“Depart From Me, O Lord”
Text: Luke 5:1-11
2-9-2025
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen. There is always an inherent danger when we read the Scripture lessons here in worship. We hear them and perhaps follow along, but the problem is that we sometimes allow our minds to zip right through the words, especially if they’re halfway familiar. When we do, we tend to treat the Bible as just a bunch of letters on a page, rather than the living and active Word of God. To avoid that mistake it’s good for us to slow down, reread what we just heard, and meditate on it. Let your mind digest the text by visualizing what’s going on. That will help you glean the spiritual lessons from God.
Today’s Gospel reading is a good example of that. What were you thinking at the end of it? Were you saying, “Wow, Jesus, fantastic miracle with all them fish... but I don’t see what that has to do with me!”? Perhaps you thought that Christ did a neat little razmataz miracle in order to convince Peter and his friends to drop everything and follow Him? Or, better yet, maybe you thought Jesus was giving you His divine fishing tip of the day? Forgive the pun, but those are rather shallow understandings of this Scripture. I’ll admit, I have an advantage—actually it’s my duty—to dig into the text so that I can lead you to the nourishment for your souls in it.
Like most of you, I’ve heard or read this passage many times over. But as I meditated on it, something jumped out at me; something strange that hadn’t caught my eye before. You tell me if this makes any sense. Peter had just witnessed an amazing miracle of this huge catch of fish. It was a miracle that could have meant lots of money in his pocket. Keep in mind, he had seen Jesus perform other miracles prior to this. Just last week you heard how Christ had cast out demons and healed many people, one of which was Peter’s mother-in-law. However, this miracle of the fish was a huge monetary bonus for Peter and his crew.
So, what would you expect his response to be? If Peter were a shrewd businessman, he might very well strike up a deal with the Lord. “Tell ya what Jesus. Each time you go out with us and make us this successful, we’ll give you 30% of the profits. Whadya say?” Don’t raise your eyebrows at the suggestion. There was a guy in the Book of Acts who offered to buy the power to perform miracles so that he could make a buck off it. Or what about the 5,000-plus people whom Jesus fed with just a couple fish and 5 loaves of bread? Sure, those folks recognized that it was an amazing miracle. But do you remember what they did afterwards? They literally chased after Jesus because they wanted someone who would provide them with free food for their bellies. The sad fact is that they missed the whole point of the miracle. It was meant to show them that Jesus is the “living bread that came down from heaven” which could nourish their souls unto eternal life. So, now we need to ask, “What really was the point of the miracle in our text? What might we be missing?”
Peter’s unexpected reaction to that amazing miracle shows us that he
got it. His eyes were opened and he understood the deeper meaning. The spiritual truth came crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. And so, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said what we least would expect, “Depart from me, O Lord!” Why in the world would he say that? I mean, at the very least, don’t you think he’d say, “Jesus, I am convinced. I’ve decided to follow you because you really are the Messiah we’ve been waiting for!” Well, perhaps you noticed that I abbreviated Peter’s statement. He actually said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” And therein lies the answer to our mystery.
You see; after witnessing that miracle, Peter came to a startling conclusion. This man who was seated in his boat was not just a brilliant preacher and teacher. He wasn’t just a prophet with the power to perform miracles. He was not a Messiah who came to free the Jews from political oppression. This man, seated just a few feet away from him, was the holy Son of God in the flesh. And this realization frightened Peter! He immediately recognized that he was unworthy to be in the Lord’s presence because he knew how sinful he really was. Christ’s holiness stood in stark contrast to Peter’s sin-filled soul. Peter also knew that because of his sinfulness, he deserved to be destroyed by the holy and righteous God of heaven who was in very close proximity to him. Therefore, he pleads with Jesus, “Depart from me!” And our gracious Savior responds not with wrath or condemnation, but with the calming words, “Don’t be afraid.”
I seriously wonder sometimes about how we approach God’s presence here in worship, myself included. Do we really comprehend and believe that God is truly here among us as He promised to be? Or are we looking for some miracles that will benefit us materially, kind of like we mentioned earlier? I mean, wouldn’t it be nice if Jesus would send us a boatload of something that would bring us extra cash? Wouldn’t it be great if He’d bring us pain relief from our physical ailments? Maybe take away the grey and a few extra pounds or even restore some hair while He’s at it? How about if He would make it so that we got along better with our spouse, our children, our parents, and our neighbors? Or how about something a little less selfish like world peace or no more natural disasters? Even if He did, with this attitude we’d miss the whole point of the miracle.
Don’t see, dear friends, Christ IS here in our presence. Why do you suppose that in various places in the liturgy the Pastor turns and says, “The Lord be with you”? That is not wishful thinking. It’s stating a fact. Jesus is here with you! He’s here speaking to you through the Pastor, His called servant. All that, and much, much more, is meant to remind us Who is here and Whose presence we are gathered in. If that really sinks in, then how can we have a response other than Peter’s? “Depart from me, O Lord!” But isn’t that what the Confession at the beginning of our service is all about? We join together in saying words much like Peter’s: “Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean...” And later we add, “We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment.” In other words, “Lord, I am unworthy to be here in your holy presence because I’m a terrible, rotten sinner who only deserves damnation.” But then in the Absolution you hear Christ say to you in essence, “Don’t be afraid... because I forgive you all your sins.” If you are sincere in your confession and believe that Jesus died for your sins on the cross, then those words will calm your troubled heart and cleanse it from all guilt. Then you’re prepared and worthy to be in His holy presence.
But c’mon, admit it, wouldn’t it be nice if Jesus would do some amazing miracle for you like He did to teach Peter and the others? My friends, Christ Jesus does indeed perform miracles right here in your presence. Granted, He’s not standing in front of you in human form, but He performs amazing spiritual miracles right before your eyes and in your ears. God’s Word is spoken to you and it penetrates to your very soul. It changes people’s hearts. Through the Scriptures you hear the glorious words that you are forgiven.
And don’t overlook Baptism. We had the privilege last week to witness the Baptism of 2 little ones. Whether they realize it or not, the parents did a brave thing. I’m not talking about venturing out in wintery weather. No, but I’m referring to the fact that they brought their precious children before the Lord knowing full well that those babies were born as poor, wretched sinners. Like all of us, they inherited a sinful human nature, and because of that they deserved to be destroyed in God’s holy presence. And yet, motivated by their faith and trust in Jesus, they brought them anyway. Because they heard the voice of Jesus say, “Don’t be afraid!” In those holy waters of Baptism, He came to save those precious children, not destroy them. Oh yes, He drowns the sinful nature, but He saved their souls and gave them new life in Him. What a glorious miracle! Those young souls were born again by water and the Spirit in Holy Baptism. The net of the Gospel caught 2 more precious souls just as Jesus promised it would.
And let’s not forget the Lord’s Supper either. What is it that we confess about this sacred meal? That Jesus is truly present in, with, and under the bread and wine. Your holy God comes to you with His Son’s very body and blood and places it right in your mouth. Talk about close proximity! Do you approach His table knowing that your Lord is here in a miraculous way? If so, then how can we not have some fear and apprehension knowing that we are unworthy sinners? And yet, it is Jesus Himself who makes you worthy. He bids you to come to His table as He says, “Don’t be afraid!” In this blessed Sacrament Christ invites you to be united with Him in this meal. Once you’ve received that reassurance of the forgiveness of your sins, then you hear those beautiful words, “Depart in peace,” because you know that your Savior loves you and goes with you.
Even though St. Peter rightfully said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” Jesus didn’t depart from him, nor does He depart from us. And the reason is the cross. It was there that God the Father departed from His beloved Son because He was the worst sinner. No, Jesus didn’t committ any sins. But there on the cross He took all of our sins upon Himself, making Him a sinner in our place. The departure of God’s gracious presence is truly what hell is. And Jesus suffered that so that you and I would never have to. Thankfully, there on the cross He paid the price for our sins and then conquered death by rising again on the third day. Now that we are united with His death and resurrection in Holy Baptism, Jesus says to us, “Don’t be afraid!” He calls us to come follow Him. And He sends us out with the net of the Gospel and the promise that it will indeed catch the souls of men, women, and children, rescuing them from eternal death. All praise and glory be to our God who loves us and has saved us to be His own for all eternity. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!