“What’s In Your Net?” – Luke 5:1-11 – February 4, 2007

There are some ads on television by Capital One, a credit card company. They have some rather bazaar commercials that are designed to convince you that you need one of their credit cards. The commercials always end with the words, “What’s in your wallet?”

Whenever I venture out; traveling, running errands, shopping or going out to dinner, I always make sure I have the right credit cards in my wallet. I don’t want to be in a situation where I have no way to make a purchase. My credit cards give me the assurance that I will always have financial protection. Low on cash? Forget the checkbook? No problem, I have several credit cards that give me security.

In Jesus’ day there were no such things as credit cards. The fishermen in our story were hard working, ordinary folks, like us, who also needed security. Their livelihood depended on their catch for the day. On this particular day they weren’t very successful. Jesus could plainly see that they had nothing in their nets. “What’s in your nets?” he most likely asked. “Nothing,” they would have responded. Their nets were empty. No fish, no security, the day was a bust.

Traditionally this story has been understood as a story about church growth. Historically the church has considered being “fishers of men” as a metaphor for spreading the gospel, attracting new members or converting souls to the faith. I believe it could be about how insecure we are and how we cam become secure.

What’s in your net? What would give you the security you need to live your life, be free of burdens, find happiness or feel really good about life in general? According to the story it wasn’t about fish since the fishermen’s nets were overflowing. So what would give them security?

The first thing Jesus did was to challenge them to go back and fish some more. “Go out in the deep water and cast your nets,” he said. Now they had just worked all day. Their boats and fishing gear were cleaned up and they were ready to go home. Jesus tells them to work after hours. He wasn’t asking them to work overtime, he was asking them to break away from their normal routine and try something different. Their normal routine wasn’t producing results. They needed to go in deeper waters and try again.

There is a story called, “Once is Enough” that was written by Karri J. Watson. It appeared in Chicken Soup for the Fisherman’s Soul. “The first time my father and I ever went fishing became a family legend. We spent hours waiting for a nibble. The sun was blistering, and this was back in the days before sunscreen. We were hot, sticky and mad that the fish refused to suck up our night crawlers. Being only seven years old, I observed that perhaps the worms were the problem. Maybe the night crawlers only wriggled at night, and now they were just lying there limp on the hook. Dad ignored my assessment of the situation.

We began to pack up to leave. As we headed back to our truck, we heard tires spinning in the distance. Getting into our truck was a grim affair. Having sat in the boiling sun for six hours, the seats were really hot. Naturally, I was wearing shorts. I shifted from side to side in the seat so as not to cook my backside. While driving out we saw a truck with a boat trailer and boat that was stuck in the mud. That explained the sound of spinning tires we’d heard.

Being a nice guy, my dad helped pull the man from the mud. In return, this fellow gave Dad some fish for being a Good Samaritan. As Dad climbed back into our truck with a brown bag full of fish, we waved good-bye to our new found friend. On the way home, we agreed to take in the fish as if we had caught them. We were sure there was no way for Mom to know the difference. It was just a little white lie.

We arrived home hot, sweaty and smelly and went to clean up while Mom prepared the fish. We made a big deal out of the fact that we had already cleaned them and put them in the bag so as not to make a mess. After showering, Dad and I met in the hall and exchanged conspiratorial grins. Sitting down to freshly fried catfish, hush puppies and coleslaw, we dug in heartily. In the spirit of embellishment, we both went on about how good something tasted that we had actually caught ourselves. Mother looked suitably impressed.

As we got up to do the dishes, Mom cleared her throat. ‘I just have one question of you two great fishermen,’ she said. We looked at her expectantly, thinking we had another opportunity to regale her with our great fishing ability. With a tiny smile, Mom asked, ‘How was it again that you two managed to not only clean your fish, but also freeze them before you got home?’”

Karri and her father had gone fishing but came up empty. When their purpose changed from catching fish to helping out a person in trouble, everything changed. Ironically they were rewarded with a catch of fish, but the fish they received came from the person they helped. They also learned that to try and impress Karri’ mom with another fish story, was futile. Telling the truth can be just as liberating as focusing on the needs of others.

When we are able to change our routine and focus our energy on people in need, our lives become fulfilled. Jesus proclaimed to his disciples that by going deeper, fishing in waters where they have never fished before, they would find fish in abundance. For the first time in their lives they realized that helping others, or “catching men,” was much more important. The phrase, “catching men,” by the way means “restore to life.” In other words, the fishermen learned from Jesus that it wasn’t about catching more fish, it was about restoring others to new life.

The scripture reads, that the disciples “left everything and followed Jesus.” What they left was living in an old way. Life is more than just surviving, making ends meet. Life is about being other focused instead of self-focused. I believe Jesus called the fisherman away from their workaholic lifestyle. That enabled them to experience life in a new way, focusing on others and living in faith.

I don’t believe that Jesus meant for the disciples to leave their families, homes or even their vocation of fishing. I believe he wanted them to see that our lives become fulfilled when we are able to break away from business as usual and reach out to people around us. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus said. The disciples would be just as secure when they cared for others instead of only caring for themselves. He reassured them that they could go deeper but they didn’t have to leave the familiar lake where they fished.

The story gives us the image of Jesus, teaching from the boat. The boat became his pulpit. The same can be true for you. You can be about restoring the lives of others where you are; in your workplace, in your families, or in your community.

Peter was embarrassed that so many fish were caught. He had just witnessed the healing of his mother-in-law the day before. Now, Jesus has produced another miracle but he still had doubts. His confession is the result of a revelation. He realized it was about the restoration of lives, not his personal survival. Karri and her father tried to cover up their catch of fish but wisdom prevailed.

Real security comes as a result of extending our love to others. What makes us secure is our willingness to forgive others for their sins, liberating people from their burdens, meeting their needs or giving people the reassurance that God is with them. It is also about being truthful and sincere.

What follows the fish story are more stories about people who are helped; a man cured of leprosy, another man healed from his paralysis and a tax collector who regained his self worth. We have been conditioned to put our security in making a living. Jesus, however has shown us a different way. True security comes from helping others to have a good life, all the while living in faith.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul's UCC, Sidney, Ohio