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The Disciples sinned when they argued about which of them should be considered the "greatest." James and John sinned when they tried to secure thrones on the right and left hand of the Lord. You sin when you take things which are not yours and when you covet things which are not yours. You are called by your Savior: sheep, living stones, branches, bride, eagles, lights, and royal priests. You have been given vocations. Praise God for what you have received and lust not after the other man's gifts. "He gave some to be Apostles, some Prophets, and some Pastors & teachers" [Eph. 4. 11 ] Christ called the "12," and their successors, to be His "fishers of men." Yes, Jesus told them they would be shepherds. His own "under" shepherds. But they were fishermen by vocation. They understood His "Sea of Galilee" metaphor.

Pride causes you to seek to be "gods." Old-Adam egos cause you to lust after things which have not been given to you. Original sin bursts forth daily in the actual sins of pastors craving power in areas not committed to the their "office." Sins in thoughts, words, and deeds prompt laity to thievery of pastoral prerogatives. By ourselves we are greedy cheats, liars, and crooks. By ourselves we think we can "do what needs to be done."

This morning Jesus shows His own how things must be done, and "Who" it is that really does "take care of everything."

Without the Lord what had happened? They had the boat, they had the nets, they had the lake (which was filled with fish), they had themselves... fishers all. They wound up with nothing. That's what your "works" will get you, nothing. That's what the "so-called church," false teaching sects, denominations, and cults, get when they rely on their own efforts. Without the central ingredient it's all placebos. Without the real inhabitant it's just a Hollywood false-front set. By ourselves we live in a "Potemkin Village." Congregations which fail to preach "Christ Crucified" in clear Law & Gospel are nothing more than "smoke & mirror" freak shows. For without Jesus' blood and righteousness we are nothing but damned freaks. Entertainment evangelism (an oxymoron) and Contemporary Christ-Less Music are like trying to fish without live bait. Parishes which seek to put forward "programs," "facilities," "emotional experiences" and "events for the youth" without having the Body and Blood of the Paschal Lamb "front and center" on the altar, to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of sins are only placing wax fruit in front of hungry dying sinners. To be in a so-called "church" without the Jesus of Scriptures [His teachings and His meals] is to be floating in a leaking life-raft, dying of thirst, in a vast salt-water ocean.

Here, not ocean but a "sea" in the midst of Galilee, called by St. Luke the Lake of Gennesaret. It's the perfect picture of "how" and "Who." The two boats illustrate both Law & Gospel, but also that the fishing is for both Jews and Greeks, for both Israel and all Gentiles. The boat itself is a "type" of Church. The lake points to the infinite water of regeneration found in every Baptismal font. Such a large body of water signifies the eternal stream of life flowing from the rock of ages. The nets are the preaching of the Good News, for it is only by them, that the fish are gathered-- gathered into the boat, the church catholic. But then Jesus steps into the middle of it all. Now, it is the "WORD" of God doing all the creating, calling, and gathering. Without Jesus in the boat there is nothing. Without Jesus it's only water, only bread and wine, only the presumptuous blathering of Rev. "Feel-good" But with the living Christ, the Body and Blood of God, in the middle of it all... washing, forgiving, eating and drinking become conduits of God's actual presence; of His Grace, love and mercy. With the Lord on the altar, in the chalice and paten, from the pulpit and font He is here today in the boat. As moths are drawn to the light, so are His own drawn to Him who is the uncreated light of light. As fish are raised up in the nets of His proclamation of forgiveness, so too are little fishes drawn to the great ICTHUS, Jesus Christ God's Son and Savior.

And so it is... "the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God."