Bible readings: Isaiah 6:1-2, 3-8; Psalm 138; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11
We are grateful to God for what we understand and even for what we do not understand. We just know that God is unchangeable and good and this we celebrate.
The Gospel of today contains many practical messages for us. Sadly, we don’t have the whole day to dissect it. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who instructs us on what He wants His children to hear.
Many things will happen to us in life and we won’t be able to explain their purpose, but for God, there is always a purpose that is not hidden from Him. Sometimes we are disappointed and broken, we make efforts and things don’t turn out well. Sometimes it feels like all our efforts are wasted. God allows us to go through some things, which are immediately painful for us, and we can’t think of anything positive that could possibly come out of them.
In the Gospel of today, Peter toiled all night and caught nothing. It was quite a depressing experience. What good could come out of a night of failure?
Unknown to Peter, behind that failure was God working something out. Sometimes God allows us to be broken because that’s the only way we can become open to Him.
The boat of Peter was empty, which was why Jesus could use it. If Peter had caught something that night, his boat wouldn’t have been available for Jesus. Sometimes, God empties us of things so that He can fill us with Himself, with the right things. He empties our boat, so that He can step in and preach from it. God wants to preach from my boat, from my life. Yes, my life can become His boat.
It was important for Peter to toil in vain that night so that God’s power might be manifested in an unusual way to Him. God often comes to us in our lowest moments, when we are at our wits end. He reveals His power to us, for us to learn and for the world to see. In this way, He preaches from our boat.
On another note, the experience of the miraculous catch made such a deep impression on Peter that He recognised the greatness of Jesus and his own sinfulness. He begged Jesus to leave him alone for he was _hamartolos_, – a man soaked in/infected by sin (ξελθε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι, Κύριε (pronounced exelthe ap emou hoti aner hamartolos eimi kyrie).
It is true that Peter might have been a man soaked in sin but Jesus wouldn’t leave him alone or condemn him. Instead, He would purify him, fix him and use him for a noble purpose. Our sinfulness doesn’t discourage Jesus from using us. We may be sinful but we are still useful.
The same message is in the First Reading of today. In the presence of God, Isaiah recognised his sinfulness and weakness (I am a man of unclean lips- that is, I am a liar, I swear, I say bad words, I use foul and obscene language, I crack salacious jokes). But God said, “Yes, I know. I will purify your lips and send you; you may be sinful but you are still useful.”
In the Second Reading, St. Paul confessed how the grace of God found and transformed Him. He missed his way yet Grace found him and transformed him and having pruned and purified him, God made him useful and fruitful.
I am sorry to announce that my message today is not for everyone. It is for two categories of people.
A. Those who are down, disappointed and broken, those who feel like they have toiled in vain, those who have done their best but it seems that it is not good enough, and those who feel empty.
The message is that there is a God-purpose in your emptiness and failure. Just allow Jesus to step into your emptiness. He will weave a message out of it for the world. When He steps in, He will retell the story and bring something gracious out of your experience – perhaps a new revelation, a new understanding of life, a purification from sin, a running for fruitfulness, a testimony or even a vocation.
B. To those who acknowledge that they are sinners and unworthy, the Lord says He still needs us, that we are still useful. Our sin can never be greater than His love. He is ready to purify us from every stain of sin and corruption and make us not just His message bearer but His message to the world.
Lord Jesus, I give you my emptiness and brokenness. Let them serve your purpose. Take my sinfulness and cleanse me so that I may be useful to you, and when you have made me how you want me to be, then “Here I am, send me.”
Sermon preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on February 6, 2022