Deep Water

 

A Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany                      

February 9, 2025

Robin Teasley

 

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.  Luke 5:1-11

 

We are deep into the Epiphany season, with three Sundays remaining before the start of Lent. Week by week we have seen the ways Jesus was revealed as the Son of God, as he began his ministry healing and teaching in the synagogues of Galilee. People there remembered who he was, the son of Joseph, and they were amazed as long as they liked what he was saying. But when he told them that no prophet is ever accepted in his hometown, and when he told them things they did not want to hear, the people tried to run him off a cliff. 

 

As the crowds following him grew large, Jesus figured out pretty quickly that he had to keep moving, so he traveled throughout Galilee casting out demons, healing the sick, and preaching in the synagogues. It was probably about this time that Jesus realized he was going to need some help to spread the good news of the kingdom of God. 

 

There was only one of him, and the crowds kept growing. He couldn’t remain in the synagogue, and he couldn’t get to the other cities because the people were coming after him, pressing in on him.  Jesus needed to find a new way to proclaim the Gospel; Jesus needed to do a new thing.

 

So what ded he do? He looked around and noticed some of the locals – the people who lived and worked beside the lake.  He became aware that they too were in need of something new. He noticed their boats, their nets, and the fact that there was no great catch of fish that day, which meant that their families might not have enough resources to last for the month, or the week, or even worse, there might be no dinner on the table that night.  

 

Jesus noticed that they were tired and frustrated and beginning to lose hope, yet even in their despair, they continued to go through the motions, taking great care of what they did have, their boats and their nets, so that they could care for their families.

 

Jesus then did something amazing.  He got into Simon’s boat and asked him to put out a little way from the shore.  He began to teach the people, and his voice carried and was amplified across the water, so that the whole crowd along the shore of the lake could hear his words – so many more people could hear him than just the small group that had at first been gathered in the synagogue. 

 

Then Jesus turned to Simon and said, “put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”  As exhausted and doubtful as Simon must have been, he reluctantly did as Jesus asked. There were so many fish that the nets began to break – their partners in the other boat had to come help, and both boats nearly sank from all the fish that were caught.

 

This was truly a moment of Epiphany for Simon Peter, his partners James and John, and all who were there that day. Jesus had revealed to them something of the nature of God – that God is not only in the synagogue but also in the fishing boats, and in the daily lives of God’s people. That God would meet them where they were, in their struggles, frustrations, and times of hopelessness. That even when, like Peter, they felt they were beyond forgiveness for their sinfulness, and inadequate to the task, God was with them.  

 

Jesus called these fishermen to be his disciples that day; called them to leave their boats and their nets and their fears behind; called them to follow him into the world to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God.

 

That day there was only one thing that would stop people from following Jesus and that was fear. If we are being honest, fear is often the thing that keeps us from following Jesus, that keeps us quiet when we should speak up. Fear of inadequacy or loss or failure, keeps us from living out our baptismal vows to proclaim the gospel, to love our neighbor, to work for justice, and to respect the dignity of everyone.

 

Just as Jesus went out from the synagogue and got into a boat, just as the disciples listened to Jesus and went out into deep water, we are being called to go out into the world, even into the deep parts that make us fearful, to proclaim the Gospel in new ways.

 

What is the deep water that brings fear into our lives? 

Can we trust that Jesus is in the boat with us?

 

We are invited to go out deeper in the waters of life, because that is how Jesus shows us the nature of God; by calling us, just as Peter and the other disciples were called, and by giving us something to do, something bigger and larger than anything we could imagine.

 

Jesus is calling us to the holy work of catching up people in the unimaginable and life-changing grace of God. 

Title Image: Artist Unknown