Take a look at Peter and Jesus. Peter is a professional fisherman. He's grown up fishing. He knows where the fish are and where they go. He and James and John know the Sea of Galilee, the other name for the lake of Gennesaret. They are the stars of the original “Deadliest Catch.” But on the day that Jesus needs to borrow boats, they are empty! Peter and Company have fished all night. They know when and where to look. You go at night when the fish come to feed and you go catch them all in the shallows of the lake. But they worked all night and got nothing. Then there's Jesus. He grew up as a poor carpenter. Now he's a wandering preacher. He might be a good carpenter. He might be attracting a lot of people with His teaching. But He's NOT a fisherman! So imagine Peter's surprise when Jesus tells him when the sermon's over to put out the DEEP water here in the middle of the day. “Um, Jesus, we're professional fisherman.” Why don't you stick to preaching and we'll stick to fishing. Still, if you say so...” You can almost imagine Peter's rolled eyes and impatient sighs. Until the nets start breaking with all the fish! And the boats start sinking because of all the fish. Until they have to call over their fishing partners to help with this huge haul of fish! “Away from me, Lord! I am a sinful man!” For now Peter recognizes that this is no mere carpenter who probably doesn't know anything about fishing: this is the Son of God who made the fish and makes the fish go where He wants them to go.
Peter learns from this whole example to despair of trusting in himself and to trust in Christ. He's got it right when he says, “We've fished all night Lord....but nevertheless, AT YOUR WORD.” It's just that the Lord's Word teaches Peter he is worthless in and of himself and he has no claim on Jesus at all. But Jesus other Word saves Peter: “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” Brothers and sisters, everything in this story of Jesus and the boats and the fishermen points us to how Christ does things in the way of salvation. The church is the boat. In the church is Christ whose Word is preached to the world. In the boat, the church, Christ's servants, the preachers, cast the net of His Word and draw people up out of the baptismal waters and into the boat. In this world, Christ reels us in through His Gospel and Sacraments. Drawn from the waters of Holy Baptism and fed with the life-giving body and blood of Jesus, we are now safe in the boat, the church. Jesus once told His disciples that He would be lifted up and draw all people to Himself. Just so, His death on the cross is the “bait” which catches Satan and destroys death. So to the cross of Christ we are drawn by His Word, feasting and feeding upon the crucified and risen Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. Just as the fish are drawn into the nets by the Word of Jesus, so we are drawn by that same Word into the church, to faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
And what do we learn in the church? That our thinking, our planing, our doing, our accomplishing, our wishing and wanting and trying are all worthless! In the church, in the boat of Jesus, we learn that our ways are not His ways. We learn, as Elijah did, to stop whining about ourselves and instead be concerned with the kingdom of God and the promises that the Lord Himself gives. In the church, we learn, simply, to despair of ourselves and place all of our hope and faith and trust in Christ alone. Just observe Peter: he's the master fisherman, but he catches nothing. Then comes Jesus who tells them to fish in broad daylight and in the deeps. Then they catch something! Peter's plans and wisdom: no fish! Jesus' Word: tons and tons of fish! So it is for us in our lives and in the church. Follow your own ways, devise your own plans, worry and fret and plan and scheme. But this will give us nothing but empty nets. Try to save your marriage, raise your kids, live your life on your own terms: you'd better plan for empty nets! But hear Christ's Word: your sins are forgiven! Live by His Word. Live by His grace and mercy and promises that your nets will be full of fish. Easier said than done? Of course it is! Which is why Jesus gives full nets even to a sinner like Peter and promises forgiveness, life and salvation even to us doubting sinners! Repent of following your own wisdom over God's Word. And hear the Word of Jesus save you!
Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord has called His preachers to be fishermen. He has called pastors to preach and teach the Good News that our sins are not counted against us for Jesus' sake who suffered and died in our place. The preachers are called by God to cast the nets of His Word and Sacraments out there into the world. It is through these means that the Lord makes Christians and fishes for people and brings them into His church. How does He do that at Bethel? We have a big net! What, pastor, do you just expect 25 families a year to walk in our front door? Exactly! Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have just such a net in our little Preschool. In that Preschool, each year, almost 25 families darken our door. What will they find when they send their little ones here? They will hear Christ preached and the Sacraments given. How about you: will you help repair and wash the nets? By that I mean will you help and support this casting of nets we call “Bethel Preschool” by helping in any way you can? By that I mean will you too pray for the parents and children whom the Lord has dropped on our doorstep each year? Pray that they will be converted by the Gospel that they will hear. Pray that the Spirit will call, gather, enlighten and sanctify them too with the same gifts by which He has rescued you from sin and death!
And do this, brothers and sisters, not out of guilt or a “have to” mentality. Rather, hear St. Peter's words from our epistle today. The same Peter who was terrified by the Lord's power yet was called by Jesus to be an apostle writes: “Sanctify—set apart—Christ in your heart as Lord, always being ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you.” Brothers and sisters, Peter learned that the purpose of Jesus' power was not to frighten and destroy that sinful man, but to save him. So you also: believe that Christ has not come to condemn you but to save you. Confess your sins! Confess your sinfulness! Say with Peter that you are not worthy to be anywhere near God. Then hear this fisherman tell you that your sins are the reason Jesus came to die. Hear again the words of absolution which declare your sins forgiven. Remember the baptismal water from which you were pulled and rescued from sin and death. Feast today again upon the body and blood of the one whose Word can make bread and wine deliver such a gift as His own flesh and blood! Receive these things so that when you are out there, in the world, you can give witness to Christ. Your neighbor needs to hear what it is that saves you. So tell them! Tell them that it's not because you're such a good person or holy person that you are a child of God. Tell them it's because of the Word of Jesus which is spoken in this boat, the S.S. Bethel, this boat where Jesus preaches to the crowds and His means of grace are gathering fish. Never mind our own plans and purposes. Empty nets, those! Rather let us with Peter say, “At your Word I do it!” That's the very Word that saves us from sin and death and puts Jesus in us, the reason for our hope.
Dear little fishes, we have been pulled from the water by the fishermen commanded to do so with the nets of God's Word. Jesus, from the boat, has spoken His Word and brought us into this boat, His church, where He and His life giving word are. Our little congregation has its share of struggles and problems. In our own lives we have our share of struggles and difficulties and heartaches. Repent of trying to work all these things out yourself. Hear again the words of Jesus: “Do not be afraid?” Why not be afraid? Because Peter's nets were full that day! Because Jesus has gone to calvary and shed His blood and poured out water for our sins. Do not be afraid because at the font and at the altar, you have been redeemed and fed. Do not be afraid because you have been filled with the good and saving promises of God. Do not be afraid: for Jesus is the reason for the hope that is in you. Hope for you and good for those around you, the other fishes whom the Lord will bring into the boat. Despair of you and your plans. Cling to Jesus and His Word. “Do not be afraid!” In Jesus' name. Amen.