a sermon for 9th Feb 2025 from 1 Corinthians 15.1–11 Luke 5.1–11 (photo is of Revs Carole Derreck and James)
2 points for you today. Jesus asks Simon to do something and he replies: Because you say so.
I want you to take that as your take home point today. Its enough to try to do some good because Jesus says so. Its not always easy, we’ll come to that. But point one – Because you, Jesus, say so.
In our Gospel reading you heard how; Jesus is teaching parables and that sort of stuff and sees Simon sitting in his boat cleaning their nets from the night’s failed fishing adventure.
So Jesus gets into Simon’s boat. It makes sense for acoustic reasons – to help the crowd hear more easily.
I feel this point should make the tech team glad to note that Jesus also cared about sound projection.
Jesus tells more of his parables but note that Simon is there. He’s not especially there like the rest of the crowd who have deliberately pressed Jesus for another parable, but I’d like us to note the subliminal blessing that Simon is receiving.
It might be that you know someone who popped into Church to see the wonderful architecture, came to a carol concert, something like this – they’re not especially there for the sake of finding themselves, finding God, finding meaning purpose forgiveness in their lives, but its still worthy of our prayers for people who do pop in that perhaps, like Simon, they might subliminally pick up something of the good news of Jesus Christ.
Perhaps Jesus gets to the end of His list of parables for the day, perhaps He notices that Simon has now finished cleaning his nets, and now Jesus asks Simon to go fishing.
You could hear Simon’s Response: ‘Because you say so’ as laden with sarcasm, because Simon knows that this silly idea will result in nothing -and he will then have to clean his nets again.
OR you could hear “Because you say so”. As part one of Jesus calling Simon, and his response perhaps as a first nervous step of a curious faith.
This is the problem with listening to Jesus. Every now and then there’s a nudge, an invitation to an application.
You read a bit of Gospel and mull a passage over and begin to feel that perhaps you should – repent of that sin, perhaps phone someone up and check on them, that you should pull your finger out and actually fill in that Parish Giving Scheme Form that you said to yourself you would review at the beginning of this New Year. Thank you very much by the way, the forms are over there.
And please note the other boat – they don’t say – well this isn’t my problem, the miracle isn’t happening in my boat, God isn’t blessing me why should I help! Instead they want to be where the blessing is, they want to be helping.
Their response is one of kindness and faith.
It is true that we often do not know what to do. What is Jesus calling us to do today? This week? This year? We’re not always sure.
But Jesus gives us enough to be getting on with for now, to be a blessing today. He says all sorts of things about how we are to treat the foreigner, the hungry, the homeless – alas there are all sorts of voices in our own heads telling us to walk by on the other side, but perhaps there might be a moment when we will stop and try and help and be a voice for the voiceless.
It boils down to this call of Jesus – Because Jesus says so. Because you say so. I will try, a small step of obedience.
I was struck by a passionate American pleading with viewers to not let the peculiar comments and actions coming out of the White House to go unchallenged – he said ‘Don’t let them normalise this behaviour’ – when disaster happens and instead of empathy – someone is blamed for the accident because they were black and female. ‘Don’t let them normalise this behaviour’
Or We see a nazi salute, twice, with no apology, and when a preacher calls for mercy – she’s asked to apologise. Don’t let them normalise this behaviour.
I don’t know how we over this side of the pond can help other than in prayer. But it behoves us to make sure that we continue to be inclusive, continue to challenge racism sexism however overt or quiet it might seem.
God asks Simon to do something simple – and I hear his response not in sarcastic tones but with the beginning of faith. Because you say so. So give it a go. Go with the nudge of God and see if it doesn’t lead to a blessing of some sort.
No doubt if you had asked Simon about God and Religion before hand he would have said ‘I am a busy fisherman, I want to go home and eat and sleep and not have to add religion to my to do list’. But in this moment Simon is about to find out that having Jesus in the boat, in his life, is better than not.
I would really like to know who else noticed this miracle. Did the crowd? I doubt it. Did the people in the other boat? I don’t know. But Simon did. Simon knew this wasn’t a fluke moment, that something divine had just happened.
I wonder if you’ve ever come across someone who said “IF I were to see a proper miracle, I would absolutely believe in God and everything”. I’ve heard it lots. But evidence from the Bible is that seeing a miracle does not always lead to the reaction you think it might. And seeing a miracle might require you to keep a sharp eye out. Simon has seen a miracle. He knows it is a miracle. But his reaction is not Whoopdedo. His reaction is to tell Jesus to go away!
I really get this. On those occasions where I have seen God doing something wonderful, I have felt a sort of awe-full shiver, an awakening to the presence of God’s holiness and that sudden feeling that I shouldn’t be here, or I will spoil this holy moment. Its hard to explain. Its both full of joy, and full of awe.
Jesus calls us to do simple things – let your nets down – Jesus is not asking Simon to walk on water. Not yet. This is a simple step of trust. It’s not unlike the call to do the good that you can see. So go to it – ‘Because you say so’. And who knows you may find yourself caught up in a miracle.
No doubt, in the process of trying to do this we will from time to time feel afraid. So remember Point 1: Because Jesus says so.
Point 2 is Jesus’ reply to Simon – Don’t be afraid. Simon says: Because you say so, Jesus says: Don’t be afraid.
It even works as one sentence. Because you say so Don’t be afraid!
Simon’s reaction to the Jesus he now sees in front of him: Jesus has changed from an interesting teller of stories to someone who is holy in a way that Simon can’t fathom but can feel. So Simon’s response is: Away from me Lord I am a sinful man.
We each of us need that moment. Perhaps you had it some while back when you first received Christ into your life. Perhaps you noticed something last week. Perhaps as you come to take HC today and hold these holy reminders of God’s love and work over your life, perhaps in a moment of prayer in the side chapel, you might note this transforming awe.
I find it helpful to remind myself of how Jesus has changed my life. I had a go at telling that story at the last Men’s supper so you’ll have to ask about for a summary!
Here today we have two bible readings in which we see how Jesus changed Simon Peter’s life, and another how Jesus changed Saul who became Paul’s life.
Paul encourages us with a list of other people whose lives he has seen transformed by Jesus. of Cephas (that is Simon Peter), the rest of The Twelve, more than 500 at one time, James, all the apostles, even Paul.
Paul really should have mentioned that Simon Peter was not the first to see the Risen Christ but perhaps the 4th after the women had first seen Jesus alive after His death. So remember it was the women who first brought the good news to Peter.
Jesus changing lives. And He’s been doing it ever since.
I hope that as you look over your life you have seen people whose lives have been changed by Jesus. I hope that as you look around at your church family that you see people whose lives are being changed by Jesus.
And for Paul the anchor he holds on to is the Resurrection of Jesus. And the proofs Paul offers in the many people he knows who saw the Risen Christ.
And this all adds up to the encouragement to keep the faith, as Simon says Because you say so. And to hold Jesus’ reminder to Not be afraid.
Because you say so. Do not be afraid.
Amen.