Put Out Into the Deep Water and Lower Your Nets For A Catch, Lk. 5- 1-11

This Gospel passage comes early in Jesus’ ministry when he is quietly gathering a group of unlikely men to be his closest, most trusted disciples. They, like us, were just common men, fishermen, to be exact. They were neither rich nor important in their communities. Indeed, they were unknown to most save for their families and the small circle of friends and co-workers of their daily lives. We know the story about how they had fished all night to no avail; how after teaching the crowd from their boat, Jesus told them to, “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch” (Lk. 5: 4), and how they caught so many fish that they were in fear of their boats sinking. But it is that phrase just mentioned that got my attention this time. Let me elaborate.

We go through our daily lives, usually only dealing with the surface levels of our existence. Our weekly/monthly calendars are often filled with appointments of one kind or another to attend to the demands of work, the home, and other activities. Even our evenings and our weekends are often filled with our children’s after-school activities and weekend sports events. We desperately try to squeeze a little time in for some small pleasures for ourselves. Our lives are often governed by the stresses of trying to make a living, to get everything done, and too many of our days end with us exhausted, and feeling as if we have accomplished little. Kind of like how Simon Peter, James, and John must have felt after fishing all night without catching anything. Because of this, maybe we need to hear Jesus telling us, “Put out into the deep water…”

What is this deep water that we are challenged to go out into? It is the deep water of prayer, that is, dedicated times of solitude and silence set aside to place ourselves in the presence of the Lord. Jesus desires to go out with us into the deep water of prayer, to spend time alone together. It is in the deep water of prayer that we can cast our nets into the depths of his infinite love. He desires to fill the nets of our hearts and minds with his profound grace, to fill them to overflowing with his peace, the peace that our hearts most deeply desire, and that only he can give. In truth, we know the reality of the countless daily distractions that prevent us from doing this. That is why it is even more important for us to consciously and purposefully make room for this movement out into the deep water of prayer in our daily lives. Jesus wants to be in that deep relationship with us every day, not just once a week on the Sabbath.

We see in Simon our own all too common response to that call, too. He complains, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing” (v. 5). We can almost hear the frustration, the impetus to beg off from having to do the hard work of going back out into the deep water. And we can hear his reluctant sigh in his further remark, “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” And it is only then that the miracle happens. The nets are so filled with fish that they are tearing, and Simon calls his partners over in their boat to help, and they fill both boats to the point of sinking. It is then that Simon Peter recognizes that he is in the presence of the One who is greater than himself. He falls to his knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (v. 6). It is when we go to Jesus in the depth of prayer that we recognize who he is and who we are in relation to him. He is God, and we are not. We find the gift of humility.

It is out of the deep waters of our prayer, our focused time alone with the Lord, that we gain the grace and the humility to live lives that reveal the reality of Jesus’ love, forgiveness, and mercy to others, to our brothers and sisters, to those around us who so often feel lost in the darkness and confusion of our noisy, distraction-crammed world. It is in our relationship with Jesus that we, too, can hear him say to us, “Do not be afraid” (v. 10). It is out of the depths of this relationship that we gain the liberating, comforting, peaceful wisdom and the courage to put the things, the schedules, the priorities of our lives into proper order.

Lord, give us the gift of wisdom and the courage to set time apart from the noise and hectic distractions of our daily lives to come out into the deep water with you in quiet, restful prayer. Only in you do we find the peace, the rest, and the joy that our hearts most desire. Help us to live lives that draw others to you. We pray these things in the power of Your most holy name, Jesus. Amen.