Thursday 02 September 2010

Background

Jesus' ministry in Galilee now leaves the synagogues and, ascrowds press around him, desperate to hear his words, Jesus usesthe natural acoustics of the landscape to deliver an outdoorsermon. He knew Simon Peter and had been to his home, and so he now turned tohim for help as the fishermen washed their nets after a night'swork.

The lake, which Luke records as being called Gennesaret, isactually the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias)around which Jesus' early ministry began. It is a low-level inlandsea with the land rising up around it in a series of steep inlets.Jesus sat down to teach, as was the norm in Jewish education. Whenhe'd finished, he suggested they go fishing - in the deepwater.

Simon Peter knew they were unlikely to catch anything in broaddaylight, and since they'd caught nothing the previous night, heaired his professional scepticism: it seemed pointless. And yet,maybe out of curiosity, or respect, or maybe just for the chance tospend a bit more time with Jesus, he obeyed.

And, for all his experience, Simon Peter had never had a haul likethis! "They caught so many fish that their nets were beginning tobreak." Peter's business partners were called across in theirsecond boat, until both boats began to go under! By following Jesusin a seemingly pointless activity, they succeeded on anunimaginable scale. Interestingly, Jesus doesn't need to say'follow me' in this story. Peter's reaction showed the call hadalready been made in his heart - he responded as one confrontedwith the holy light of God, falling to the ground aware of his ownsin. Life could never be the same again for Peter who had witnessednot only Jesus' teaching, but also his power; and not for the firsttime. Jesus calms Peter and puts into words what God is alreadyconfirming in his heart: "from now on you will be catching people".The Greek word used here suggests 'catching for life' (rather thandeath), and Peter, James and John who've heard Jesus'kingdom-teaching would know what that meant.

I write this fresh from my own ordination into the Methodistministry. This very reading played an important part in my calling,when I felt God asking me to "put out into deep water" beyond mycomfort zone, and follow Christ. Although there have been momentsof struggle and hardship, I've never regretted following thisvocation of catching for life into the net of God's love. At ourordination services, the congregation call out "They are worthy!"and this is a particularly moving point, especially when (likeSimon Peter) we find it hard to imagine that we are worthy. It isworth remembering that our worthiness for what God has called us tocomes only from God's call, God's power and God's grace, and notfrom any goodness of our own.

This is what Peter and the others were soon to learn.

To Ponder

Simon Peter was a married man with his ownfishing business. What do you think it meant to him that he "lefteverything and followed him"?

What are the similarities and differences betweenthis story and John 21:1-14? Why might Jesus have needed tore-establish his followers' call after the resurrection?

In our gospel life, there are sometimes momentsof clarity and calling when we realise what is truly important andget a sense of the power of God. Can you think of times in yourlife when you have felt God calling you? How have youresponded?