, sanctified, and kept the seven thousand who have not bowed their knees and kissed the Baals of this world. This is why Simon Peter, a few decades later, in the Spirit, can write, Finally brethren, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind; in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.
For you too were lost in the sea of chaos, swimming in darkness, drowning in fear. In grace the Lord gives you peace and orderliness. By His Word He calls you to leave the devilish nets of this world that always seek to ensnare you. In fact, by His Word, He calls you to leave everything and follow Him. Not to forsake your earthly vocations, your God given stations and roles for the good of your neighbor. Though for some men, by the gracious Word of the Lord, you are called to be fishers of men alive. That is, to be pastors. To receive the mantle of Elijah, to follow in the way of Peter, James, and John. To be fish who are made fishermen. For these are, at bottom, the two vocations which Christ has so ordered within the Church.
This is not to disparage any other godly vocations. Rather, it is to recognize, in our Lord’s love and mercy that they along with you are so ordered by His Word, that whatever you set your hand to do, you labor in hope. And that in all things you do what is required of Christians, through repentance and faith, to bless, for to this you were called. Are you not taught to pray, The eyes of all look to You, O Lord, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing (Ps 145:15-16). And did you not just sing and confess, Then let us follow Christ our Lord, and take the cross appointed and firmly clinging to His Word, in suffering be undaunted. For those who bear the battle’s strain the crown of heavenly life obtain (LSB 688:5). Labor in hope. He, the Word, will Himself see to your sustenance in both body and soul.
For He gives food to every creature. Who provides food for the young ravens when they call. Whose pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man, but delights in those who fear Him who put their hope in His unfailing love (Ps 147:9-11) is in the boat with you, never leaving or forsaking you.
And behold, dear Christian fishes, the Eastern Shore to which our Captain and Head, our Lord Jesus Christ pilots you, is brought near. That is, in the Sacrament of the Altar you partake of the life eternal in Christ Jesus. You are strengthened for the voyage ahead and given a foretaste of the heavenly rest which awaits you in the resurrection according to the orderly Word of the Great Fisherman who has caught and keeps you.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
Speak, O Lord, Your servant listens, let Your Word to me come near (LSB 589:1). It is the Word of the Lord which brings order out of chaos. The Word which pierces the darkness with uncreated Light. The Word which goes forth from His mouth and does not return to Him empty. It is the Word of the Lord which caused the crowds to press in Jesus in our Gospel today and nearly push Him into the sea. Not miracles. Not bread. Not gimmicks and tricks and VBS skits. The Word.
It is the Word of the Lord which causes the masses to flood the shore to hear Him. The Word which commandeers Simon’s little boat into place. The Word with which Jesus catechizes the crowds upon the beach. And it is at the Word of Jesus that Simon puts out into the deep and lets down the nets for a catch.
And that Word is foolishness to the hearts of men. A stumbling block to our natural reason. The prophet Habakuk once asked of the Lord, Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things without a ruler over them? (Hab 1:14). He didn’t, Habakuk. But ever since Adam and Eve listened to the deceptive word of the Serpent, mankind has rejected the Word of the Lord. The Word which brings life and light. The Word which brings order out of chaos. Mankind has turned away from the Ruler and Creator of all things.
You have too. Look at all the chaos around you. We are like fish under the sea, chaotic and disorderly, swimming mindlessly all around. Fish going in all directions, all doing their own thing. Some men have turned away and become like sharks, preying on the weak. Some are like piranhas, eating you up and spitting you out. Some are like eels, slippery and slimy, lying and cheating their way through life.
They are ignorant and reject their true Ruler. Instead they take direction from another one. One whom Jesus calls “the prince of this world.” This ruler has set up all finds of false gods, all sorts of modern Baals to fall down and kiss. All sorts of nets in which to catch us and rule us. And so we’ve been ruled by our wallets. Ruled by our lusts. Ruled by our bellies. We’ve been ruled by our desire to be happy, rather than faithful. Ruled by the desire to be ruler of our lives and tell God how He can assist. Everyone does what is right in his own eyes. To paraphrase, “We all like fish have gone astray, we have turned everyone to His own way.” No wonder our world is chaotic, our families are dysfunctional, and our souls are a mess. Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man.
But into this world of chaos a Fisherman has acted and brought order. He is the One who loved the world that He sent a Ruler for wayward fish like us. God the Father is that Fisherman. And into this chaotic and fallen world ruled by the devil, He sent His Son, the Word made flesh. He is the Word who has gone forth from the mouth of the Lord and does not return to Him empty. Like a Net, the Word enfolds you in His love, pulls you away from all those false gods, away from the chaos and mess of your own life, and into the little boat of His Church.
The Father is the Fisherman. But He is unlike any other fishermen you know. He is unlike Simon, or the sons of Zebedee, or any others. Fishermen are usually interested din dead fish. Dead fish mean profit. Fishermen want dead fish so that they can strip their spines, salt them, and sell them. But the Father is interested in fish alive. Fish that are kept alive forever. Cherished, loved, and never to be tossed back. Fish that are not eaten, but fed. And that’s what you are to Him. For through His marvelous Word He has caught you.
The Father saw stubborn mankind, like ignorant fish, swimming mindlessly into the jaws of that satanic leviathan. But the Fisherman acted. He sent His Word into the flesh to be like the prophet Jonah - swallowed by a big fish. Our Lord Jesus was thrown into the jaws of death by your sins, swallowed upon by Satan’s hate, and died. But on the Third Day the Father raised Him up in love toward you, tore open the belly of that big fish, and began calling and gathering wayward fish into Christ’s little boat called the Church.
He did this for you. He reached down into the sea of Holy Baptism, and by the Net of His Word, He pulled you from death to life. From chaos to order. Brought you into the boat of His Church and catechizes you from the stern of His Pulpit and Altar.
And He does this not only for you, but for all His elect little fishes; for the whole Christian Church. Like Simon and Andrew calling to their partners, James and John, hauling in a drought of fishes do large the boats begin to sink, so is the Christian Church pictured. She appears to all the world to be tossed to and fro on the waves, in distress, being dragged under and sinking amidst a sea of trouble. Yet she is always growing, by the grace of the Lord’s Word. Always welcoming aboard the little fish of Christ, rescued from troubled waters and given life in His Ark.
Thus like Simon and Andrew, James and John, and even Elijah, you are not alone. The Word of the Lord has called you to Himself. So has He also called, sanctified, and kept the seven thousand who have not bowed their knees and kissed the Baals of this world. This is why Simon Peter, a few decades later, in the Spirit, can write, Finally brethren, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind; in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.
For you too were lost in the sea of chaos, swimming in darkness, drowning in fear. In grace the Lord gives you peace and orderliness. By His Word He calls you to leave the devilish nets of this world that always seek to ensnare you. In fact, by His Word, He calls you to leave everything and follow Him. Not to forsake your earthly vocations, your God given stations and roles for the good of your neighbor. Though for some men, by the gracious Word of the Lord, you are called to be fishers of men alive. That is, to be pastors. To receive the mantle of Elijah, to follow in the way of Peter, James, and John. To be fish who are made fishermen. For these are, at bottom, the two vocations which Christ has so ordered within the Church.
This is not to disparage any other godly vocations. Rather, it is to recognize, in our Lord’s love and mercy that they along with you are so ordered by His Word, that whatever you set your hand to do, you labor in hope. And that in all things you do what is required of Christians, through repentance and faith, to bless, for to this you were called. Are you not taught to pray, The eyes of all look to You, O Lord, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing (Ps 145:15-16). And did you not just sing and confess, Then let us follow Christ our Lord, and take the cross appointed and firmly clinging to His Word, in suffering be undaunted. For those who bear the battle’s strain the crown of heavenly life obtain (LSB 688:5). Labor in hope. He, the Word, will Himself see to your sustenance in both body and soul.
For He gives food to every creature. Who provides food for the young ravens when they call. Whose pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man, but delights in those who fear Him who put their hope in His unfailing love (Ps 147:9-11) is in the boat with you, never leaving or forsaking you.
And behold, dear Christian fishes, the Eastern Shore to which our Captain and Head, our Lord Jesus Christ pilots you, is brought near. That is, in the Sacrament of the Altar you partake of the life eternal in Christ Jesus. You are strengthened for the voyage ahead and given a foretaste of the heavenly rest which awaits you in the resurrection according to the orderly Word of the Great Fisherman who has caught and keeps you.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
RSS Feed