“How Ministry Begins, Part 3: The Power of Jesus’ Team” by the Rev. Dr. Don Wahlig, February 9, 2025, Year C / Epiphany 5 - Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13) / Psalm 13 / 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 / Luke 5:1-11

THEME:  God calls those seeking true fulfilment to follow Jesus in bringing true abundant life to others.

Do we have any fishermen here? You’ve all heard the old saying that a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work? Well, for Peter and his partners, fishing and working are the same thing, and it has definitely not been a good day. In 1^st century Palestine, having enough food to eat was a real problem. Most people tried to eke out a living by farming what little land they had, but that was always a dicey proposition. In good years, you might have enough to feed yourself and your family. 

But the lean times came far too often. The rainy season was short and unpredictable. Droughts were common. So were pests and disease. All of which is why, for the vast majority of the population, hunger was a persistent and painful reality. But no matter the weather, there would always be fish in the sea. In the Sea of Galilee, Tilapia was the most common kind. They were tasty, plentiful, and popular. The hard part was finding and catching them, especially if that was how you made your living, as Peter and his brother Andrew did.  Like any good entrepreneur, Peter realized that, if he had partners in his fishing enterprise, they could share in both the risk and the work. If one boat had a bad day out on the water, the other might have a good day. Which is why Peter recruited his neighbors, James and John, to be his partners. 

It was hard work.  Your best chance of a good catch was to fish at night when the fish were more active. But even with two boats, there were days when both came back empty. It is on one of those mornings that Jesus comes upon Peter, Andrew, James, and John cleaning their empty nets at sunrise. As usual, the crowds have followed wherever Jesus goes. There are so many people that he has to step into Peter’s boat and move offshore a bit in order for all to hear him. Peter is in the boat with him. His brother Andrew is nearby, and so are James, and John.  As they work, they are listening to Jesus speaking the word of God.

What did Jesus say to the crowd? Did he tell a parable? Did he speak about the Kingdom of God? Luke doesn’t tell us. Whatever Jesus said, a seed is planted, a seed that will change the lives of billions, starting with Peter and his partners.

Jesus dismisses the crowds with a blessing, and then he turns to Peter. “Push out a bit and let down your net,” Jesus tells him.  Now, how would you feel if you were Peter? It’s been a long, fruitless, frustrating night.  He is dog tired. No doubt, he just wants to go home and get some sleep. But Peter has heard and seen something in Jesus that convinces him to do what he asks. When he lets down his net, the abundant catch threatens to swamp both boats.

What do we make of this miracle? Clearly, it is a sign. Like all signs, the challenge is how to interpret it. The sheer size of the overflowing catch is Jesus’ way of saying that, by following him, they will be catching people, by which he means saving people, and they will be saving a lot of them, more than they can count. But there is more meaning in this miraculous sign than meets the eye. What happened to all those fish? When those four fishermen left everything to follow Jesus, they also left behind that massive catch of Tilapia. It is the catch of a lifetime, and yet there is absolutely no mention of what happens to all those fish. And that is our clue.

All of us have to do what is necessary to survive, of course.  We know from experience that striving to find a life of material abundance by serving our own ends through our own means can – and often does –  result in frustration.  That is what Peter and his partners experienced that night. When Jesus shows up and calls them to follow him, he is calling them to experience a different kind of abundance. It is the abundance of life spent in his company, serving others in his name.

Luke is telling us that we can all experience that same, surpassing abundance.  Compared to whatever material abundance we gain by our own self-directed striving, the abundant life Jesus offers is far more fulfilling and much longer lasting. So, is Luke saying that we should all leave our day jobs and our families behind in order to become pastors and evangelists? Not at all.

Jesus needed a team of itinerant workers in order to share the gospel in new places, among people who had never heard God’s word. He found the core of that team in Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Pretty soon, four became twelve. By the time of his crucifixion that number was probably a couple hundred. Then, at Pentecost, the church took off. When Peter preached his first sermon, 200 believers became 3,000.  From there, the church grew like wildfire.  And down the centuries, it kept growing. Today, there is no place and no people that have not been reached by the Good News of Jesus Christ.

What Jesus needs today are disciples to share the good news among people who have already heard it and dismissed it. We do not have to leave our homes or our jobs to do that.  Wherever we live and work, God has placed us there for the specific purpose of being Jesus’ witnesses in that place, and among those people. Martin Luther, the pioneering Protestant Reformer, famously said, “A cobbler, a smith, a peasant—each has the work and office of his trade, and yet they are all alike consecrated priests and bishops.”

His point was that we all have a holy calling. We are all called to serve Christ by serving others around us. That applies not only at work, whether paid or volunteer, but also at home, at church, and in our public lives as citizens. That is what Martin Luther meant when he said, “Everyone must benefit and serve every other by means of his own work or office so that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the community, just as all the members of the body serve one another.”

Friends, this is how Jesus calls us be his disciples today. Here is one example of what this looks like:

Let me introduce you to a young computer engineer named Tad.  Tad worked his way into middle management at Microsoft. Along the way, he joined a Bible study group. It made him reconsider his faith walk. He asked himself, “How am I Christ’s witness at work?” He saw that there was room for improvement. He started by being more intentional about praying for his colleagues. His compassion for them grew. As it did, his relationship with them began to change. Then came the turning point.

Here is how he described it:  “One afternoon, I was working late on a critical project.  I noticed a new intern, clearly overwhelmed and struggling to grasp complex details.  Instead of rushing past, I took a moment to patiently explain the concepts, offering guidance and encouragement.  As I watched the relief on her face, it struck me that this simple act of kindness was a reflection of Christ's teachings on helping others.”

Tad realized that Jesus was calling him to serve Christ by serving others. So, he made a conscious effort to incorporate Christ-like service into his daily routine.  He began to make more time to actively listen to his colleagues, to be supportive, to listen without judging. Then he took it a step further. When it came to overcoming business problems, he committed to taking a positive approach. He began to prioritize teamwork over individual recognition.  

The result was profound. The more support and encouragement Tad offered, the more his colleagues became open to sharing their struggles. His  relationship with them became more authentic and meaningful. Everyone knew that Tad followed Jesus. They all had some idea of the gospel he believed. Now, they saw what Christian discipleship looked like by the way that Tad practiced it. Friends, we can all do this. It works at home and at school. It works at girl scouts and bridge club, at choir rehearsal and soccer practice. It works at the dinner table, and the communion table. It even works at the Session table!

So, friends, with whom will you be spending time this week? How will you show them what faithful discipleship looks like? In other words, where are the opportunities to demonstrate love, kindness, and compassion in the way you interact with them? As we do that, let’s remember. They already know what the gospel says. Before they are willing to believe it, they want to know what it looks like in practice. 

Let’s show them. May it be so.