Luke 5:8-11

Posted by DJL on Jan 26, 2013 in Daily Bread | 1 comment

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.

I want to linger a moment on Simon Peter’s reaction to the stunning catch of fish.

As I mentioned, it’s clear that he realizes he didn’t really know Jesus. Something is disclosed in that moment as Peter witnesses the dramatic reversal of his experience of fishing all night with nothing to show for it. Jesus, it becomes immediately clear, is the one who can create abundance from scarcity. The one who can turn failure into success. The one who can, ultimately, create something out of nothing.

Jesus, in other words, is the One. And Peter recognizes that in a flash of insight.

And that recognition makes Peter…what, exactly? Aware of his shortcomings, of his inadequacies, of his failure? In some measure, perhaps. But I think it’s even more that Peter realizes he is the presence of the holy and eternal and he, Peter, knows just how far he is from that. “Sinner,” in this sense, doesn’t simply designate Peter as a moral failure; rather, it signifies a qualitative difference between a mortal who is not yet what God created him to be and the One who is precisely and fully what God created him to be.

At heart, the word “sin” means “missing the mark,” not necessarily a moral wretch and certainly not one despised of God or all of the other things we sometimes think “sin” designates. So I think that what Peter is most keenly aware of in this moment is that he has missed the mark. His life is not what it could be, not what it should be, not what God hopes and intends it to be.

Framing “sin” in this way is valuable because it helps us to imagine God as more than a cosmic judge and eternal rule-enforcer. Rather, God is the one who loves God’s creation and people, even when we miss the mark. God wants the best for us. God wants us to know that we are loved, that we enjoy God’s favor, and God wants us to live into that identity and future.

That’s why, I think, after Peter’s exclamation Jesus doesn’t respond by saying “Your sins are forgiven.” Make no mistake. Forgiveness is a powerful and important theme in the gospel, and Jesus will say that elsewhere. But at this moment Jesus responds to Peter’s confession not with forgiveness but with comfort and with purpose. “Do not be afraid.” This isn’t judgment, it’s mercy. And, “From now on you will be catching people.” Jesus doesn’t deny what Peter is – a fisherman – he enlarges it, meeting Peter where he is at and, rather than condemning him, expanding his vision, drawing him into God’s kingdom vision of who and what Peter might be.

And guess what? Jesus is doing the same with us. Wherever you are right now, at this moment, you also have missed the mark. But rather than hear that as a word of condemnation, hear it instead as a word of love and invitation: Do not be afraid. From now on you will be drawn into a mission and purpose larger than you can imagine.

Prayer: Dear God, remind us always of your profound love for us and all people, and create for us a vision of our lives and the world that invites us to give and use all that we are, because you want nothing less from us or for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.