Luke 5.1-11 Jesus calls the disciples to fish for people

The Gospel of Luke is my second favorite Gospels. Mark is my favorite because I like Mark’s short and sweet style of not embellishing things. I like Luke because his writing is very matter-of-fact and purposeful.

Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret. This wording indicates Jesus quite possibly stood by this lake multiple times. Nothing unusual happened most of the time but this one time…

This one time Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets.

You would think that this story of the calling of the first disciple would be in every gospel wouldn’t you? Of all the things the Bible would be overly consistent about it seems like the calling of the first disciples would be such a significant moment in history that every gospel would tell the same story in almost exactly the same that the same events would transpire and yet… here we are.

In Mark 1:16-20, ¹⁶ As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” ¹⁸ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 

Matthew 4:18-20 ¹⁸ As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰ At once they left their nets and followed him.

So, Marks and Matthew says we’re at the Sea of Galilee and Luke says we’re on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. Simon Peter and Andrew are out fishing when Jesus comes across them both together as brothers probably would be.

Luke… where is Andrew and why have we changed location?

We’re not even going to get into the Gospel of John where the first disciples were John the Baptist’s Disciples one of which was Andrew, the other unnamed, and they encounter Jesus at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan. That’s a whole ‘nother can of worms.

It is at this point that I would love to offer you some concrete answers as to why there is so little consistency between our Gospels in the calling of our disciples but I got nothing for ya. Nadda. All I can offer you for comfort this day is my opinion that it isn’t who was called first, where they were called, or how they were called that’s important in this story what is important is that they were called and that they answered yes. The details, do not matter.

How you got here to church today is not nearly as important to me as the fact that you are here now, sitting in that pew, and you at least appear as if you are listening. That’s it. You were called and you answered. That’s the only thing that really matters here.

Luke says the fishermen were washing their nets. Mark says they were mending their nets. I like Luke’s story better for this reason. If Luke had said the soon to be disciples were mending their nets my brain would instant think to itself “No wonder they didn’t catch any fish! Their nets were full of holes!” Miracle debunked. Take the repaired nets out into the water and voila fish caught. Very logical.

The Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all like to make a point of saying that Simon was called first. Obviously, if Simon Peter is to be the rock of the church, that which it is built upon then he needs to be the first disciples called right? And yet, anyone know which disciple is known as the Peroclete? I’ll give you a hint, it means first called. That’d be… Andrew. Who isn’t even in Luke’s initial call story. The order the disciples are called in does not matter. What matters is… they were called and they answered.

Now, what I like about Matthew and Mark’s story is better is that they are simpler. Jesus says “Come follow me! And they drop what they are doing, hop out of their boats and follow. No questions asked. No miracle necessary. Just blind obedience and trust. Oh, if we could all be liked that eh? If we could follow without demanding proof how grateful would God be?

Simon Peter however as many of you already know because you read your Bible’s a lot is a proof-seeker. A special kind though, he trusts blindly, suddenly panics at his own faith, sinks into the water and then is rescued. This story is a bit like that. Peter blindly followed Jesus’ command to get back into his boat despite a hard night. Sets sail. A miracle occurs and tons of fish are caught. And then he sinks to his knees and realizes his need for more proof is sinful. And in true Peter style, recovers by leaving behind the jackpot of fish that could have provided him with enough food and income to survive for a while.

Isn’t that so like us as humans? We say we believe in something but then we care so much about the details that we doubt our faith. We blindly say “We believe every word that is in the Bible! We follow every command!” and then… when the inaccuracies and inconsistencies are pointed out to us… we panic, like Peter walking on water, we sink. We forget what’s important. It’s not who was called first, who was called in the most spectacular fashion, who got to witness the greatest miracle when they were called, the only thing that matters is we were called and answered yes.

Pastors are asked to tell our call stories a lot. While my husband and I were on vacation a few weeks ago, Doug mentioned to someone I was a pastor and of course, that is what they ask. I have an interview with the Board of Ordained Ministry in a couple weeks. I had to write a whole paper on it. My call is lifelong. My call is personal. My call may or may not make sense if I told you the whole story. My call might make you feel as if your call isn’t adequate. But believe me when I tell you, even if you are not knocked back by a blinding light by the word of God stripping you of every defense exposing your soul bare your call is just as important as mine, just as important as Saul’s, just as important as Simon Peter, James, John and Andrew even if you didn’t notice he was there.

It is not how we are called that is important. It is not how grand a story it makes to tell. It could have been a whisper on the wind. A flower in the sidewalk. A ray of light shining through a cloud or a window. A photo that fell out of a book reminding you of something. It does not matter how short, how long, how mundane your call story is, you have been called. You were summoned here this morning and you answered yes, God I will go. Today I will remember that I am called.

Today I will fall to my knees and recognize that I am a sinful person but I was called anyway. Despite your sin you were called to start fishing for people. Your call doesn’t have to have anything in it that others would recognize as a miracle, the only thing that matters is you recognize it as one and you answer yes, I will follow you.

So let us confess our sins together before God and one another acknowledging this call. Cleansing ourselves through the sacrament of Holy Communion, eating together as one people to be forgiven of our sins and start again as called people. It doesn’t matter if you have been a Christian for eighty years or you just became one today, you are invited. This one time, you came to church, and He called your name.