“Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10b, ESV).

Jesus calls all His people, His whole church, to “catch people alive” using the net of the Gospel. He does not rely on so-called experts or “successful” preachers. He actually utilizes sinners—all of us—to bring others into the boat of His church.

In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus got into a fishing boat in order to teach God’s Word to a crowd eager to hear Him. When He had finished teaching, Jesus instructed Simon Peter to “put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4, ESV). Professional fisherman Peter objected at first, but then did the Lord’s bidding. “And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking” (Luke 5:6, ESV).

This miracle confronted Peter with an absolute truth: he was not worthy! He was a sinner. So, he fell to his knees and confessed: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8b, ESV). Then Jesus absolved Peter and gave him a new vocation: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10b, ESV).

Just as Peter had the word from Jesus to let down his net, we also have God’s word and command to work in our callings and bear witness to Jesus in those various callings. When we fall short—in trusting Jesus or in bearing witness to Him—we also rely on His word of forgiveness in the Absolution. As Jesus called, forgave, and commissioned Peter, He also calls, forgives, and commissions us to “catch people alive” by bringing them into the boat of His church.

Jesus uses both pastors and lay people. Dr. Gene Edward Veith wrote that “pastors, whose calling is specifically to preach the Gospel, to feed Christ’s sheep and to study and teach God’s Word, will be particularly blessed when they realize that in their ministry Christ is ministering through them” (God at Work, 127). Regarding lay people, Veith wrote: “Lay people are especially positioned to reach people outside the church, by virtue of their secular vocations, which put them in contact with people who would never darken the door of a church” (God at Work, 127).

Prayer:
“How clear is our vocation, Lord,
When once we heed Your call:
To live according to Your Word
And daily learn, refreshed, restored,
That You are Lord of all
And will not let us fall. 

“In what You give us, Lord, to do,
Together or alone,
In old routines or ventures new,
May we not cease to look to You,
The cross You hung upon—
All You endeavored done.” (LSB 853:1, 4)

In Christ’s service,

Rev. Randy K. Asburry
Second Vice President
Missouri District