God's Last Words

“Awesome Confidence”

Luke 5: 1-11  (NRSV)

Today’s scripture has “fishing” and “boats” in it. Since I am a big fan of “Swamp People” I couldn’t resist starting out with a joke that combines both of these things.

A Cajun was stopped by a game warden in South Louisiana recently with two ice chests of fish. He was leaving a bayou well known for its fishing. The game warden asked the man, "Do you have a license to catch those fish?"  "Naw, ma fren, I ain't got none of dem, no. Deez here are my pet fish."

"Pet fish?" “Ya. Avery night I take deez here fish down to de bayou and let dem swim 'round for a while. Den I whistle and dey jump rat back inta dis here ice chest and I take dem home." "That's a bunch of hooey! Fish can't do that!"

The Cajun looked at the game warden for a moment and then said, “It's de truth ma' fren. I'll show you. It really works." "Okay, I've GOT to see this!"

The Cajun poured the fish into the bayou and stood and waited. After several minutes, the game warden turned to him and said, "Well?" "Well, what?" said the Cajun " When are you going to call them back?" "Call who back?" "The FISH!"

"What fish?"

Folks in Louisiana may not be as smart as some, but they aren't as dumb as most and the thing I admire most about the guys (and girls) on the show is their confidence in going out and catching 1000 pound alligators. I don’t have that kind of confidence.

When I was in the Navy I remember the first time I was at the Helm of the ship when we went alongside an aircraft carrier. We were racing along at about 20 miles an hour about 80 feet apart. It meant that if I made a mistake I had about 2 seconds to correct and prevent two huge ships colliding and causing who knows how much damage and loss of life. I was extremely nervous, yet if I couldn’t do this I would never be promoted or respected.

The XO (executive officer) sensed my nervousness. He was a helicopter pilot who had served 3 tours of duty in Viet Nam as a medivac rescue pilot. He came over, smiled at me and said, “If it’ll make you feel better I could start shooting at you like they did when I learned to fly combat rescues?”

“Course,” he said as he went back out of the bridge, “Never did get the stains out but I found out they were using blanks when I landed!”

Having such steady leadership so close by settled me down and assured me things would work out. I became the most dependable “underway replenishment helmsman” around. It gave me confidence I never forgot or lost.

If you don’t have a clear vision, a clear mission, or lack of commitment it’s hard to have confidence and you get haphazard results. Let’s read about Jesus and His disciples one day when they were on the shores of Galilee (Luke 5: 1-11):

Once when 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 fisherman 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 signaled 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 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.

This scripture would probably have a different outcome if the would-be disciples had been successful in their fishing efforts on their own. They would have been content, and not needing Jesus, refused His instructions and ordered Him out of the boat.

Think about it for a minute: If we’re comfortable and safe why should we go out on a limb to try something different and risk failure?

Jesus gives the fishermen confidence in His leadership and vision that they discover they can do anything. Simon Peter is so moved he confesses his weakness and undeserving nature to Jesus.

Notice that these fishermen now had boats full of fish which meant a lot of money but the fishermen still left everything to follow Jesus.

What kind of success/blessing must Jesus give you to have it change your life?

For the disciples it was fish. For us it may vary: Notice how Jesus gives great success to the disciples in what they do well, only to tell them to take those skills and apply them to another endeavor. Confidence in Jesus becomes trust in Jesus. We know that as Christians we can do anything with the help of God.

It’s as if we go to a restaurant, have a wonderful meal, and then have the waitress give us a bill that has “paid in full” on it. We have the choice to disagree, and repay the bill on our own, or to accept the grace that has been given to us.

In order to accept the grace of having an already paid bill means trusting that there is someone who had the means to pay, the desire to pay, and the opportunity to pay.

To accept the grace means allowing that payer to take responsibility for your meal.

Likewise this analogy applies to our lives and our Creator. Not only has he allowed us the freedom to choose, He is willing to reconcile the difference between the meal He wanted for us and the one we choose for ourselves.

Now that’s pretty awesome if you ask me! Amen.