Boat Lessons

Sermon Luke 5:1-5 January 19, 2020 Ordinary Time

Boat Lessons

We are gathered here in worship in churches on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Water is a way of life here.

We can’t deny it.

We can’t hide from it.

We are surrounded by it.

We have no mountains.

We have no canyons.

We have no prairies.

We have no desert.

We have no rain forest.

We have a sliver of land 60 miles long and 15 miles wide.

We have more coastline of Bay and Atlantic Ocean and creeks and coves than we have land acreage.

And this is our life.

This is where we spend everyday.

And God meets us here.

Perhaps that’s why any of the stories of the New Testament that relate to water affect us.

Today’s story from the gospel of Luke is incomplete.

I stopped the Scripture reading before we got to the miracle of the abundance of fishes.

Verses 8-11 gives us the rest of the story of the miracle of so many fish that the boats began to sink under the weight of all of them. It tells of how Simon was struck by the miracle of abundance that Jesus offered them. It tells of how Jesus called them to follow him and they left everything and went with him.

But, today, today,

I stopped the reading of the Scripture

before the miracle happened.

I stopped so we could look more closely at the setting that was in place prior to the miracle.

You see,

we always jump to the miracle

before we notice

the setting,

the environment that was there

ready for the miracle to take place.

I think we should stop just shy of the miracle.

Look around and notice the scenery.

Be aware of the people.

Recognize the situation, the circumstance.

Observe what is happening in the ordinary moments of the day.

God meets us in the places where we already are.

God does things even when we don’t notice.

It’s up to us to be ready to receive and aware of God with us.

Let’s look at what Jesus does.

He comes to the lake of Gennesaret otherwise known as the Sea of Galilee. He is preaching to a crowd, but they are getting a bit too close for his comfort. Jesus is uncomfortable with people pushing him and getting into his face. It’s nice to know that Jesus has boundary and personal space issues.

SO, we watch Jesus do a number of things in response to the situation he is in.

He sees two boats.

He gets in the one he knows is Simon Peter’s.

He asks to be pushed out into the water.

He sits down.

He teaches.

He finishes speaking and

gives individual instruction to Simon to go deeper.

He witnesses Simon’s obedience.

He offers abundance, grace, a miracle.

He extends an invitation.

When I read in Scripture that Jesus saw two boats and he chose the one that belonged to Simon Peter, it tells me how much faith he had in Simon Peter.

When Mike and I became part of the ARC+ rally we were intentional about joining the rally and we knew ahead of time the requirements and the setting of where everything would take place.

On the day of our inspection, the phrase that struck me most from the inspector was, “Know your boat.” He recognized that we had our boat for 20 years and he emphasized the importance of knowing all that she could do and all the details of her workings. He said he was confident that our boat was in good hands because we demonstrated that we knew a lot about our boat, the details of her engine, the sails, the things that could go wrong and much more.

In his inspection he was looking for things to be up to par with the list, but he was also watching and listening to us show aptitude in problem solving, emergency situations, equipment handling.

He mentioned that more often than not people join these rallies with vessels they have just bought and have barely tested with plans to cover more 3000 + nautical miles.

His concern is that people don’t do enough preparation to appreciate the vessel that will carry them across oceans. To learn it and to trust it. To be aware of the environment and the situations their vessel and they will in.

We learned in our experience that knowing our boat was key to being in the right setting for good things to happen. And to be confident when the storms come along. My confidence increased when the inspector shared how much confidence he had in us and in our boat.

We know from earlier in the gospel that Jesus already knows who Simon Peter is. We read in chapter 4 that Jesus was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum by Galilee. After the worship he went to Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law. From there Jesus left to Judea teaching and healing and then found his way back to Galilee by the sea with the fishermen in chapter 5.

So why is it that Jesus trusts Simon’s boat?

Jesus knew that Simon Peter knew his boat. He was a fisherman who took care of his vessel. Jesus wouldn’t have climbed into his boat if it didn’t have a sound hull. Jesus would never have climbed into his boat if it had been neglected and had rotting boards or broken hinges, or torn sails or worn out equipment.

He knew that when he climbed into Simon’s boat it would be all he needed to do his job to proclaim the good news of God’s Kingdom.

Perhaps, that’s what’s most encouraging of all.

Jesus, God is willing to climb into our everyday life and use what we have to communicate his gospel to us and others.

God knows when a vessel is ready for the using and spreading of his Word.

How well do we know our boat?

How well do we know our bodies?

How well do we know our church?

How well do we know our congregation?

Is it ready for Jesus to board if he comes and tells us he’s climbing in?

Jesus uses what we have to communicate with us-are we ready?

What is clearer than anything is that miracles take place in everyday life.

Miracles happen when we are going about our everyday business.

Miracles do not wait for us to be in a holy sacred place.

All of our spaces are settings that are waiting to be ready

for the sacred and the holy to enter in.

The holy happens beyond the sacred walls of the sanctuary more often than we realize.

The sanctuary is known as the nave, the boat, where we are all together.

The nave taken from the Latin for ship is the central part of the church, the place where the congregation sits and worships-how well do we know this boat?

Jesus relies on us to take care of our boats. Jesus relies on us to know our equipment. Jesus relies on us to know all we can possibly know to do our daily work. So that when he shows up in our daily lives he can trust our stuff enough to do his work.

How well are we taking care of ourselves?

How well are we taking care of our churches?

How well are we taking care of our homes?

How well are we taking care of our communities?

How well are we taking care of …?

When Jesus shows up to teach his message will he trust our stuff enough to step into it?

I honestly believe the miracle of the fishes happened because Simon Peter and his friends were already doing their very best to honor the work they had been given.

They loved their work as fishermen and respected the work they had been blessed by. I honestly believe when we offer ourselves whole heartedly into the work we have been given. When we respect the equipment we’ve been blessed with. When we know and realize what we have, we have the setting ready for Jesus to show up and be comfortable enough to sit down and get to do his work.

Simon Peter obeys Jesus when he is asked to push Jesus into deeper water.

Even though he tells Jesus the truth about their fishing experience, he honors Jesus by doing what he is asked-even in his doubts he obeys Jesus’ command.

He was prepared to receive the abundance of Christ.

Are we ready to receive the abundance of Christ?

Let us be willing to let Jesus use our stuff.

Let us trust him as he trusts us.

We are churches on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. This is where we spend everyday. And God meets us here. To God be the Glory.

Let us pray. Amen.