Can you think of a time you were caught by surprise?
Perhaps it was a good surprise - running into a friend you hadn’t seen for a while; a nice note in the mail; a promotion or award at work or school. Maybe when the bill came at a restaurant you were surprised to find that someone had already paid for your meal.
Or perhaps it was a not-so-good surprise – a diagnosis you weren’t expecting; the revelation that your partner had cheated on you; an unexpected bill; downsizing at work; a flat tire.
Whether a good surprise or a terrible surprise, we often feel it in our bodies. Our eyes widen, our heart jumps into our throat, our breath catches, our stomach twists in knots. Even good surprises can leave us stunned and stuttering in disbelief, asking, “Wait. What just happened?!” It can take us a moment, or days, or weeks, to properly recover from a really surprising surprise.
Simon was definitely caught by surprise in today’s Gospel reading. Likely exhausted and discouraged from working all night and catching nothing, we can imagine his confusion and reluctance and perhaps annoyance when Jesus instructs them to go back out and let their nets down again. “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”
In the back of his mind, perhaps Simon was a bit curious. Jesus was growing in notoriety for his preaching, and had, just a chapter earlier, been at Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law along with many other people who were sick or demon-possessed. Curious, and with just enough trust in Jesus to go with it, Simon and his fishing partners row back out into the deep water.
And, just as Jesus had said, their nets filled with not just any catch, but a catch so large that their nets were beginning to break and they had to call for reinforcements to haul them to shore.
Simon was caught by surprise. He was caught by surprise not only by the record-breaking haul of fish, but also by the realization of his own sinfulness and inadequacy in the presence of Jesus, who was so clearly holy. Simon, who had referred to Jesus as “Master” when responding to his earlier request, now reverences him with the title of “Lord” and bows down before him.
Caught by surprise by Jesus’ request. Caught by surprise at the nets, bursting with fish. Caught by surprise at this new revelation of Jesus’ power and identity. And also, probably caught by surprise at Jesus’ invitation. “Do not be afraid;” Jesus tells him. “From now on you will be catching human beings.”
It is sort of a weird, surprising thing to say. Catching human beings? But I think Simon’s likely surprise here was not so much at what Jesus said, but that Jesus was saying it to him. Who was Simon but a run-of-the-mill, hardworking, slightly smelly fisherman? Who was Simon that he would be called to follow Jesus, called to cast the net wide in those places that seemed to be barren and uninviting, called to signal others about the overflowing, record-breaking love of God? Who was Simon? Someone called by God.
Perhaps you also are caught by surprise at the ways God’s call comes to you. Perhaps you have a million excuses about how you’re not qualified, about how surely God would rather have someone else, about how you’re too busy as it is, about how you couldn’t possibly be good enough to share the good news.
Be assured – God can and does use all kinds of people to do God’s work, even and especially people who don’t think they have what it takes. Be assured – none of this is done on our own, but always in relationship and in partnership with God and with one another.
God’s call comes to us first in our baptism. Washed in the water, sealed with the Holy Spirit, marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are caught up in the net of God’s forgiveness and love, mercy and welcome. From that deep water we are equipped and called to follow – not because we’re perfect and holy and exceptional, but because God is.
Together with partners – both friend and stranger – we show forth the love of God that overflows in us. As we engage in our daily work, we might catch people by surprise with our generosity and kindness. We might catch them by surprise with our hospitality and welcome. We might catch them by surprise when we don’t play into the stereotypes many people have of Christians – that we are judgmental, and hypocritical. We might catch them by surprise when we share how God’s grace and mercy came even to us – and how it is there for them, too.
Having caught others by surprise, we point them to Christ and invite them to follow. Echoing the words of Jesus, we tell them “Do not be afraid.” God’s net is wide and will not break. God’s mercy and love are never-ending. God’s forgiveness is for you. Come along!
Yes, God will always catch us by surprise. Sometimes they seem like good surprises - mercy and grace when we least deserve it and most need it - and other times they seem like not-so-good surprises - mercy and grace for the people we despise or would rather ignore. But however these surprises catch us, we are secure in God’s presence, caught up in the grace of the one whose love will never fail.
Perhaps it was a good surprise - running into a friend you hadn’t seen for a while; a nice note in the mail; a promotion or award at work or school. Maybe when the bill came at a restaurant you were surprised to find that someone had already paid for your meal.
Or perhaps it was a not-so-good surprise – a diagnosis you weren’t expecting; the revelation that your partner had cheated on you; an unexpected bill; downsizing at work; a flat tire.
Whether a good surprise or a terrible surprise, we often feel it in our bodies. Our eyes widen, our heart jumps into our throat, our breath catches, our stomach twists in knots. Even good surprises can leave us stunned and stuttering in disbelief, asking, “Wait. What just happened?!” It can take us a moment, or days, or weeks, to properly recover from a really surprising surprise.
Simon was definitely caught by surprise in today’s Gospel reading. Likely exhausted and discouraged from working all night and catching nothing, we can imagine his confusion and reluctance and perhaps annoyance when Jesus instructs them to go back out and let their nets down again. “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”
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| Photo by Manuel Sardo on Unsplash |
And, just as Jesus had said, their nets filled with not just any catch, but a catch so large that their nets were beginning to break and they had to call for reinforcements to haul them to shore.
Simon was caught by surprise. He was caught by surprise not only by the record-breaking haul of fish, but also by the realization of his own sinfulness and inadequacy in the presence of Jesus, who was so clearly holy. Simon, who had referred to Jesus as “Master” when responding to his earlier request, now reverences him with the title of “Lord” and bows down before him.
Caught by surprise by Jesus’ request. Caught by surprise at the nets, bursting with fish. Caught by surprise at this new revelation of Jesus’ power and identity. And also, probably caught by surprise at Jesus’ invitation. “Do not be afraid;” Jesus tells him. “From now on you will be catching human beings.”
It is sort of a weird, surprising thing to say. Catching human beings? But I think Simon’s likely surprise here was not so much at what Jesus said, but that Jesus was saying it to him. Who was Simon but a run-of-the-mill, hardworking, slightly smelly fisherman? Who was Simon that he would be called to follow Jesus, called to cast the net wide in those places that seemed to be barren and uninviting, called to signal others about the overflowing, record-breaking love of God? Who was Simon? Someone called by God.
Perhaps you also are caught by surprise at the ways God’s call comes to you. Perhaps you have a million excuses about how you’re not qualified, about how surely God would rather have someone else, about how you’re too busy as it is, about how you couldn’t possibly be good enough to share the good news.
Be assured – God can and does use all kinds of people to do God’s work, even and especially people who don’t think they have what it takes. Be assured – none of this is done on our own, but always in relationship and in partnership with God and with one another.
God’s call comes to us first in our baptism. Washed in the water, sealed with the Holy Spirit, marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are caught up in the net of God’s forgiveness and love, mercy and welcome. From that deep water we are equipped and called to follow – not because we’re perfect and holy and exceptional, but because God is.
Together with partners – both friend and stranger – we show forth the love of God that overflows in us. As we engage in our daily work, we might catch people by surprise with our generosity and kindness. We might catch them by surprise with our hospitality and welcome. We might catch them by surprise when we don’t play into the stereotypes many people have of Christians – that we are judgmental, and hypocritical. We might catch them by surprise when we share how God’s grace and mercy came even to us – and how it is there for them, too.
Having caught others by surprise, we point them to Christ and invite them to follow. Echoing the words of Jesus, we tell them “Do not be afraid.” God’s net is wide and will not break. God’s mercy and love are never-ending. God’s forgiveness is for you. Come along!
Yes, God will always catch us by surprise. Sometimes they seem like good surprises - mercy and grace when we least deserve it and most need it - and other times they seem like not-so-good surprises - mercy and grace for the people we despise or would rather ignore. But however these surprises catch us, we are secure in God’s presence, caught up in the grace of the one whose love will never fail.
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