Setting Sail

 SCRIPTURE  Luke 5:1-11  (CEB)

One day Jesus was standing beside Lake Gennesaret when the crowd pressed in around him to hear God’s word. Jesus saw two boats sitting by the lake. The fishermen had gone ashore and were washing their nets. Jesus boarded one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, then asked him to row out a little distance from the shore. Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he finished speaking to the crowds, he said to Simon, “Row out farther, into the deep water, and drop your nets for a catch.”

Simon replied, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and caught nothing. But because you say so, I’ll drop the nets.”

So they dropped the nets and their catch was so huge that their nets were splitting. They signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They filled both boats so full that they were about to sink. When Simon Peter saw the catch, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Leave me, Lord, for I’m a sinner!” Peter and those with him were overcome with amazement because of the number of fish they caught. James and John, Zebedee’s sons, were Simon’s partners and they were amazed too.

Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on, you will be fishing for people.” As soon as they brought the boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.

In our story today, Jesus is just beginning his ministry in the Galilee.  

Two weeks ago, he was in Nazareth, preaching in his hometown --- telling the good people of Nazareth how God was fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah

Remember he took the Torah Scroll and began reading.

Jesus’ quotes from Isaiah chapters 58 and 61 and tells us what his purpose is --- what our purpose is.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

        to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

    and recovery of sight to the blind,

        to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

And then to cap it all off he says --- and you have to love how Luke makes the scene so dramatic

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

The good people of Nazareth were not impressed --- for they drove Jesus out to the edge of town --- to the hill that was there --- and tried to throw him off the cliff.

Luke tells us that Jesus “gave them the slip and was on his way.”

Off he goes to Capernaum --- probably my favorite site in the Galilee

Capernaum was a small fishing village located about two miles west of the Jordan River on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.

This would become the central location for Jesus in the Galilee.

Jesus performed more miracles and preached more sermons in the area around Capernaum than anywhere else.

What made Capernaum so important was that it was on the ancient Via Maris (the way of the sea) which led from Damascus all the way to Egypt.

Today, when you visit Capernaum, you see an ancient synagogue which was built on the foundation of a synagogue from the time of Jesus 

As well as a home which tradition says belonged to the family of Simon, who will later become Peter

As Jesus strolls into Capernaum

Immediately he heals a man who had a demon.

And Luke says that the people began to talk!

Luke writes: “Reports about him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.”

He then goes to Simon’s house --- and heals Simon’s mother-in-law who was sick.

We are told that:

“everyone brought to Jesus relatives and acquaintances with all kinds of diseases. Placing his hands on each of them, he healed them. Demons also came out of many people.”

There is no other way to describe it --- Jesus was becoming a rock star

So, Jesus goes looking for a deserted place to that he could spend some time with God.

Sometimes even Jesus needed to get away from it all and recharge his batteries

But the people won’t leave him alone.

Our story this morning tells us that:

Once when [Jesus] was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God.

Can’t you just picture this scene.

Jesus is being mobbed like he is Paul McCartney or Payton Manning.

Everyone wants a piece of him

I don’t know about you --- but it is difficult to imagine crowds clamoring to hear the word of God today. 

Our churches are not overflowing to meet Jesus. 

But here --- they are crowding in --- so much that he finds two boats that he can use as a pulpit.

This is --- to say the least --- a very strange scene.

One of the boats belonged to a local fisherman --- Simon --- the same Simon who had just experienced the healing of his mother-in-law

Simon/Peter has to be one of my favorite characters in the Gospels.

If there was a way to stick his foot into his mouth --- Peter always found it!

Jesus gets Simon to push his boat out into the water to get away from the people --- and after a little while he suggests to Simon that he should throw his nets into the water.

Simon/Peter’s response is priceless (I can see him rolling his eyes as he says to Jesus):

“we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.”

And what happens? --- What happens when we do what Jesus asks?

Luke continues the story:

“So they dropped the nets and their catch was so huge that their nets were splitting. They signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They filled both boats so full that they were about to sink.”

Simon finally realizes who he is in the presence of 

Simon was never very quick

And he falls on his knees and begs Jesus to leave him

Why?  

Because he does not think he is worth of Jesus love.

That doesn’t happen to any of you --- does it?

Jesus’ response is one we all need to hear:

Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.”

Kendra Mohn in her commentary on this passage writes:

The metaphor of fishing for people remains problematic in our context. . . . It is incongruous and raises questions . . . What does this look like? How does it happen? These questions send [us] both forward and backward, looking for answers and clarity. . . . What do we already know about Jesus? And what do we learn later in the Luke about the way God works? 

. . . The way the “fishing for people” unfolds in Luke’s Gospel is not coercive or domineering. It is personal, relational work—deep water work—where healing and plenty follow and mark the encounters of the disciples with Jesus and with God’s people. The interplay between teaching, healing, and call continues. Looking forward, there is death, and then resurrection.

What it means is that we must leave the safety of our harbors and set sail into open water.

And I know that can be terrifying.

But remember --- Jesus says we have nothing to fear.

The good news is --- we have a map to help guide us.

Actually we have a number of maps to help guide us.

Of course, our main map is the biblical text

But I will be honest --- it is not always the easiest thing to understand

Or interpret

Some of you --- no doubt --- will disagree with that statement

And my answer is: more power to you!

But for me --- and I can only speak for me ---

It is challenging to always know what it is trying to teach me.

And maybe that is the Bible’s greatest strength

It is not monotheistic in its teaching

Like the gifts of the spirit --- in which we are all given different gifts --- there are many biblical interpretations.

When we work together they make a whole

The other maps --- at our disposal --- that I think can help bring clarity to the journal include:

The Mission of the United Methodist Church

Do you remember what the mission of the United Methodist Church is?

To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Everything that we do --- should have as its purpose the goal of making disciples --- not to just transform our church or community --- but the world.

That is a tall order!

We at Meridian Street have helped to try and bring some additional clarity to that mission.

Do you know what the mission and vision of Meridian Street is?

The Mission & vision of Meridian Street UMC

Through Christ we seek to grow in faith, as we serve, love and share God’s unexpected Grace,

Communities thriving and growing in the Spirit

Everything we do --- must/should have those two goals in mind

Every time we evaluate a ministry those are the rubrics we must follow.

Does (fill in the blank) help make disciples?

Does (fill in the blank) help promote the fruits of the spirit?

Those help give clarity to our collective journey --- our journey as United Methodists and as members of Meridian Street Church.

But the journey of life is not just collective --- it is also uniquely individual.

We each have been gifted by God and asked to use those gifts to help build God’s vision of the world

I know many of you have taken spiritual gift inventories in the past --- but I would encourage you to do it again --- because your gifts can change over time.

I know mine have

The gifts that we have been given to us by God are the key to where we are to venture forth.

We can --- only --- should go to the places where God has gifted us.

And as I reminded you in the weekly newsletter, when we decide to join an individual church, we make some promises.

We promise to support that local church --- Meridian Street --- through five avenues.

Prayers

Presence

Gifts

Service

Witness

I hope that you take those seriously --- we promise not to support the church through one of those avenues but through all five.

As we prepare to set sail --- I need to remind you --- the point of the journey --- IS THE JOURNEY

I know of no one inside of this building, or even outside of it, INCLUDING MYSELF, that has arrived!

Christianity is a journey--- filled with struggles, trials, temptations, disappointments, joys and sorrows --- accomplishments and failures. 

Being a Christian means being part of a journey that sometimes sees us taking one step forward and two steps backward 

--- one success and two failures 

--- Sometimes we gain ground, sometimes we slip and fall 

--- but always we are on the journey!

 

Remember when God called Abraham? 

“Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘GO from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.’”

Go, God says. Pack your things and be off.  

Go to the place that I will show you. 

Forget the maps, forget the travel guides, GO!

Trusting when God says go, is awfully scary! 

I know! 

There have been times in my life where God has said very clearly to me; GO.

In 2006 I was privileged to be able to take a sabbatical

Because of the generosity of a grant from Lilly I was able to take three months and reflect, renew and listen to God’s voice in my life.

It was an awesome time

I spent one month in Israel by my self

When I departed O’Hare to begin the journey --- I left with all kinds of questions 

I left questioning my faith, 

who God is and who Jesus is in my life.

I wrestled with questions that I still have not found the answer too.

I had become disillusioned with the institutional church, and I questioned whether I could continue as a part of that system (gee haven’t solved that one yet!)

God and I spent many hours wrestling in the desert together.  

I came back with more questions than answers to be honest

Often times we do not get a clear vision as to the direction that our journey is to take.

But, nevertheless, we are all called to the journey.

Dr. James Dobson says:

All too often we expect to see God's leading like the headlights of a car -- providing direction way out in front of us! In reality, God's leading is like a flashlight, dispelling the darkness in our midst and providing direction in the present.

On our journey often we consume too much energy yearning for and expecting a bright beam of light — and we refuse to move until we have it -- and we MISS the guiding light of Christ in the present, at our feet, leading the way every day of our lives, filling our sails with love and hope.

The point of the journey IS THE JOURNEY!  

People who put all their hope on an afterlife and fail to see the beauty of God's creation in this life --- have missed the entire point of being a Christian.

Do you remember when you were a child and were on a trip and you would ask your parents a question that went something like this: "Are we there yet?" 

Compare the agony and the unending nature of that trip with a trip that you have been on when traveling was the trip. 

The traveling was an adventure in and of itself!  

Which trip would you rather go on today?

Jesus is constantly calling us to look at today. 

To quit focusing on the illusory signs of tomorrow. 

To embrace the gift of today, to experience Jesus presence in the here and now.

Experience Jesus as we journey today.

The problem is, when we are always looking somewhere in our future for our fulfillment, we miss the presence of the Christ in our midst --- the presence of Christ in the present!

The point of our Christian journey IS THE JOURNEY'

The point of the journey is the journey--the ways in which we encounter Christ along the way --- thereby continually experiencing the fullness of Christ in new ways.

None of us know it all! 

None of us have arrived. 

We need to leave the safety of the harbor and sail with the love of God into new and exciting opportunities to make disciples and build God’s kin-dom.