Epiphany 5
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook, SERIES II
for use with Common, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
Comments on the Lessons
There is virtual consensus on the Isaiah reading, with verses 9-13 kept as an option by (C) (L). The first verses are an account of Isaiah's call to be a prophet, which he heard in the temple. The 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 passage deals with speaking in tongues, one of the manifestations of the Spirit, which needed to be interpreted and used for building up the church. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, sets forth his Gospel to refute those who denied the resurrection. He includes his own encounter with the Risen Christ, and gives all glory for his ministry to the grace of God. Luke gives an account of the unexpected catch of fish from Lake Gennesaret, which is viewed by Peter as a result of Jesus' guidance, using more than human power. Peter responds by personal self-judgment.
Commentary
Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13) (C) (L)
Isaiah 6:1-8 (RC)
We know little about Isaiah the prophet. Chapters 1-39 tell us most of what we know of his life. We know that he was called to his prophetic role in the year of Uzziah's death (c. 742 B.C.), and was probably born two decades earlier. His boyhood coincided with the ministry of Amos. He was married and had at least two sons. He had easy access to the king, and appears to have been from a good family, if not a member of the court itself. His career extended over half a century. The passage for today is the account of his call, and is one of the best-known passages in all of the hook of Isaiah.
Isaiah 6 is the beginning of what is called the testimony of Isaiah, which continues as far as Chapter 9:7. The prophet gives an account of his activity in the period of the war with Syria and Ephraim. Isaiah 6:1-8 may be outlined as follows: (1) verses 1-4, the vision of Isaiah; (2) verses 5-7, the preparation for service, and (3) verse 8, calling and sending.
While other prophets such as Jeremiah have recorded their call to service (Jeremiah 1), none are as dramatic or majestic as the call of Isaiah. The setting is the temple, probably on some special festival occasion when Yahweh's kingship was cultically affirmed. With this his choice of Zion and David were celebrated. Isaiah in the temple heard the massed choirs and, gazing toward the doors to Yahweh's throne, saw a vision of Yahweh the king. The throne was the ark of the covenant. The seraphim were possibly griffin-like creatures, which may be compared with the cherubim, who were also associated with the glory of God. In verse 3 "holy, holy, holy" is used for emphasis. Isaiah was filled with terror at what he saw, for, as a sinful man of a sinful people, he had gazed on God face to face - something no man could do and live. (Exodus 33:20) But he had lived!
In verses 5-7 we have Isaiah's preparation for service. In the darkness he cries out "Woe is me! For I am lost ... for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! " He could not join in the songs of praise. Nor did his people have a right to do so. (The description of God as king came into use as early as the period of the judges, when God was worshiped at Shiloh as enthroned upon the cherubim.)
Then one of the seraphim flies to him, not to kill him, but to purify him with a burning coal taken from the altar. Touching Isaiah's lips with the coal, he symbolically purifies his whole life, purging him of sin. Now he can stand before God without fear. Because the coal comes from the consecrated altar it possesses in itself an atoning and purifying force. The seraphim says, "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven." (v. 7) The Hebrew words for "sin" and for "guilt" are virtually the same in basic meaning: a departure from the expected norm. But Isaiah is now cleansed of sin and guilt, and can hear the voice of God and answer it appropriately. Only when one has recognized his or her sin, and has been set free from it, can that person do the will of God.
Verses 8-11 record the calling and sending of Isaiah on his mission for God. As Isaiah stands on the outskirts of the heavenly company he hears God's voice asking, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Now having been cleansed of his sin Isaiah can answer rightly, "Here am I! Send me." Then God gives him his commission: to speak again and again a word which will be heard but never understood.
The movement of this passage is from vision of God to vision of self to vision of service. This is particularly appropriate for Trinity Sunday, when the thrust of the message should be not merely standing in awe at the mystery of God and the impossibility of understanding the complexity of the trinity as a doctrine, but rather coming to a face-to-face meeting with the living God which results in obedience to his will. Knowledge of God, not about God is the goal.
1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 (L)
In the early church both glossolalia, or speaking in tongues, and prophecy were considered signs of the presence of God's Spirit, and also that God's kingdom had arrived. In 14:1-40 Paul stresses that speaking in tongues is subordinate to prophecy. Paul himself had had ecstatic experiences and enjoyed glossolalia even more than his converts did, but he wanted to limit it in public meetings since he held that prophecy was more important.
In this passage Paul recognizes the fact that the Corinthians are eager for manifestations of the Spirit (v. 12b), but he goes on to urge them to strive to excel in doing those things which unite and build up the community of faith. Therefore, the person who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret also. The implication here is that the speaker would also be the interpreter. Note that verses 13ff do not necessarily mean that the usual content of speaking in tongues was a prayer, although very often it may have included an ejaculation of praise. One of the problems of this passage is determining the relationships of "pray" in verse 14 to "sing" (v. 15), and "bless" (v. 16) to the gift of speaking in tongues. It may well be that Paul in verse 12 is implying that speaking in tongues takes different forms, that there are different kinds of tongues. Paul is here concerned with the worship assembly.
Paul says in verse 14 that if he were to speak in a tongue, no one would profit, since the mind would be unfruitful. And the same argument holds for singing in verse 15.
In verse 16 Paul speaks of blessing with the Spirit. A blessing in the Jewish religion was a prayer with God as its object. The praying person "blesses" God for life, health, family, and other things. The congregation then affirms the prayer by saying "Amen," which means "so be it." There might be "outsiders" in the assembly who were members of the family of believers, but who were not believers themselves. The Greek word for "outsider" means, in this context, the person who lacks experience, in contrast to the professional who is trained. When a person was in ecstasy in the midst of the congregation, then from the congregation's viewpoint, everyone other than the ecstatic person is an outsider. The gift of tongues does not unite the speaker to others in understanding.
Note that in verse 18 Paul echoes the "thanks" of verses 16, 17. There may be a note of irony here as Paul says "I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all." Earlier, in 13:1, Paul had posed the hypothetical possibility of his own speaking in tongues, and here he says that he does.
Instruction of new members, or those seeking to become believers, was probably an integral part of the worship assembly as implied in verse 19. In verse 20 Paul calls the Corinthians to become mature in their thinking and not to be children.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (C) (RC)
The theme of this chapter is the resurrection. Our passage is included in verses 1-15, the first of four major sections of the chapter in which Paul summarizes the tradition he received and passed on regarding the resurrection. Section two consists of verses 12-34; section three includes verses 35-49, and section four, verses 51-58, is a kind of coda putting the resurrection at the last day in highly poetic language. Some think this whole chapter should follow 11:34, since both chapters deal with traditional material.
The first section of verses 1-11 might be called "Paul's Gospel," in which he sets forth the evidence for the resurrection against the background of reports that some at Corinth denied the resurrection. The Scriptures referred to in verse 3 would include Isaiah 53:5-12. Paul says that Christ died for "our sins," in contrast to his usual saying of "for us," so we may assume that he means for us sinners. The experience of the forgiveness of sins was at the heart of the early church's life. Baptism dramatized the forgiveness of sins in a sacrament. Later Paul will use this experience of forgive-ness of sins to bolster his argument regarding the resurrection of the dead.
In verse 4 the Scripture which is referred to is Psalm 16:10: "For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit."
In verse 5 the word "appeared" in Greek is used exclusively in the New Testament for the appearance of objects in heaven, and thus out of sight of human beings. Paul's purpose here is not to prove that the resurrection took place, but to show his faithfulness to the apostolic tradition, and his own apostolic authority. It may be that we have two strands of tradition which have been fused together in the process of transmission, or by Paul himself. The first is the appearances to Peter, the twelve, and the five hundred brethren. The second is the appearance to James and all the apostles.
It is significant that the appearances of the Risen Christ are recalled in the New Testament not simply as accounts that Jesus rose from the dead, but that they also include a word of commission and/or a command from the Risen Christ. In Paul's own case he was convinced that the Risen Christ who met him on the road to Damascus had given him a commission equal to that of the other apostles. While he spoke of himself as one "untimely born," or the least of the apostles, he does not consider himself any less an apostle. It appears that the thrust of what Paul is saying is that there was a separation in time between the appearance of Christ to him and to the others. The Greek word used for "untimely born" means "aborted," and refers to the aborted foetus. Paul is saying that Christ's appearance to him was unexpected and untimely. The radically different thing about Paul's apostleship was in the fact he had actively persecuted the church before Christ encountered him. And he carefully points out to his readers that what he has accomplished in ministry has been more than all of them (v. 10). But he acknowledges that only by the grace of God is he what he is. Paul would have resonated with John Newton's great hymn "Amazing Grace," for his life, like Newton's, was marked by a radical transformation by the grace of God.
In verse 6 Paul mentions "five hundred brethren," the only record we have of such an appearance, although some scholars associate this with the appearance at Pentecost of Acts 2. Paul mentions those who have fallen asleep, another term for death, and reinforces Paul's statement that death is a real event which they cannot avoid even as Jesus could not.
We have in verse 7 the only reference to the appearance to James in the New Testament.
In verse 11 Paul says that whether, then, it was he who preached, or the other apostles, it was the resurrection the Corinthians had believed.
Luke 5:1-11
Our passage is the second part of a larger unit of Luke 4:31--5:11. The first part, 4:31-44 is a parallel of Mark 1:21-38. The second part of 5:1-11 gives us the clue to the overall thrust of the larger unit. Luke places the call or commissioning of the disciples after the series of miracles. This suggests that mighty works can be the basis for discipleship, and, by placing the call of the disciples after the series of miracles, Luke allows Jesus some ministry and such success that he is crowded by the people (5:1-3). Thus Jesus' call to Peter, James, and John in his effort to get some assistance with his greatly successful ministry. Here we see that success creates the need for helpers, as is further described in Luke 10:2. The thrust of our passage is the fear of Peter and the reply of Jesus. Peter's reaction to Jesus' call is similar to that of Isaiah in Isaiah 6:5 (see Old Testament lesson commentary).
Too often in reading this passage the unexpected and miraculous catch has so captured our attention that we have missed the main point of the passage, which is the enlistment of the disciples. This passage is not so much a call story as it is a commissioning narrative. A brief contrasting of the two reveals that in call stories Jesus comes, sees a person, calls the person, and the person leaves all and follows him. But in a commissioning story the following movements are involved: (1) an introduction which describes the circumstances, (2) the confrontation between the commissioner and the one about to be commissioned, (3) the actual commission in which the person is told to take up a specific task, (4) a protest by the commissioned person who questions in some way the word of the commissioner, (5) a reaction of fear, amazement, and a sense of unworthiness in the presence of the commissioner, (6) a reassurance by the commissioner which gives confidence and overcomes misgivings, and (7) the conclusion in which the commissioned person begins the assignment.
While there are hints of a call story in verse 11, the main emphasis is that of a commissioning
of Peter for his work of catching people, which is his mission. Notice that the disciples are commissioned to go fishing, an image of their call to help Jesus with his very successful ministry. The haul of fish symbolizes a successful missionary endeavor. The story contrasts the frustration of fishing with human resources only with the great catch to be had when fishing in obedience to Jesus' word. In Luke's view, the church's missionary thrust was to be to all nations, but the disciples were to stay in Jerusalem until empowered by the Spirit. Luke, in Acts, tells how this worked out in practice after the disciples were empowered at Pentecost and the first "fishing" expedition netted three thousand converts. (Acts 2:41)
The punch line of the passage is 10d: "Henceforth you will be catching men." Note this begins with a characteristic Lucan term "henceforth" or "from now on."
Notice how this scene serves as a foil to the Nazareth experience where Jesus is criticized and rejected by his own townspeople. But here Jesus attracts Peter and his companions, who follow him in his mission of fishing and "catching alive" other human beings for God's kingdom. Jesus speaks to Peter in the second singular, which points to the leadership role Peter will have in the Lucan story which follows in 6:14, where his name heads the list of the Twelve. Not only is Peter the first called, but he will later be the first to witness the Risen Christ. (Luke 24:34)
A central turning in the narrative occurs when Peter sees the great catch of fish and falls down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (v. 8) This is an expression of awe. We need not take this confession to be an indication that this is a postresurrection story in which Peter alludes to his denial of Jesus. Peter has seen in the great catch a more than human power at work, and so responds by personal self-judgment.
The response of Peter, James, and John was to leave everything and follow Jesus. Luke places this story of the calling early in Jesus' Galilean ministry because, for Luke, it was important that an apostle have been with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry to the ascension. By contrast, Paul thought that what was essential was to have seen the Risen Lord and received a call. Peter was with the Lord from the beginning, and so from Luke's point of view, had the credentials for apostleship. This places the church's proclamation under the control of the ministry of the pre-Easter Jesus, as revealed through his witnesses. It is the earthly Jesus who is the determiner of the true proclamation. Any ministry done in Jesus' name must be measured by his earthly ministry.
While verse 11 may not mean that they abandoned their trade of fishing, it does clearly indicate where their priorities now lie - with Jesus in joining with him as partners in fishing for humans. In 14:27 Jesus says, "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple." Our response to the commissioning of Jesus should be one of putting the kingdom and its work first.
Theological Reflections
The Isaiah passage is an account of Isaiah's call to be a prophet, in the year that King Uzziah died, in which he has a vision of his own sinfulness, but responds with "Here am I! Send me." When Peter sees the unexpected catch of fish, he confesses himself a sinner in the presence of Jesus. This reaction to the presence of God links the Old Testment and Gospel lessons today. Both deal with calls to service. In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul stresses the need to use the gift of tongues to build up, not divide, the church. Paul says he speaks in tongues more than they do, for which he thanks God, but stresses the need for intelligent speech. And he urges them to be mature, not childish, in their thinking. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Paul reminds the church of the facts about the resurrection and the witnesses to it. He also reminds them that Jesus died for our sins, a theological interpretation of an historical event. He goes on to say that it is only by the grace of God that he is what he is, namely an apostle of Jesus in spite of his having previously persecuted the church. He tells them of his call by the Risen Christ, which came out of season, but which was an authentic commission. This account of Paul's call to ministry links this passage with the Isaiah and Lucan passages, since they also describe calls to service and the response of individuals in obedience.
Homiletical Moves
Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13) (C) (L)
Isaiah 6:1-8 (RC)
Sent by God on Mission!
1. Isaiah's vision of God in the temple enabled him to see that the whole earth is full of god's glory
2. In response, Isaiah senses that not only he, but also his people, are sinners in the eyes of God
3. God cleanses Isaiah with a coal in his mouth, taking away his guilt and forgiving his sin, pointing to the fulfillment of God's covenant in Christ's death, which forgives our sins
4. God calls, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
5. Isaiah responds "Here am I! Send me" and obeys God's call
6. Listen for God's call to you for mission and respond in faithful obedience
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (C) (RC)
Paul Is Called by the Grace of God
1. The Risen Christ appeared to Paul as to one untimely born
2. Paul responds with obedience and a radical change from persecuting the church to building the church
3. Paul acknowledges that he is what he is by the grace of God
4. The Risen Christ comes to us where two or three are gathered in his name, and calls us to service in the kingdom
1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 (L)
Strive to Build Up the Church
1. Intelligent speech is more effective than speaking in tongues in building up the church
2. Be mature in your thinking, not childish
3. Pray with the spirit and the mind, and sing with the spirit and mind
This Preacher's Preference
Luke 5:1-11
Let's Go Fishing!
1. By their own human efforts Peter and his companions were unable to catch fish
2. Jesus points them to a great catch which almost breaks their nets
3. Peter responds with a confession of his sinfulness and astonishment
4. Jesus calls Peter to catch human beings alive
5. Peter, James, and John leave their boats and follow Jesus
6. Jesus calls us to go fishing for people, and empowers us to witness to his saving love
Hymn for Epiphany 5: Jesus Calls Us; or
They Cast Their Nets
Prayer
Gracious God, who has called us by the Spirit to faithful obedience, forgive us when we have been deaf to your call. In your presence we confess that we are sinners saved by grace. Teach us to fish for human beings so that they may come into your kingdom. Enable us to get our priorities straight, and turn from greed, self, and security to be about your mission in the world. So guide us by your Spirit that we may speak intelligible words to one another, and so build up the community of faith. In all we do, we acknowledge that we are what we are by your grace and not our good works. Amen
There is virtual consensus on the Isaiah reading, with verses 9-13 kept as an option by (C) (L). The first verses are an account of Isaiah's call to be a prophet, which he heard in the temple. The 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 passage deals with speaking in tongues, one of the manifestations of the Spirit, which needed to be interpreted and used for building up the church. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, sets forth his Gospel to refute those who denied the resurrection. He includes his own encounter with the Risen Christ, and gives all glory for his ministry to the grace of God. Luke gives an account of the unexpected catch of fish from Lake Gennesaret, which is viewed by Peter as a result of Jesus' guidance, using more than human power. Peter responds by personal self-judgment.
Commentary
Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13) (C) (L)
Isaiah 6:1-8 (RC)
We know little about Isaiah the prophet. Chapters 1-39 tell us most of what we know of his life. We know that he was called to his prophetic role in the year of Uzziah's death (c. 742 B.C.), and was probably born two decades earlier. His boyhood coincided with the ministry of Amos. He was married and had at least two sons. He had easy access to the king, and appears to have been from a good family, if not a member of the court itself. His career extended over half a century. The passage for today is the account of his call, and is one of the best-known passages in all of the hook of Isaiah.
Isaiah 6 is the beginning of what is called the testimony of Isaiah, which continues as far as Chapter 9:7. The prophet gives an account of his activity in the period of the war with Syria and Ephraim. Isaiah 6:1-8 may be outlined as follows: (1) verses 1-4, the vision of Isaiah; (2) verses 5-7, the preparation for service, and (3) verse 8, calling and sending.
While other prophets such as Jeremiah have recorded their call to service (Jeremiah 1), none are as dramatic or majestic as the call of Isaiah. The setting is the temple, probably on some special festival occasion when Yahweh's kingship was cultically affirmed. With this his choice of Zion and David were celebrated. Isaiah in the temple heard the massed choirs and, gazing toward the doors to Yahweh's throne, saw a vision of Yahweh the king. The throne was the ark of the covenant. The seraphim were possibly griffin-like creatures, which may be compared with the cherubim, who were also associated with the glory of God. In verse 3 "holy, holy, holy" is used for emphasis. Isaiah was filled with terror at what he saw, for, as a sinful man of a sinful people, he had gazed on God face to face - something no man could do and live. (Exodus 33:20) But he had lived!
In verses 5-7 we have Isaiah's preparation for service. In the darkness he cries out "Woe is me! For I am lost ... for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! " He could not join in the songs of praise. Nor did his people have a right to do so. (The description of God as king came into use as early as the period of the judges, when God was worshiped at Shiloh as enthroned upon the cherubim.)
Then one of the seraphim flies to him, not to kill him, but to purify him with a burning coal taken from the altar. Touching Isaiah's lips with the coal, he symbolically purifies his whole life, purging him of sin. Now he can stand before God without fear. Because the coal comes from the consecrated altar it possesses in itself an atoning and purifying force. The seraphim says, "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven." (v. 7) The Hebrew words for "sin" and for "guilt" are virtually the same in basic meaning: a departure from the expected norm. But Isaiah is now cleansed of sin and guilt, and can hear the voice of God and answer it appropriately. Only when one has recognized his or her sin, and has been set free from it, can that person do the will of God.
Verses 8-11 record the calling and sending of Isaiah on his mission for God. As Isaiah stands on the outskirts of the heavenly company he hears God's voice asking, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Now having been cleansed of his sin Isaiah can answer rightly, "Here am I! Send me." Then God gives him his commission: to speak again and again a word which will be heard but never understood.
The movement of this passage is from vision of God to vision of self to vision of service. This is particularly appropriate for Trinity Sunday, when the thrust of the message should be not merely standing in awe at the mystery of God and the impossibility of understanding the complexity of the trinity as a doctrine, but rather coming to a face-to-face meeting with the living God which results in obedience to his will. Knowledge of God, not about God is the goal.
1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 (L)
In the early church both glossolalia, or speaking in tongues, and prophecy were considered signs of the presence of God's Spirit, and also that God's kingdom had arrived. In 14:1-40 Paul stresses that speaking in tongues is subordinate to prophecy. Paul himself had had ecstatic experiences and enjoyed glossolalia even more than his converts did, but he wanted to limit it in public meetings since he held that prophecy was more important.
In this passage Paul recognizes the fact that the Corinthians are eager for manifestations of the Spirit (v. 12b), but he goes on to urge them to strive to excel in doing those things which unite and build up the community of faith. Therefore, the person who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret also. The implication here is that the speaker would also be the interpreter. Note that verses 13ff do not necessarily mean that the usual content of speaking in tongues was a prayer, although very often it may have included an ejaculation of praise. One of the problems of this passage is determining the relationships of "pray" in verse 14 to "sing" (v. 15), and "bless" (v. 16) to the gift of speaking in tongues. It may well be that Paul in verse 12 is implying that speaking in tongues takes different forms, that there are different kinds of tongues. Paul is here concerned with the worship assembly.
Paul says in verse 14 that if he were to speak in a tongue, no one would profit, since the mind would be unfruitful. And the same argument holds for singing in verse 15.
In verse 16 Paul speaks of blessing with the Spirit. A blessing in the Jewish religion was a prayer with God as its object. The praying person "blesses" God for life, health, family, and other things. The congregation then affirms the prayer by saying "Amen," which means "so be it." There might be "outsiders" in the assembly who were members of the family of believers, but who were not believers themselves. The Greek word for "outsider" means, in this context, the person who lacks experience, in contrast to the professional who is trained. When a person was in ecstasy in the midst of the congregation, then from the congregation's viewpoint, everyone other than the ecstatic person is an outsider. The gift of tongues does not unite the speaker to others in understanding.
Note that in verse 18 Paul echoes the "thanks" of verses 16, 17. There may be a note of irony here as Paul says "I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all." Earlier, in 13:1, Paul had posed the hypothetical possibility of his own speaking in tongues, and here he says that he does.
Instruction of new members, or those seeking to become believers, was probably an integral part of the worship assembly as implied in verse 19. In verse 20 Paul calls the Corinthians to become mature in their thinking and not to be children.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (C) (RC)
The theme of this chapter is the resurrection. Our passage is included in verses 1-15, the first of four major sections of the chapter in which Paul summarizes the tradition he received and passed on regarding the resurrection. Section two consists of verses 12-34; section three includes verses 35-49, and section four, verses 51-58, is a kind of coda putting the resurrection at the last day in highly poetic language. Some think this whole chapter should follow 11:34, since both chapters deal with traditional material.
The first section of verses 1-11 might be called "Paul's Gospel," in which he sets forth the evidence for the resurrection against the background of reports that some at Corinth denied the resurrection. The Scriptures referred to in verse 3 would include Isaiah 53:5-12. Paul says that Christ died for "our sins," in contrast to his usual saying of "for us," so we may assume that he means for us sinners. The experience of the forgiveness of sins was at the heart of the early church's life. Baptism dramatized the forgiveness of sins in a sacrament. Later Paul will use this experience of forgive-ness of sins to bolster his argument regarding the resurrection of the dead.
In verse 4 the Scripture which is referred to is Psalm 16:10: "For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit."
In verse 5 the word "appeared" in Greek is used exclusively in the New Testament for the appearance of objects in heaven, and thus out of sight of human beings. Paul's purpose here is not to prove that the resurrection took place, but to show his faithfulness to the apostolic tradition, and his own apostolic authority. It may be that we have two strands of tradition which have been fused together in the process of transmission, or by Paul himself. The first is the appearances to Peter, the twelve, and the five hundred brethren. The second is the appearance to James and all the apostles.
It is significant that the appearances of the Risen Christ are recalled in the New Testament not simply as accounts that Jesus rose from the dead, but that they also include a word of commission and/or a command from the Risen Christ. In Paul's own case he was convinced that the Risen Christ who met him on the road to Damascus had given him a commission equal to that of the other apostles. While he spoke of himself as one "untimely born," or the least of the apostles, he does not consider himself any less an apostle. It appears that the thrust of what Paul is saying is that there was a separation in time between the appearance of Christ to him and to the others. The Greek word used for "untimely born" means "aborted," and refers to the aborted foetus. Paul is saying that Christ's appearance to him was unexpected and untimely. The radically different thing about Paul's apostleship was in the fact he had actively persecuted the church before Christ encountered him. And he carefully points out to his readers that what he has accomplished in ministry has been more than all of them (v. 10). But he acknowledges that only by the grace of God is he what he is. Paul would have resonated with John Newton's great hymn "Amazing Grace," for his life, like Newton's, was marked by a radical transformation by the grace of God.
In verse 6 Paul mentions "five hundred brethren," the only record we have of such an appearance, although some scholars associate this with the appearance at Pentecost of Acts 2. Paul mentions those who have fallen asleep, another term for death, and reinforces Paul's statement that death is a real event which they cannot avoid even as Jesus could not.
We have in verse 7 the only reference to the appearance to James in the New Testament.
In verse 11 Paul says that whether, then, it was he who preached, or the other apostles, it was the resurrection the Corinthians had believed.
Luke 5:1-11
Our passage is the second part of a larger unit of Luke 4:31--5:11. The first part, 4:31-44 is a parallel of Mark 1:21-38. The second part of 5:1-11 gives us the clue to the overall thrust of the larger unit. Luke places the call or commissioning of the disciples after the series of miracles. This suggests that mighty works can be the basis for discipleship, and, by placing the call of the disciples after the series of miracles, Luke allows Jesus some ministry and such success that he is crowded by the people (5:1-3). Thus Jesus' call to Peter, James, and John in his effort to get some assistance with his greatly successful ministry. Here we see that success creates the need for helpers, as is further described in Luke 10:2. The thrust of our passage is the fear of Peter and the reply of Jesus. Peter's reaction to Jesus' call is similar to that of Isaiah in Isaiah 6:5 (see Old Testament lesson commentary).
Too often in reading this passage the unexpected and miraculous catch has so captured our attention that we have missed the main point of the passage, which is the enlistment of the disciples. This passage is not so much a call story as it is a commissioning narrative. A brief contrasting of the two reveals that in call stories Jesus comes, sees a person, calls the person, and the person leaves all and follows him. But in a commissioning story the following movements are involved: (1) an introduction which describes the circumstances, (2) the confrontation between the commissioner and the one about to be commissioned, (3) the actual commission in which the person is told to take up a specific task, (4) a protest by the commissioned person who questions in some way the word of the commissioner, (5) a reaction of fear, amazement, and a sense of unworthiness in the presence of the commissioner, (6) a reassurance by the commissioner which gives confidence and overcomes misgivings, and (7) the conclusion in which the commissioned person begins the assignment.
While there are hints of a call story in verse 11, the main emphasis is that of a commissioning
of Peter for his work of catching people, which is his mission. Notice that the disciples are commissioned to go fishing, an image of their call to help Jesus with his very successful ministry. The haul of fish symbolizes a successful missionary endeavor. The story contrasts the frustration of fishing with human resources only with the great catch to be had when fishing in obedience to Jesus' word. In Luke's view, the church's missionary thrust was to be to all nations, but the disciples were to stay in Jerusalem until empowered by the Spirit. Luke, in Acts, tells how this worked out in practice after the disciples were empowered at Pentecost and the first "fishing" expedition netted three thousand converts. (Acts 2:41)
The punch line of the passage is 10d: "Henceforth you will be catching men." Note this begins with a characteristic Lucan term "henceforth" or "from now on."
Notice how this scene serves as a foil to the Nazareth experience where Jesus is criticized and rejected by his own townspeople. But here Jesus attracts Peter and his companions, who follow him in his mission of fishing and "catching alive" other human beings for God's kingdom. Jesus speaks to Peter in the second singular, which points to the leadership role Peter will have in the Lucan story which follows in 6:14, where his name heads the list of the Twelve. Not only is Peter the first called, but he will later be the first to witness the Risen Christ. (Luke 24:34)
A central turning in the narrative occurs when Peter sees the great catch of fish and falls down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (v. 8) This is an expression of awe. We need not take this confession to be an indication that this is a postresurrection story in which Peter alludes to his denial of Jesus. Peter has seen in the great catch a more than human power at work, and so responds by personal self-judgment.
The response of Peter, James, and John was to leave everything and follow Jesus. Luke places this story of the calling early in Jesus' Galilean ministry because, for Luke, it was important that an apostle have been with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry to the ascension. By contrast, Paul thought that what was essential was to have seen the Risen Lord and received a call. Peter was with the Lord from the beginning, and so from Luke's point of view, had the credentials for apostleship. This places the church's proclamation under the control of the ministry of the pre-Easter Jesus, as revealed through his witnesses. It is the earthly Jesus who is the determiner of the true proclamation. Any ministry done in Jesus' name must be measured by his earthly ministry.
While verse 11 may not mean that they abandoned their trade of fishing, it does clearly indicate where their priorities now lie - with Jesus in joining with him as partners in fishing for humans. In 14:27 Jesus says, "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple." Our response to the commissioning of Jesus should be one of putting the kingdom and its work first.
Theological Reflections
The Isaiah passage is an account of Isaiah's call to be a prophet, in the year that King Uzziah died, in which he has a vision of his own sinfulness, but responds with "Here am I! Send me." When Peter sees the unexpected catch of fish, he confesses himself a sinner in the presence of Jesus. This reaction to the presence of God links the Old Testment and Gospel lessons today. Both deal with calls to service. In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul stresses the need to use the gift of tongues to build up, not divide, the church. Paul says he speaks in tongues more than they do, for which he thanks God, but stresses the need for intelligent speech. And he urges them to be mature, not childish, in their thinking. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Paul reminds the church of the facts about the resurrection and the witnesses to it. He also reminds them that Jesus died for our sins, a theological interpretation of an historical event. He goes on to say that it is only by the grace of God that he is what he is, namely an apostle of Jesus in spite of his having previously persecuted the church. He tells them of his call by the Risen Christ, which came out of season, but which was an authentic commission. This account of Paul's call to ministry links this passage with the Isaiah and Lucan passages, since they also describe calls to service and the response of individuals in obedience.
Homiletical Moves
Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13) (C) (L)
Isaiah 6:1-8 (RC)
Sent by God on Mission!
1. Isaiah's vision of God in the temple enabled him to see that the whole earth is full of god's glory
2. In response, Isaiah senses that not only he, but also his people, are sinners in the eyes of God
3. God cleanses Isaiah with a coal in his mouth, taking away his guilt and forgiving his sin, pointing to the fulfillment of God's covenant in Christ's death, which forgives our sins
4. God calls, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
5. Isaiah responds "Here am I! Send me" and obeys God's call
6. Listen for God's call to you for mission and respond in faithful obedience
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (C) (RC)
Paul Is Called by the Grace of God
1. The Risen Christ appeared to Paul as to one untimely born
2. Paul responds with obedience and a radical change from persecuting the church to building the church
3. Paul acknowledges that he is what he is by the grace of God
4. The Risen Christ comes to us where two or three are gathered in his name, and calls us to service in the kingdom
1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 (L)
Strive to Build Up the Church
1. Intelligent speech is more effective than speaking in tongues in building up the church
2. Be mature in your thinking, not childish
3. Pray with the spirit and the mind, and sing with the spirit and mind
This Preacher's Preference
Luke 5:1-11
Let's Go Fishing!
1. By their own human efforts Peter and his companions were unable to catch fish
2. Jesus points them to a great catch which almost breaks their nets
3. Peter responds with a confession of his sinfulness and astonishment
4. Jesus calls Peter to catch human beings alive
5. Peter, James, and John leave their boats and follow Jesus
6. Jesus calls us to go fishing for people, and empowers us to witness to his saving love
Hymn for Epiphany 5: Jesus Calls Us; or
They Cast Their Nets
Prayer
Gracious God, who has called us by the Spirit to faithful obedience, forgive us when we have been deaf to your call. In your presence we confess that we are sinners saved by grace. Teach us to fish for human beings so that they may come into your kingdom. Enable us to get our priorities straight, and turn from greed, self, and security to be about your mission in the world. So guide us by your Spirit that we may speak intelligible words to one another, and so build up the community of faith. In all we do, we acknowledge that we are what we are by your grace and not our good works. Amen
