Share in the Harvest

A Reflection on the Gospel for February 6th, 2022:
The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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​Luke
5.1-11

While Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.

Jesus got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

For Simon Peter and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”

When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.

People by the seaside were hungry for the word of God. For hope. For purpose. There were so many people that they were getting in their own way. Jesus needed just enough space from them to get His words out to feed them.
 


Here’s the part that the Spirit agitates inside of me, like adding bubbles to still water — He asked for a boat and a push.
 


Lord of Life. Lord of the Harvest. Holy One of God. Jesus. You could have walked out on the water, but You chose to involve others in Your call to bring life and hope and purpose. To bring Good News. To heal the broken hearted. To deliver captives. To recover sight. To liberate the bruised.
 


You asked for help. You did not need it, Lord of Creation, so why? Was it not because You needed help but because we would? To anchor from the very beginning of the Good News the fact that we would need each other? Why have I found that such a hard lesson to learn?
 


After He had spoken to the crowds, He spoke just to Peter. The lesson continued: let’s go fishing; let down your nets. With the avalanche of fish that fell into his nets, Peter quickly learned that he couldn’t do it alone either. He asked for help. He needed his partners, another boat and more hands to share in the harvest. They brought it to shore together — with Jesus standing among them.
 


This is it, isn’t it? What I need to remember. That I’m not meant to do it alone, to make it happen by effort and dint of will. I’m meant to ask — to ask You, to ask others. Then we all get together with You in the midst of us, and see the wonder of lives brought close to You. Life and hope and purpose.
 


Why do You even let me be a part of this? I’m often such a mess myself! Peter saw it: the distance between who he was, and Who he was standing with. So he kneeled. He spoke out who he saw himself to be: small and sinful. And Jesus asked him not to be afraid of this distance and spoke out who He knew Peter to be: someone who would gather people and bring them close to God.
 


Jesus, help me not to be afraid. Afraid of getting it wrong, of my own failings. Afraid of asking for help. Afraid of getting it right and the scope of the call You have chosen to involve us all in. Let me see what You see. Remind me of who I am. Restore sight to the blind. As we join You on the shore and leave our boats behind, let us see who You see people to be, and help us to remind them of who they are. And follow You.


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Noreen Smith
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