Fifth Sunday after Trinity
We all probably have a longing in our hearts for peace and security, for a simple and quiet life. Just like in this song written half a century ago: “Oh, take your time, don’t live too fast / Troubles will come and they will pass / You’ll find a woman, yeah, and you’ll find love / And don’t forget, son, there is someone up above.”
Today's Epistle seems to support this dream: "Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous… For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile… Let him seek peace, and pursue it.”
Even at the beginning of today’s Gospel, an almost idyllic picture is painted before our eyes: “It came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake : but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.”
Who among us would not like to be somewhere in a small fishing village, walk on the beach, feel the smell of tarred boats, mixed with the smell of fresh fish and cooking; simple people working, men at their boats, women mending nets or taking care of children. And of course all the people who flock to Jesus to listen to Him! Where have those good times gone?
Unfortunately, those good times never really existed. Yes, we have beautiful memories and imaginations, but we must never forget that even in those moments when we are perfectly happy, there is someone somewhere who is unhappy, who is in great pain, who is suffering.
It is easy for us to forget, but God does not forget anything. And this means that He, who is perfect love, knows, sees and feels everything – even the pain and suffering of every little one of His creatures, suffering with them.
Perhaps that was what Peter understood when he met Jesus? He had raced through the night without catching a single fish. Now, following the Lord’s word, he goes to the lake again and gets the biggest catch of his life. It’s the blessing every fisherman dreams of – and suddenly he realizes his utter unworthiness.
I believe we know that feeling: not only when something bad happens to us, but even more so when something overwhelmingly good happens to us, we can’t help but cry out with humility, “Lord, why me? There are so many people in the world who are better than me and who deserve Thy blessing much more!“
What is the Lord’s answer to this? He says, “I do not bless and love you for what you are worth, but because I am Love.” There is wonderful hope and encouragement in these words because we can know that even when everything around us seems to be falling apart and when we ourselves are totally unworthy, God’s love is always unchanging. As He said to Peter that time, the Lord says to us as well: “Fear not!“