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GOD'S MESSAGE THIS WEEK
Sermon for February 4, 2007 Calvary Church,
The Rev. Mary A. Canavan

Scripture Readings: The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany Judges 6.11-24a Psalm 85 1 Corinthians 15.1-11 Luke 5.1-11

This Sunday we again have a reluctant servant of the Lord. Gideon said that he was the least in his family and that his clan was the least in all of Manasseh. The Lord will have none of it and tells Gideon that Gideon is the man for the job. If Gideon could only hide! Then he has a great idea…let’s see if this is really the Lord speaking to him. He tells the Lord to wait while he prepares meat and unleavened cakes. When Gideon puts them out for the Lord, the angel of the Lord immediately consumes them with fire. Gideon’s response is to be terrified because he realizes that he has seen the angel of the Lord face to face.

The reason he is terrified is because he knows that in the sight of God, sin cannot exist. It gets burned up by the purity, the holiness, the glory of God. Only love can exist in God’s presence. The sin is purified and cleansed and we stand sanctified (made holy) before God. Gideon is afraid for his life now. The angel of the Lord reassures him and tells him not to be afraid, that he shall not die. God calls whomever God wants to do to God’s work. It doesn’t matter how weak we think we are or how “little” we think we are or even that we are sinners. God wants who God wants.

In Peter’s case, he’s just finished a long night of fishing and hasn’t caught anything. He’s a very experienced fisherman and makes his livelihood on the lake. He knows that lake intimately. He knows the waves, the winds, the temperature, the depth. Along comes Jesus Christ who asks to sit in the boat and be put out a little way from the shore so he can address the crowds. After finishing with the crowds, Jesus then instructs Peter to put out into the deep water and let down his nets for a catch.

I don’t know about you, but when people who are experts in an area come to my home, or I ask them to do something for me (carpenters, mechanics, computer repairers), they do not want or appreciate my inexperienced advice. Yet, here is Peter, listening to this carpenter (Jesus Christ) tell him to take the boat out into the deep waters for a catch. For some reason Peter does it. Then he is absolutely floored when the net is so full that the haul cannot be brought in. He calls over another boat to help with the catch.

Suddenly, like Gideon, Peter realizes that he is in the company of the Lord. His response is also similar to Gideon’s and he tries to push Jesus away. He says, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” But, Jesus doesn’t go away. He wants Peter to do his work. He wants Peter to fish for him. It doesn’t matter to Jesus that Peter has sinned (or that he will again). It doesn’t matter to Jesus that Peter will deny him three times.

Jesus wants Peter, broken Peter. Just like the angel of the Lord wanted Gideon, broken Gideon.

We are all sinners. We must be careful that we don’t focus so much on our sins that we lose sight of the good we can do now. We cannot “make up” for our sins. They are what they are. They are done. We can feel contrite and wish we hadn’t done them, but if we dwell on them, they will keep us from doing good now.

I know of people who have killed, especially in wars. In the heat of war, a lot of horrible things can happen. People have killed innocent women and children and men. People have killed not so innocent men. However, if we dwell on these facts and think they get in the way of us having a relationship with God, then we are wrong. Very wrong. The opposite seems to be true. The Lord seeks out sinners to do His work.

Instead of focusing on what we’ve done wrong, it’s time to focus on what we can do right. And that means letting go of the past and living now, today, and answering the call of God when it does come.

Sources and references : (note that the above is the approximate verbal text of a sermon spoken without notes and does not include quotations or footnotes (except where noted) that a formal publication, speech, or written report would include)

The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV)
Synthesis – Year C – 2007/2006
Synthesis – Year C – 2003/2004
Synthesis – Year C – 2000/2001
Pulpit Resource by William Willimon
Anglicans Online website – “Sermons that Work,” Year C
The Gospel of Luke Commentary – William Barclay
The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Abingdon Press

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