1. The calling of Peter

Today’s lecturing portion is Luke 5, the passage in which Jesus gives the twelves the call to be his disciples. Among parallel records, Mark’s might be the best known one. He wrote ; - As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.(Mark 1:16-18)

However, it might not be convincing that those two fishermen accepted a proposal of an unknown man immediately. And Luke tried to add some extended description to present their taking decision more naturally by taking different source from Mark’s.
Now let us read the introduction of lecturing part ; - One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. (Luke 5:1-3)

According to Luke, Peter previously knew Jesus who healed Peter’s mother-in-law ; - ¡ÄSimon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.(Luke 4:38-39)

So Jesus asked easily Peter to put out the boat from shore. With other poeple, Peter had listened to Jesus’ teaching told from the boat. But I think that he was not concentrated totally on Jesus’ teaching because he should be concerned about the result of fishing over the night. Without fish, he could not have daily bread. Therefore ; - When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."(Luke 5:4)

Fishing was Peter’s job. He should know very well that the best time of fishing is during the night, not under sunlights. Nevertheless he answered, “I will let down the nets.” Because he heard Jesus’ powerful teaching in the Synagogue and witnessed the healing act. So he followed Jesus’ advice. Then a incredible thing happened ; - When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.(Luke 5:6)

Peter took the result as a miracle. So much so ; - He fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"(Luke 5:8)

The fact that Peter addressed there Jesus ‘Lord, ‘ instead of ‘ teacher’ is meaningful. Jesus appreciated Peter’s reaction. In other words Peter recognized Jesus’ real identity, the Savior. And Luke concluded the passage this way ; - Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.(Luke5:10-11)

2. To catch men

Fishing throughout the night cannot promise any result. The fact seems symbolizing harsh reality of life. Those who were dismissed and remain jobless might be easily depressed. Those who are taking care of old parents for long years would be exhausted. Widows who have littles children might be extremely anxious about the future.

We feel sometimes surrounded by walls which we cannot go beyond with human efforts. Nonetheless Jesus encourages us with those words, ‘Tray again,’ which Peter heard after fishing all night long for nothing. And Peter reacted positively to that encouragement by saying, ‘ Though it might be resultless I will try again, because you say so.’ At that very moment he really recognized that apparently useless efforts turns into fruitful ones. We must do likewise. Luke described the moment this way ; - When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.(Luke 5:6)

When we witness such a supreme divine power we kneed before God as Peter did. Therefore Peter addressed Jesus, ‘ Lord.’ The faith is given through such a vivid experience, witnessing God’s power which goes beyond human understanding. Only by encountering and fearing living God we will given the faith. Faith based on only intellectual understanding cannot be sustainable. Belief is a response and emotional reaction to what happened personally to us.

To those who confess sins and repent receive God’s blessings, which is emancipation from earthy fear. As long as we live in faith we won’t be afraid of anything because we trust all entity to God, as Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” (Luke 5:10)

The word, ‘ catch ‘ is ‘¦Æ¦Ø¦Ã¦Ñέ¦Ø {dzogue-reh’-o}’ in Greek text, which means more exactly ‘ to take alive, ‘ or ‘ catch and make alive.’ Jesus intended to say that Peter will catch men in order to give them a new life free form fear.

Very often, our faith is focused on our own salvation at first. But when we begin to spread it to others our belief will have real power.

Dr. Hidehito Yoshioka is a Japanese medical doctor and the founder of ‘ Japan Heart. *’ Japan Heart is a international medical NGO which develops activities by basing at Myanmar. He said that he decided to become a doctor when he received a teaching of a Chinese monk. The monk told him about a young novice who was struggling to have spiritual enlightenment. The teacher said the disciple ;

- ‘ It should be better for you to go down and try to help people in the town below. Because as long you stayed in Monastery on mountain you cannot know people’s suffering, due to sickness or food shortage, for example. You must understand that your concern about spiritual enlightenment is meaningless for those people. When you make efforts to help them you arrive at the goal.’ -

The story gave Mr Yoshioka the aim of life. Thus he decided to become a doctor in order to help the sick. Till that moment he could not find clear direction of life and neglected studies of university. But the encounter with the monk lead him to make efforts passionately. And he obtained successfully the degree of medical doctor. Then, after having worked in a hospital for emergency, pediatric and gynecology departments he went to Myanmar. He was 32 years old. He began there voluntarily activities and now, 15 years later, many doctors and nurses for the organization.

When our vision is limited inside our personal life we cannot make the first step towards the surrounding world. In that state, our personal efforts remain sterile, as Peter had nothing after long night fishing. The self-centered lifestyle put us to the risk of exhaustion because we cannot see real significance of life.

Today’s Japanese society is filled with despaired people. Every year about 30,000 Japanese kill themselves and almost the same number of attempted suicide cases are reported. Such a society must not to be normal. I think that they lost the ultimate aim of living given by God. They are blinded because they are focusing too much on themselves.

I quote again Dr. Yoshioka’s words ;
– It is said that in Tokyo 10 % of new nurses resign from the post in one year. They quit the profession itself though I think they could have feel joy of being helpful and useful to others. They should find exclusive happiness of taking medical care of the sick in their working field . –

The high percentage of resignation above must be due to severe working conditions. Perhaps they cannot feel spiritually reward. But humans find happiness when they find those who need them. We must be happy by being useful for some others. Peter and other disciples were invited to attend to God’s work. Thus they are called to catch men in order to lead them into the path to the real happiness.

3. Life responding to the calling

Like Peter, we are compelled to follow God’s works by giving up former ego-centrical faith. If we decline to God’s calling nothing cannot happen. In contrast, once we obey God’s voice by saying, ” Because you say so, I will,” a new horizon of new world opens before us. Abram, our father in Faith, did that.

Today’s invocation verse is Genesis 12:1 ; - The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

Abram, renamed Abraham afterward by God (see Genesis 17:4), was a nomade who had lived in Mesopotamia. Nomads live by travelling from place to place to find fresh pasture for their livestock. So their living ground is determined by supply of the grass, herbage and water.

Abram set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan with his father Terah. When they came to Haran, they settled. Terah died there.(see Genesis 11:28-32)

Ur was a city located at the crossing point of the Euphrates and Tigris River. The place is considered to be the cradle of the Mesopotamian civilization. Citizens there worshiped Nanna, the Summerian moon good. Such a king of civilization was based on a belief which took creatures, like Sun or Moon for example, as goods. It means that God’s creation works were ignored by those humans. Therefore God sent Terah and Abram there in order that they recall the fact that God made the world.Their mission was to establish newly authentic faith in God.

Terah followed God’s instruction and went up to northward till Haran along the Euphrates riverside. Then God ordered Tarah’s son Abram to set off from Haran and go to the place chosen by God. He and his father had travelled 1000 of km From Ur till Haran, a very long distance. However the route passed by the Euphrates River, where they could find water and herbage. Necessities for their livestock had been supplied throughout the journey. But this time God instructed Abram to leave the Euphrates River and cross the desert to arrive at the land of Canaan. The new itinerary goes through the space which was not familiar to Mesopotamian nomads. They did not know whether they can find sufficient water and herbage for the livestock. Besides they should be menaced by robbers and predatory animals.

But, despite all, he respected God’s words, “Leave your country and go to the land I will show you.” Because God promised him to take care of his life. And he took the first step by trusting in the promise. He was 75 years old at that time. However there might be no need to accept recorded ages in the Bible literally. Because it had been written in so ancient era. We can interpret it only as a rather advanced stage of the life, perhaps equivalent of 50 years old for us. At least, he had no more possibility of having a child because his wife was sterile. (see Genesis 11:30) In short, he received the call when he could have no more constructive vision for the future.

Nonetheless set off to Canaan to obey God’s will, without any complaints. And that very first step of Abram changed the History of the world. God changed his name to Abraham and he became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, who were the founders of the Twelve tribes of Israel. For that reason Jewish persons consider Abraham to be the father of all the people. Christians also call him the father in faith. (see Romans 4:9-12)

In parallel, Abraham had had a son with Hagar, one of his wife’s a maidservants. He was called Ishmael and became the founder of the Arab. It means that Muslims and Christians and the Jewish, or believers of the three largest religions of the world have a common root, Abraham. Abraham’s first step from Haran gave the birth to all of the three.

We too are now compelled to take the first step for the faith. Mr. Yoshioka also said;
–Humans would not obtain more return that than what we payed in risk or time. Besides we know very well that there are more valuable things than money for life. Nonetheless we seek to get more money or earthy success. I think that such egoistic ambitions block very often our way to future. Therefore it should be better to look for an idealistic living way which will allow us to use more efficiently our gift given by God, to work in accordance with a vocation, for example. And to find it, we must deny earthy desires then concentrate on our given profession. (” Front Runner” Asahi Shinbun* the 16th May 2009)

I think that today’s young Japanese are desperate because they cannot find any worthy aim of life. Or they don’t understand meaning of their failure. But The Bible would give them hope. Jesus says, ” Try again” to those who are enclosed by boundaries of earthy life. And, by following Jesus’ words, when we try again we might be able to go beyond those difficulties. Because God’s power helps us to get rid of human limit. After experiencing or witnessing it we are then called to begin a new life, in accordance with God’s will. You are now receiving the call.
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* Japan Heart ( in Japanese ) http://www.japanheart.org/
* Asahi Shinbun http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asahi_Shinbun