Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
February 7, 2010

Psalms 138:1-8 (NRSV) I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything. 3 On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul. 4 All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth. 5 They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Luke 5:1-11 (NRSV) Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 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. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 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." 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7 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. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10 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." 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

All Night Long

            Have you ever pulled an “all-nighter?” Though many of my college roommates did, I was never successful in staying up the entire night. It wasn’t an option. Even if I wanted to (or needed to), my eyes would blink a couple of times, my head would bob, and I was out – moving from the world of academia to the world of zzzz’s! I can’t say that I got through college studying all night long.
            This morning our reading from the gospel of Luke tells about a group of men who worked all night long. They were fishermen – a tough occupation that is physically very demanding. Fishing for the disciples was hard work, exhausting and frustrating at times. They did not just cast a line into the water and wait for a bite. The men of ancient Israel worked all night and most of the day in order to make a meager living. They pulled an all-nighter and then some. Sleep happened probably late morning until early evening.
            Just as the setting sun would cast a golden splash across the waves of the Sea of Galilee, the fishing boats would push off the shores. The boats weren’t real big; they usually held three or four men and a large mountain of nets. The men would fish all night while the rest of the town slept.
            At the crack of dawn, the water’s edge was busy with activity. There would be men and boats and piles of fish everywhere. The women of the town would be calling to one another, deciding which of the fish would be taken home and which needed to go to the marketplace.
            But the men, though bone weary tired, still had hours of work ahead of them as they cleaned and prepared their nets for the next evening’s catch. They had to be sure that there were no tears in the nets or tattered lines in the hauling ropes. The nets they used were bell-shaped with lead weights around the edge. The men would toss them out of the boat hoping that they would fall over a school of fish. Then, by pulling a cord, the nets were drawn around the fish and hauled back in. But not every day was “pay day.” Many nights the fishermen would put out the nets and pull them in again, only to find them empty. And, whether empty or full, they were heavy. By morning, the men were exhausted!
            That’s the state of mind Simon Peter was in the morning that Jesus called to hm. He and his friends had just come in from a night of fishing but there hadn’t been a catch. In fact, their nets had remained empty all night. Peter had just started washing his nets for the next fishing expedition when Jesus called to him: “Can I use your boat?”
            Think back to the story: Jesus had been standing on the shore with a crowd of people surrounding him. The people had heard about this amazing person – teaching in the synagogue, healing the blind, even casting out demons. And so they pressed closer and closer to Jesus so they could hear His every word.  
            It was then that Jesus noticed two boats tied up. One of the owners, Simon Peter, had been washing his nets as he listened to Jesus. He and his partners had fished all night and were exhausted. Yet, when Jesus asked, Peter let Him climbed into his boat. Jesus then requested that the boat be put out a little from shore and Simon Peter obliged. We may not know a lot of details about their interaction but there is something familiar about the situation.
            Time and time again, we read about God calling someone to a specific task. That person may face challenges and obstacles may be in the way. But when we look back on the situation, we can see that there is usually a larger plan. In God’s great wisdom, each person holds a small but significant part of God’s divine process. “Just as weightlifters get stronger by increasing the weight and strain on their muscles through practice and repetition, so spiritual strengthening comes as we learn to follow the plan of God and spiritually discern the hand of God guiding our lives.”
            This is the case with Simon Peter. He is learning the importance of listening to Jesus. While still in Simon’s boat, Jesus finished teaching and then said to Simon. “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.”
Simon was not ready for this request. He and his buddies were dog-tired. All they could think about was climbing into bed. “Say what?” Simon thought to himself even as he said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow.” And then, probably with a sigh, he added, “But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.”
            Aren’t we a lot like Simon Peter? Jesus calls us to serve and we sigh. We feel as though we have come up empty-handed day after day, week after week. We’re tired and think we are ineffective. We can’t be as good as the next person; we’re not able to complete what we think God wants us to do. We don’t want to try again. Many times we make our excuses and ignore God’s call.
            Jesus understands. He knows our potential and our weaknesses. He listens to our complaints, our misgivings, and our excuses. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. Even when we are spiritually bone-weary, Jesus tells us to get back out there in the deep water, to lower our nets and try again. Even though we may thing we have failed, Jesus wants us to try again; to risk again; to work again. Jesus wants us to believe that He “has our back”; that His plan is a good plan. Jesus sees the big picture and knows our place in it. He doesn’t give up on us even when we give up on ourselves. What an encouraging word this is to us!
            Simon followed Jesus’ orders. He took the next step. He didn’t make an excuse nor did he turn his back on Jesus. Peter replied: “If you say so, I will let out the nets.” (5)
“It was no sooner said than done – a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch. Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. ‘Master, leave. I'm a sinner and can't handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.’ When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him.” (6-9)
            The enormous catch of fish was indeed amazing and yet was secondary to the real miracle that morning. Seeing the holiness of Jesus, Peter was overwhelmed with awe. In that moment, Jesus captured Peter’s heart.        Peter’s career may have been catching fish; now his call was to catch people!
Friends, like Simon Peter, Jesus wants us to turn to Him, to be His followers. He wants us to be His living, loving, serving partners who work for God’s Kingdom on earth. Jesusu opens up opportunities for us to share His good news and His love. He also equips us to do the work! It’s as simple as that.
Jesus said, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” Peter heard the call, left everything and followed Him. No questions; no excuses. Like Simon Peter, we need to say “Yes” to Jesus.
            Are we up to the challenge? Are we ready to open ourselves Jesus? Are we ready to follow Him? Even if Jesus asks us to pull an all-nighter – to go the extra mile – will we trust him enough to say yes? Remember, it is our privilege to invite the Light of the World, which is Jesus Christ, to be the Lord of our lives.
            There is a poem entitled “Fisher’s of Men,” by Jan McIntosh. Listen to these words even as you embrace the challenge: 
Have you caught any fish, have you ever tried?
Have you told anyone why Jesus died?
Have you cast your net out on the sea,
Or is it lying crumpled, there at your feet?
Do you cling to the shore, afraid to sail?
Do you refuse to go, afraid you'll fail?
There's only one way to be a fisher of men --
Take up your net and go follow Him.

            Friends, let’s do just that! Let’s take up our nets and go follow Him! Amen and amen.