February 9, 2025 

Today's Reading: Luke 5:1-11

Daily Lectionary: Job 6:1-13; John 3:1-21

But when Simon Peter saw [the great catch of fish], he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Everyone thinks they are special. Everyone thinks they are different. Except you’re not. You think you are, and you think that you would react differently than St. Peter after this great catch of fish.

You see, you just know better than poor ol’ Peter. You would see through everything and know that Jesus is the Son of God from the jump, and you wouldn’t have these moments of doubt like he and the other disciples do. You can just tell.

Except you can’t. That’s just the benefit of knowing how the whole Biblical story played out. We can’t look at Holy Scripture in any other way than as people who have seen the final outcome of what was foretold. We only see it from this side of history.

One of the hardest things to do as a Christian, as a baptized child of God, is to set aside the knowledge of the truth that you have and realize that outside of God the Father’s gracious Gift of faith, you would be as terrified as St. Peter at the outcome of that fishing trip.

St. Peter was the expert, and this rabbi just schooled him in his own area of expertise. This teacher just taught him something he never expected to learn: that the incarnate God has come into his world to make the wrong right, to make the broken new, and that he has power over all of creation. All of it.

It is a humbling thing to realize that you are not as important (or as smart) as you thought you were. That’s also a good thing. It is good to be reminded that you don’t have all the answers and that not all of the weight of the world rests upon your shoulders.

That is the comfort of the Christian faith, after all: that you rest in the arms of your Lord and God, and you trust that he has your future in mind and cares for you more than anyone else on earth. He has made you his own through the blood of Christ and your Baptism; no matter what comes your way, he will carry you through.

Be amazed at his works and his ways. It’s OK. It reminds you that he’s got you in his hands, and he’s never going to let you go.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for The Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany)

-Rev. Duane Bamsch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.