Luke 5:1-11
In any good novel, the characters are developed and we get to know them, empathize with them and identify with them. Scripture isn't always that way though. We are treated to snippets of the lives of holy people and not much more. Thankfully, there are independent historians that speak of Jesus and verify some of the information of Christian scripture. With Jesus, there is a large block of his life that we actually know very little about. We are treated to the Story of Jesus' birth, his lineage, the episode where his parents lose track of him as a child and he is found in the temple, but little else. There are stories about Jesus' in some of the non-canonical (read: unapproved) gospels but nothing certain. There is an entertaining book about Jesus' life called The Gospel According to Biff.
The same mystery shrouds the Apostles. We get to see little tidbits, that some were brothers etc but not much else. One terribly interesting note has always been that the Scriptures make known that Peter was married. Imagine that, the first 'Pope', married. Jesus picked a married man to lead the church. One might immediately ask what happened but that would be the subject of some other blog and probably not mine because I'll let the Romans try to justify that. In any event, we are treated to some information, however scant about Peter.
In today's passage Simon (Peter) says ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ We are not treated to what Simon means by that but we have no reason to doubt the passage. This is a pre-disciple Simon so I can't imagine he has some fore-knowledge of the depths and types of sin man is capable of. Jesus might say that if you even look at another man's wife you are guilty of adultery. Simon could not have that kind of knowledge and it's unlikely a fisherman would have any kind of philosophical or intimate religious training that would make him discern serious sin from lesser sin, etc. Simon does though say he is a sinner. This is my point. We know Simon is a sinner and we also know that Jesus must know this.
Hmmm. And yet, Jesus approached Simon, offers him the wealth of an incredible yield of fish as if to reward him for his sinfulness. Is that it? Not quite. I think Jesus/God bestows great bounty on every single one of us. After all, aren't we all sinners of one sort or another? And yet, we are loved and blessed. God does not limit his love because, honestly I don't think he can. Would you limit the love to your own children?
Some might argue yes, but to what degree of a sinner are you and would God bestow such graces if you were truly a sinner. I mean, a big time sinner? An adulterer? A thief? A non-Christian? A Jew? A gay man? A single porn star? A tax cheat? How does God decide whom to bestow his love and races on? In some way I guess I am asking what graces are we speaking of? If wealth is being graced shouldn't all rich people be models of humanity? We know that is not so. Wouldn't all poor people be the biggest sinners then too? Of course that is looking at life through a capitalistic lens that I don't think God has much use for.
The bottom line to me is twofold. One, we need to look beyond the materiality of this world to see what graces we are bestowed with. The other day I told a coworker how happy I was that she was a part of my life and she broke down and cried. I was telling her how graced I feel to have see her and have her as a part of my daily life and she knew it. It had nothing to do with money or the material. Can we be that present to the people and things around us? Secondly, I believe we are all raced, saints and sinners because God loves us that much. So even if you judge someone to be a sinner (which you really should NOT be doing), but if you do, realize that God loves that at least as much as God loves you.
The same mystery shrouds the Apostles. We get to see little tidbits, that some were brothers etc but not much else. One terribly interesting note has always been that the Scriptures make known that Peter was married. Imagine that, the first 'Pope', married. Jesus picked a married man to lead the church. One might immediately ask what happened but that would be the subject of some other blog and probably not mine because I'll let the Romans try to justify that. In any event, we are treated to some information, however scant about Peter.
In today's passage Simon (Peter) says ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ We are not treated to what Simon means by that but we have no reason to doubt the passage. This is a pre-disciple Simon so I can't imagine he has some fore-knowledge of the depths and types of sin man is capable of. Jesus might say that if you even look at another man's wife you are guilty of adultery. Simon could not have that kind of knowledge and it's unlikely a fisherman would have any kind of philosophical or intimate religious training that would make him discern serious sin from lesser sin, etc. Simon does though say he is a sinner. This is my point. We know Simon is a sinner and we also know that Jesus must know this.
Hmmm. And yet, Jesus approached Simon, offers him the wealth of an incredible yield of fish as if to reward him for his sinfulness. Is that it? Not quite. I think Jesus/God bestows great bounty on every single one of us. After all, aren't we all sinners of one sort or another? And yet, we are loved and blessed. God does not limit his love because, honestly I don't think he can. Would you limit the love to your own children?
Some might argue yes, but to what degree of a sinner are you and would God bestow such graces if you were truly a sinner. I mean, a big time sinner? An adulterer? A thief? A non-Christian? A Jew? A gay man? A single porn star? A tax cheat? How does God decide whom to bestow his love and races on? In some way I guess I am asking what graces are we speaking of? If wealth is being graced shouldn't all rich people be models of humanity? We know that is not so. Wouldn't all poor people be the biggest sinners then too? Of course that is looking at life through a capitalistic lens that I don't think God has much use for.
The bottom line to me is twofold. One, we need to look beyond the materiality of this world to see what graces we are bestowed with. The other day I told a coworker how happy I was that she was a part of my life and she broke down and cried. I was telling her how graced I feel to have see her and have her as a part of my daily life and she knew it. It had nothing to do with money or the material. Can we be that present to the people and things around us? Secondly, I believe we are all raced, saints and sinners because God loves us that much. So even if you judge someone to be a sinner (which you really should NOT be doing), but if you do, realize that God loves that at least as much as God loves you.
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
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