Homilies
Fishers of People
Sermon on Luke 5:1-11
"Called to Catch People"
Holy Spirit take my words and speak to each of us according to our needs.
Last time I preached here, we looked at how our MA reflected the body of Christ as one body with many members. Today, I’d like to focus on how the life of one man – Simon Peter, was changed forever. The Gospel passage today is rich with meaning, not just for the apostles, but for us today as followers of Christ, who are called to share in the work of His kingdom.
The scene is simple yet profound. Simon Peter and his fellow fishermen have spent the night in toil, casting their nets, yet catching nothing. Then Jesus tells them to go out again and let down their nets. Against all logic and experience, (for experienced fishermen know that fish hide during the day) Simon obeys—and what happens next is a miracle. Their nets are filled to breaking point. On seeing this miracle, Simon Peter falls to his knees before Jesus and cries out, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
What do these words mean for us? And what does it mean when Jesus responds, “From now on, you will be catching people”?
Simon Peter’s reaction is one of overwhelming awe and unworthiness. He recognises, in a sudden moment of clarity, that he is standing before the divine. He is not merely in the presence of a great teacher or prophet, but of someone whose authority reaches beyond human understanding. The miraculous catch of fish is not just about abundance—it is a revelation of Christ’s divine power.
Throughout Scripture, when people encounter the divine, they often react with fear and a sense of unworthiness. Examples would be Moses before the burning bush, or Isaiah crying out, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). This phenomenon is what theologians call holy dread—the soul’s natural reaction when it suddenly realises it is in the presence of pure holiness. Interestingly, it has been argued by some theologians that when considering the original language and context of the phrase ‘Do not be afraid’ when used by the angels, it is likely to be more accurately translated as ‘please stop screaming, it is all fine!’– anyway, I digress.
Simon, like all of us, knows his own faults. He is an ordinary man, a fisherman with no great learning. Perhaps, like many of us, he struggled with doubts, with impatience, with lack of faith at times. And yet, Jesus does not reject him. Instead, He calls him…..The lesson here is powerful: Christ does not call us because we are perfect, but because He can make us new. Simon’s confession is not met with condemnation, but with an invitation.
When we come before God in the Eucharist, do we not also say, “Lord, I am not worthy”? And yet, in His mercy, He invites us forward. When we reflect upon our own lives, perhaps sometimes we feel too small, too unworthy to be of use to God. And yet, He calls us still.
Jesus does not simply reassure Simon; He gives him a mission: “From now on, you will be catching people.”
This phrase holds so much significance for the Greek word for “catch” (zōgreō) does not merely mean to capture, but rather ‘to take alive’. Simon’s old work was to catch fish, creatures that would soon perish. His new calling is to bring people into the life of Christ, so that they will not perish and may be saved for eternity.
This call is not just for the apostles—it is for us all. As members of Christ’s body, the Church, we too are called to be fishers of people. But what does this mean and how can we do it?
By Sharing the Faith
We live in a world where many have drifted away from God. Some have never truly encountered Christ; others have fallen away through neglect, doubt, or suffering. We, as His Church, are called to be a witness—to proclaim the faith, to live it out in our daily lives, and to invite others into its beauty. As a diocese, we had training last week from AD Stella where she was telling us that today’s generation are religiously illiterate, they do not have the understanding of bible stories and characters that people even two generations ago grew up with. Today the default is to opt into religion, rather than opt of it. So we have to be bold in sharing the Good News.
By Evangelising Through Love and Example
Evangelism is not simply about words. It is about the way we live. People are drawn to Christ when they see His presence in us—through kindness, through patience, through integrity. The greatest tool of evangelism is a life that reflects the Gospel. Again the last two generations to be born operate on a basis of trust. Whereas we might have been brought up to respect our elders and do as we are told without question, younger people want to build a relationship first, to build and gain trust before joining or following something.
By Taking Responsibility for the Church’s Growth
In our high church tradition here, we can cherish the richness of our worship—the beauty of the liturgy, the power of the sacraments. But tradition is not meant to be preserved like a museum exhibit; it must be a living faith, passed on and shared. We have a duty to invite others into this sacred inheritance, to ensure that our churches are not empty, but filled with those who seek Christ. So maybe our evangelism question should be – Who could I invite?
Simon Peter, James, and John respond in the most radical way possible: “They left everything and followed Him.” Now, for most of us, the call to discipleship does not mean abandoning our homes and livelihoods. (Although, I will point out that this time last year I was not expecting to living 163 miles and a ferry away from my children and parents so that I could pursue my calling to ordained ministry) But it does mean placing Christ at the centre of our lives. It means being willing to step out in faith, even when it seems illogical or difficult.
We may feel unqualified, just as Simon did. We may feel that we do not have the right words, or that our faith is not strong enough. But Jesus does not call the qualified—He gets that we can’t do it on our own and therefore He qualifies the called. If He can take a humble fisherman and make him the foundation of His Church, what can He not do with us if we let him?
Let us listen and heed the call. Let us set aside fear and step out in faith. Let us share the Gospel, not only in word, but in deed. Let us pray for those who do not yet know Christ, and let us welcome them when they come – really welcome them. A radical welcome to include them as they are, to make space for them to belong and believe and become, not to try and mould them into our own expectations of what God wants us to be. And above all, let us trust that the One who called Simon Peter is calling us still, to cast our nets and bring others into His kingdom.
Amen.