Sermon for The Fifth Sunday after Trinity, 2025

There’s this marvelous little parallel going on in this Gospel that emphasizes this point. Just as the Word of Christ drew the fish into the net so that they pressed upon the net and the boat, so it was that, when He stood by the lake of Gennesaret, the people, we are told, pressed upon Him to hear the word of God. That’s when He asked Simon to launch out his ship a little from land, so that He could teach them from the water, because there were so many pressing upon Him. So, you can perceive the effect of Jesus’ Word, His preaching, right here, in this Gospel. The people were pressing upon Him. Why? Because they were great people? Because they’d made up their minds that they were going to follow Him? No, not at all. Rather, it is because of the power and sway of His Word. 

His Word alone has such power, for by it, He brings men—He has brought you—into the Boat—the holy Christian Church. It is that Word of grace, alone, which keeps you in the Faith; it is that Word which draws you to this Place. It is of tremendous power! The power that made heaven and earth now has brought you into the hearing of the Gospel of Christ Jesus and His almighty and marvelous salvation: His sacrifice for your sins upon the Cross, His resurrection from the dead, and His holy life that He breathes into you by the sway of His Word—bringing you forth from the deadness of heart, ear, and mind, and raising you up by Baptism, drawing you into the Faith and, furthermore, sustaining that Faith within you with His very Body and Blood, which you receive at the altar. 

It is by His grace alone, “grace free and boundless;” it is purely out of His goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness on your part, that He has done this to you. For which you owe Him your enduring, never-ending, undying thanks and praise. Yes, Beloved, you are the fish drawn into the net. You are the men pressing upon Him to hear the Word of God. You are in this Gospel today. How blessed are you to be in this Place, where the Word of Christ and His abundant mercy again sounds forth. 

Readings:

• Old Testament: 1 Kings 19:11-21

• Epistle: 1 Peter 3:8-15

• Holy Gospel: Luke 5:1-11

Sermon: