Luke 5: 1 – 11
Push out into deeper water
HT Whaley Bridge
06.02.22
What’s the deepest water that you’ve ever been swimming in? For me, it was probably when I was about 14 and was visiting Austria on a school exchange. The family I was staying with took me to swim in a glacial lake in the mountains. It was a hot summer day in central Europe. The water was cool and inviting and a wooden platform stretched out from the bank, away from the shore. I ran along and dived in. The water was cold, but it was great. At the same time, I was aware that this was a deep, deep glacial lake, carved out by rivers of ice thousands of years before. The water was black even on a sunny day and I felt the depth of the lake stretch away beneath me. I was aware that the floor was hundreds, maybe thousands of feet beneath me. I enjoyed the swim, but I was unsettled by it at the same time. That feeling of the depth beneath me.
Luke chapter 5, verse 4: “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” “.
Let’s remind ourselves about the reading today and what’s going on.
It’s Luke’s version of the call of the disciples, isn’t it? That group of people who were Jesus’ first followers. They lived together and learned together. And, in fact, ‘being a learner’, is really what the word ‘disciple’ means. It’s about being a learner from Jesus, so perhaps we’re just like those people that we’re reading about. We’re travelling with, and learning from, Jesus.
Luke’s version of the call of the disciples is a little different to Mark and Matthew’s. Only Luke’s version has the story of the catch of fish so perhaps we need to pay attention to what’s going on here.
In Luke’s version, this isn’t Jesus’ first encounter with Peter. He’s already healed his mother-in-law so perhaps that explains why Peter is happy to let Jesus hop into his boat and use it as a floating pulpit. We don’t get to learn what Jesus was speaking to the crowed about, that’s not Luke’s focus here. It’s the events in the boat that he wants us to pay attention to.
So, Jesus tells Peter to sail out, away from the edge into deeper water. I wonder what Peter would have thought about this new friend of his, a land lubber carpenter coming along and giving him advice about where to fish? To make matters worse, Peter was probably feeling pretty tired and grumpy. Fishing happened at night, so Peter would be tired from the night’s work, and we hear that it had been an unsuccessful expedition. Verse 5: “Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.””
Or perhaps it was more ‘Look mate, we’re the fisherman round here. We know the waters. 1. The fish are in the shallow water. 2. We’ve been fishing all night and caught nothing. 3. We’re really tired. Alright? But if you say so. You’re obviously the expert round here. In deep water fishing. In the daytime.’
And off they sail and, before long, a huge catch is being hauled in. I wonder if the conversation switched from tired and cynical to energised and professional. ‘Hey, James, John, get your boat over here. There’s so much we’ll get swamped. Here, careful. Draw alongside. Balance the nets across the boats. There’s enough for all of us here. We’ll even be able to pay those bloody Roman taxes once they’re sold!’
And then, job done, Peter begins to take on board what has happened. His new friend has shown him something of His power and authority and the implications of that deeper water are pretty scary. Verse 8 Peter says “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”. This is too much to take in. Perhaps this isn’t just about a big catch of fish.
So Jesus takes the initiative with the words “Do not be afraid.” “Do not be afraid. From now on, you will be catching people”
It’s a great story, isn’t it? Full of character and drama and, just like in the deep lake on which they’re fishing, there are hidden depths for us to draw on.
Catching people. That’s what Jesus told Simon his new job was going to be and it’s a task that we’re called to as well, today. Following Jesus will mean announcing the good news and drawing people into a living relationship with Him which will be life transforming.
Does that sound a little bit scary? If I said to you, that’s your task, your mission, your job after church, to go out and tell the good news of Jesus, would you feel a little bit anxious about that? Maybe. And what is that ‘Good News’? We learn that later in Luke, in all kinds of ways but, in particular, in the Sermon on the Plain where he instructs His followers to love their enemies and not to judge. Love don’t judge. Jesus knows Peter's anxiety, though, and goes to the heart of the matter “Don’t be afraid”. The right word for the particular problem. Don’t be afraid.
So we, like Peter, are called to sail out into deeper water and cast our nets out, hopefully, for an abundant, rich harvest that will give fullness in life. And to trust Jesus as we do that.
I really like this idea of the deeper water. Reading the passage made me reflect on what this metaphor might mean for us for the times and circumstances that we live in.
My starting point is the complexity of the world we live in. Our context. It’s secular. Christian values and our heritage are unknown to many people these days. What else? The world is really connected now. It’s truly global and yet many people live lonely and isolated lives. Some of us continue to live comfortable lives while others struggle for the basics, even in our own country. And how people live their personal lives has changed as well. As a society, we’re now welcoming and inclusive of gay and lesbian people who want recognition of their loving relationships. LGBTI+ people can get legally married now and they’ve been able to adopt and foster for many years.
So it’s a complicated world that we live in, with deep cultural waters where powerful currents stir beneath the surface.
What I want to say, though, is that this is the world which Jesus calls us to live and be active in. To be his disciples in. It might feel scary, but He gives us the tools we need.
What might be that ‘deeper water’ that we’re called to move into as individuals and as a church? I think that engaging with issues of inclusion and sexuality fall squarely into that category. Being able to affirm gay and lesbian relationships, or people who wish to live in a different way in relation to their birth gender, is something that churches have struggled with even if society at large has raced away on this issue in recent years. And it’s not a remote, far away issue. I'm sure there will be relatives of some of you who are gay or lesbian, or who are living a different lifestyle. There may be gay or lesbian people here. I don’t know, but I’m clear that I want to speak into the issue sensitively and with love. People are people, not issues to be debated. I need to remember that.
Some of us are engaging with this issue here in church by studying the C of E’s ‘Living in Love and Faith’ course at the moment. We've just started and each week we meet to discuss and reflect about relationships and identity in society in relation to our Christian faith. There’s a strong emphasis on deep and respectful listening and on love not judgement.
I think it’s a really positive sign that some of us are undertaking this course and my hope and prayer is that it represents a significant step on our way to becoming a more inclusive and genuinely welcoming place for all people, whoever they are and whoever they love. I’ll be speaking more on this issue over the coming months because it’s so important in our modern society.
Some of you listening to this might be really pleased to hear about this. Some of you might be feeling that I’m wrong to even mention it. Some of you might not care that much. There's a range of responses but what I want to say is that Jesus called Peter out into deeper water, and he calls us too. That deep water can feel like a scary place to be yet it’s in the deeper water where the rich and fruitful catch of fish was made against all the odds. And the truth is that it’s outside of our comfort zones where we grow as people and as disciples. We need to be brave, and we need to trust that Jesus will be with us in the places He calls us to.
You might be wondering how we can hear the voice of Jesus as we enter this unfamiliar and risky territory. I want to commend two things to you. The first is to read and engage with the stories of Jesus as we find them in the Gospels. Spend a little time reading and reflecting on them each day. Use Bible reading notes if it helps. Frances and I can help you source them if you need.
And the second thing is pray. Spend time with God in prayer. There are lots of modern, easy to read resources available and even some excellent prayer apps for your phones. Just ask me afterwards. However you do it though, spend time with God in prayer. And don’t feel you need lots of words. Fewer words are probably better. Give space for God to speak into your heart and your Bible reading on these issues. And then let’s talk about what we find so we share our faith journeys with each other.
Jesus called Peter out into deeper water. It seemed wrong to Peter but he followed Jesus' call and was rewarded with a rich harvest, beyond his dreams. It was a bit scary for poor old Peter but that was Jesus’ call to him. And it’s His call to us today as well. Will you hear Him? Will you answer? What will you say?
Amen