Some relationships happen within a contextual environment. For example, how often have you met someone and during your conversation with them - they knew a person that you knew – or they used to live near to where you used to live – or they worked in a related business – or they have similar interests or hobbies.
Over the years when I’ve met former members of the RCMP. Very often we both used to know the same RCMP member from years ago.
An example that is a little closer to home. - Rhona and I were married in a Presbyterian church in Langley. The Pastor who conducted the wedding ceremony was Pastor Ted. He and his wife lived in the same building as Rhona and I. He was not the Pastor at that church – he was a Professor at the School of Theology out at UBC. And a friend to all of us here - Pastor Harold knows Pastor Ted and he also knows Pastor Steve who was the Pastor at the church where we were married. And most of us have experienced those kind of relationships.
The meeting between Jesus and Peter in our gospel reading this morning was not a ‘one of’ unplanned event. (Nothing Jesus does is unplanned.) There are previous relationships and experiences that happen in Peter’s life before Jesus says to Peter “Follow Me”. And I’m going to go through them here. It is also - very helpful to read all four gospel accounts to have a clear picture of the events that led to the Call.
In Luke if we go back a few verses into chapter 4 we read how Jesus has been driving out evil spirits and the how people were amazed. Luke says;
“All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.” (Luke 4: 36-37)
In Marks gospel when he tells of the same incident, he identifies the geographic area as Galilee. Mark says;
“News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.” (Mark 1: 20b)
Now if you look at the geography of Galilee you will notice that it is a very small area. The towns and villages were close – within an easy walking distance. (Which Jesus and the disciples did a lot of.) So the news of miraculous events would quickly travel from one town to the next by word of mouth. Such miraculous news would spread like wild fire.
After Luke tells us that the news of Jesus; “…spread throughout the surrounding area.” He then tells us that Jesus went to the home of Simon. That is; Simon Peter - where Jesus heals Simone’s sick mother-in-law.
Luke says;
“Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’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)
Unlike other healing miracles by Jesus – there is no mention of an evil spirit as the cause of her illness. Not every illness or hurt is because of an evil or demonic spirit. We are a frail lot – ever since that fateful day when Adam and Eve decided to disobey God - we get sick and hurt all on our own.
So what are Peter’s thoughts about who and what Jesus is? He heard how Jesus drives out evil spirits and he sees Jesus heal his ill mother-in-law.
In reading this account in the gospel of John there is another layer in the building relationship between Jesus and Peter.
In John’s gospel it starts with John the Baptist. The day after John baptized Jesus – John see’s Jesus walking by and says; “…Look, the Lamb of God!” (John 1: 36) Two of John’s disciple hear this and they go and follow Jesus. One of the two is Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
After spending some time with Jesus – Andrew tells his brother Simon Peter that they have found the Messiah. This is what we read in Chapter one verses 38-42 in the gospel of John;
“So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.”
Then we have today’s gospel in Luke where Jesus is speaking and the people are: “…listening to the word of God.” (Luke 5: 1b) Jesus gets into Peter’s boat so that he won’t be crowded and can speak more easily to the people.
After he finishes teaching -Jesus tells Peter to take the boat out to deeper water to catch fish. At first Peter’s response is probably the same response we would give in similar circumstances. Peter says; “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.”
There are a lot of times when I have been fishing and not caught anything. It is very disappointing and I’m sure Peter and the other fisherman felt the same. Their disappointment would be worse because fishing is their livelihood not a recreational past time.
But then it seems like Peter rethinks his response to Jesus and says; “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5: 5)
Peter has heard how Jesus was driving evil spirits out of people – how he has healed his mother-in-law – his brother Andrew tells him that Jesus is the Messiah and he has just listened as Jesus spoke the Word’s of God.
So, he does as Jesus says and Luke tells us what happened;
“When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.” (Luke 5: 6-7)
A huge haul of fish – Peter and the others know it is a miracle. With everything Peter has heard and seen – now this. You can imagine the excitement and the hoopla of those fisherman. All of them must have been awe struck – as any of us would be as well.
By this point - Peter must have sensed that he was in the presence of God. And he - like each of us knows that he is a sinner. How can a sinner stand in the presence of a Holy God. Well - we can’t of course without Jesus.
I can imagine the jumble of emotions going on inside of Peter. He calls Jesus LORD. He knows that as a sinner he is not worthy to be in the presence of God. Then - In an act of submission and worship Peter falls on his knees and says to Jesus; “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5: 8)
Peter’s plea sounds like the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Luke tells this parable in chapter 18;
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” (Luke 18: 10-13)
We are all sinners and might say the same thing as Peter and the Tax Collector. We to - might want Jesus to get away from us and we too could not lift our eyes toward heaven. Then we hear Jesus say what he says to all of us to calm our fears and comfort our hearts; “Don’t be afraid.” And these are the words we need to hear every day of our lives. And then Jesus follows these comforting words with a command; “…from now on you will fish for people.”
Even though Luke’s account focuses on Peter – others are drawn to Jesus as well. Andrew – Peter’s brother. But now James and John drop everything and follow as well. Luke says; “For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. And; “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5: 10-11)
They dropped everything. Left behind family – friends – livelihood - to follow Jesus. What is in store for these followers?
“He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8: 31-38)
What did Peter – James - John and all the other apostles think they we going to do as they walked those roads with Jesus that led to the cross on calvary? Was he going to be the King of the free nation of Israel? Yes at first – probably - but eventually that dream was replaced by a greater dream when they saw him as the Messiah.
What does it mean to follow Jesus today?
First we should realize what it does not mean. It doesn’t mean that you have to live like a \Middle Ages monk sequestered in a remote monastery. It doesn’t mean you have to live a life of poverty. It doesn’t mean you have to endure physical hardship or a physically demanding existence. It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a married life or enjoy comfort and health in your life. We can all agree to what it doesn’t mean.
Today – to follow Jesus or to carry one’s cross doesn’t have the same death implications that it had during the time of the Roman Empire or during the times of the Inquisition. That cross on the wall or the one on the chain around your neck represents love – grace – forgiveness and life.
The cross should remind us – who we belong to – who purchased our life with his broken body and his shed blood. We belong to Jesus Christ. God gave us to him. That is what Jesus says in John’s gospel; “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6: 37) And since we belong to Jesus we are blessed to be live with him forever.
Because we belong to Jeus and while we are here on this side of paradise, we surrender our lives to him. And we know that - that is not always easy for us to do.
We may not be called upon to perform some great evangelical task or embark on a missionary journey. But we must work to support and encourage the whole body of Christ’s church.
Taking up our cross and denying ourselves might mean giving up some personal interests or activity or a point of view. And whatever you give up isn’t suppose to be temporary like some people do during lent and it should not be some trivial item – like say chocolate. God gave up his one and only Son we should be willing to give up something significant as well.
What kind of mindset should followers of Jesus have. This should be an obvious answer - to love God and to love our neighbours. This commandment is found in Matthew – Mark and Luke. Mark tells us what Jesus said:
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12: 29-3)
And Paul Helps to clarify what personal characteristics that commandment should look like in our live with the Fruits of the Spirit. In his letter to the Galatians Paul lists these;
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5: 22-26)
Why follow Jesus?
Because -- if he calls you (and you answer that call when you know it in mind and feel it in your heart) – you go. He is the boss – he is the General – he is the King.
Even though most of the world thinks otherwise – Jesus is the only way to the Father in heaven. All others are deceived.
Let’s always bless the name of Jesus because he blesses us.
Amen
Copyright © 2025 St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Kamloops
Featured below is a Previous Service. Check out our YouTube channel for Livestreams and more.
We are a family of followers of Christ, who learn and share the Good News of Salvation, making disciples of Jesus Christ.
We hold weekly Sunday morning services at 10:30 am. Please join us.
Our music team plays from a repertoire of many hundreds of Christian songs and Hymns, occasionally with new arrangements of traditional and contemporary selections.