February 4, 2007
Preached at Bethany United Church by Reverend S. Matthews

This past week was the start of fishing season and I bet a number of people were out on the ice hoping to catch some fish and they were probably successful if they were using the right bait, were at the right place and the right time.

I remember when I was fishing with a member of a pastoral charge that I served - the fisherman was quite old, but he knew the fish - he knew where they were and he knew what they wanted.  I was a bit on the stubborn side - I had caught fish and so, I thought that salmon - well, they were fish, so what could be difficult with catching a salmon. I would catch my 2 fish, I thought, and be home for a nice breakfast.  Well, my friend hambled down to the river, rod in one hand and his cane in the other.....and I was there  waiting for him.  He had suggested that I use this type of old brown bug - I decided that I would use a nice shiny thunder and lightning, something I was used too.  He and I began to fish.....after an hour or so, I was not getting anything and was getting a little frustrated - salmon fishing it seemed was not like other fishing.  Then I heard it, the sound of a splash and I turned and not more than 20 feet behind me, a salmon was jumping and my friend had his first salmon.  An hour or so later, no more than 10 feet from shore, I heard the sound again - and my friend had his second salmon - which he showed to me before releasing it - it was to large and could not be kept.  Well, just a couple of minutes later, a third splash on my friend’s line, but he lost it. This was then followed by a fourth splash and my friend had his third fish - 2 to keep which was his daily limit. 

After waiting for several hours while I fished, my friend and I went back to where we were camping.  My friend - two fish,  and I - none.  In fact, my friend tossed me one of his fish and said jokingly that I could now tell Beverly that I caught a fish.  Next time we went fishing, I stayed close to my friend and I listened to him.......he knew the fish. 

What we find in our reading from the Gospel is not just a fish story, but a faith story.   Jesus enters into the lives of the people of Galilee and finds many gathered near the waters edge.  They were probably gathered to find out how the late night and early morning fishing had been - and the fishermen had not been successful.  There were no fish and the fishermen were cleaning their nets up - putting everything away for their day, they thought, had come to a close.  But Jesus goes out into a boat and preaches to them - he likely shared words of hope - words telling them of God’s ability to enter into their lives if they just let God in - if they but trust in God - trust in the Spirit’s leading. 

And these people were now at a state of mind and heart to want to try something different. They were hungry and they had not been successful and now they were open to something new.   

I was talking to a colleague of mine a couple of months ago about how the church he was at, how it was doing - if they were willing to change - and his response was quite powerful - he said: we have suffered enough decline to make us courageous enough to really listen and respond to God instead of trusting in our own selves and the way we had always did things.

Those fishermen who were with Jesus - they had not been successful that night.  It had probably been a long night.  They may have been a bit down heartened - and then Jesus comes to them and says: “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”  In other words, go to a place that you have never know before with ME.  Jesus did not say - let's see what happens - Jesus was confident that there was a catch ready and all that had to be done was to go to the deep water where the fish were.  In fact, there were so many fish caught that they had to call out to others to help.  What a catch!!!!  No, this is more than a fish story, it is a faith story.  Are we ready to fish in faith with God like that?  Are we ready to get into the boat and push away from shore with Jesus? Are we ready to go to the deep waters and let down nets for Christ?  

Jesus said to those fishermen - come follow me - I will make your fish for people and they followed.

What makes this passage so powerful was not the fancy fishing techniques that the fishermen used, but rather the ONE whom the fisherman placed their trust in.  What made the fishing trip successful was not the fancy casting - not the special nets, not the reliance on the same way of doing things - no what made the fishing trip a success was the people’s reliance on Jesus.  

One writer suggested that Jesus’ net was his teaching.  Jesus caught people by the good news he shared - he drew people by his witness.  And when the people left from the lakeshore that morning, they did not talk about the fact there were no fish caught that night, but that there was good news - that God’s gift of salvation and call for right living was there and it was good.

You want people to show up on a riverside with rod in hand - you tell them that there is fish to be caught.  You want people to show up at a feast, you tell them that the food is great and that the water is pure and that the wine is the best vintage ever.  You want people to have a sense that there is good news to celebrate, then you tell them about God - you tell them about Jesus.  You want people to show up to live the faith, then we - you and I go to them and tell them that in the name of Christ, we care about them. I said it at the beginning of this message - this passage is not just a fish story - it is a faith story and we are called to be a part of it! 

I believe - I know in my heart that God is calling us as a people to greater witness to our friends - greater care to our neighbors...and for us risk to leap into the boat of faith like Simon Peter is what we are called to do.  

There was something very powerful that happens to Simon Peter in this passage - before he lets down the net to catch, he calls Jesus MASTER - but when he hauled up the net and when he saw the bounty that lay before him and all his friends, he response to Jesus is different - Simon Peter calls Jesus LORD.  For Peter, Jesus was a wise teacher before he saw the nets bursting, but after he knew that God was in Jesus and that he could be trusted - trusted for fishing, trusted for faith - trusted with his very life - trusted enough to allow him to have his life held by Jesus - Peter knew that Jesus could be trusted enough to call him LORD!!!  And Peter gave his life to God, had others  join him in the work of fishing that lay before him and ultimately, gave his living to being a disciple.  And we, as a people can call upon God in the same manner - to trust in God so completely that our lives lean solely on Jesus’ example for living and loving.  As we receive the meal of Christ, let those gifts nourish our hearts and souls - let the gifts of God be God’s very ministering and empowering presence within us, letting God direct our attention in how we live - living for not just a Master, but for our LORD.