Do you ever feel like you're coming up empty?
Do you ever wonder why no matter how hard you try it just doesn't seem like you're going
anywhere?
Do you ever look for excuses or justifications, things to help explain the struggle you're
facing and yet can't quite overcome?
Hey everybody this is Steve and God isn't calling us to struggle alone.
We're kicking off this brand new series on the Scripture at the beginning of a new period
in the lectionary cycle.
As you know, there are four Gospel accounts: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
From after the Elevation of the Holy Cross (which we celebrate on September 14th) until
right around the time we start Great Lent (which changes every year), the Gospel reading
during Sunday Liturgy comes from Luke.
In other words - we spend a lot of time with Luke.
Because of its centrality to this part of the Church year, we actually made a short
video introducing you to Luke's Gospel account.
So, for a bit more context on that book of the Bible, check it out.
How the epistle readings are assigned is a bit more complex, and we're going to jump
around between a few different letters even while we stick with Luke's Gospel account.
So I'm not going to get into that.
This year, on the 1st Sunday of Luke, the epistle reading comes from 2 Timothy.
We made a short intro to that book as well.
So now that's out of the way, but before we go any further, I need to check and make sure
you've had a chance to read the Bible passages we're going to cover today.
If you need to, go ahead and press pause and find links to the readings down in the doobly
doo, check out the Daily Readings app on your phone.
Did you?
Did you do the reading?
Ok, I'm trusting you...Any good relationship is built on trust, so if I find out that you're
lying to me...I'll be devastated.
Ok, so, the Gospel reading from Luke 5 is probably something you've heard before: it's
the moment Christ calls His disciples.
These fisherman have been hard at work all night and have absolutely nothing to show
for it.
They keep coming up empty.
When Jesus encounters them they're defeated, cleaning their nets, trying to do something
when all their effort has turned to nothing.
Christ sees them: exhausted, defeated, and He tells them to let down their nets in the
deep and get back to work.
The disciples know that this is nuts.
This is exactly what they've been doing for hours, with no results.
Not only that, but Christ is telling them to fish during the day in the deep water...
and *everyone* knows you're supposed to fish overnight in the shallow waters, Jesus!
Despite all that, the disciples agreed.
They faithfully respond to Christ's call and start fishing again.
Yet this time, when they return to this work, something incredible happens: they catch fish.
So many fish that their nets are on the verge of breaking under the load.
This is an amazing thing about this Gospel reading: Jesus invites the disciples to do
something they already know how to do.
And maybe Christ isn't commanding us to try something new, but rather to return to what
we've been doing.
The difference is that He asks us to return to our work, not in a spirit of independence
or self reliance, needing to make a name for ourselves, but rather to do so in a spirit
of humility and obedience.
And the reading from the epistle can help us understand what that means.
Remember, for a bit more context on Paul's 2nd Epistle to Timothy, check out the video
we made.
In this portion of the letter, Paul reminds Timothy of the incredible suffering that Christians
will face in this life.
Yet he tells Timothy not to fear, even in the face of turmoil and persecutions.
He tells Timothy to turn back to what he has been taught, to turn back to Scripture, to
turn back to Christ.
In the face of struggles, Paul doesn't advise Timothy to look for anything new.
He asks him to return to the work he already knows, just as the disciples returned to their
fishing.
To return to Christ as disciples.
To return to Christ as a disciple.
This is an incredibly powerful reminder as we begin this adventure together.
We all face so many struggles and challenges in our lives, so many moments of exhaustion
where we feel that, no matter what we do, things just aren't going well.
Maybe we're struggling at school or at work.
Maybe a relationship with a family member or friend is breaking apart.
Maybe we're drowning under the weight of a sin that we just can't escape, an addiction
that we just can't shake.
Maybe, no matter how many times we cast our nets into the water, we pull them back and
they're empty.
We may try to distract ourselves, to stay busy with a mindless activity to pass the
time or give us the illusion of control.
So we may pick up our empty nets and clean them, just as the disciples did, even if those
nets haven't touched a fish in days.
And, in the midst of that frustration and longing, Jesus asks us to set out for the
deep again.
To return to our work.
Not in our name, but in His name.
Now, I know what you may be thinking.
Is this just a blind leap of faith?
Am I asking you to trust in a God you may have never seen or never heard, a God you
may not even be sure is there?
When Paul writes to Timothy, and tells Him to return to what He's learned about Christ
from the Church and the Scripture, He begins with powerful personal testimony.
He says,"Timothy, you've seen the way I've struggled, the challenges I've faced, the
persecutions I've endured.
And you've seen how the Lord have rescued me each and every time."
Timothy's faith in Christ, his readiness to turn back to Scripture and the things that
the Church has taught him, is in part shaped by the witness of Paul.
Just like Jesus doesn't simply tell the disciples to starting fishing out of nowhere.
They had already heard about Jesus in the ministry of St John the Baptist, who prepared
people's hearts to accept and follow Christ.
So I'd like to end, as we'll always end on Live the Word, with three questions:
First, what seems fruitless and frustrating in your life today?
What's your empty net, your night spent fishing with no results?
Second, is it possible that the problem isn't with *what* you're doing but *how* you're
doing it?
How can your actual, present life turn around and be re-oriented towards God?
How can you begin to reimagine your life, not for your sake or your glory, but for the
glory of God?
And third, who in your life has helped prepare your heart for Christ?
Who has brought you to this point, watching videos about Scripture in your spare time?
Because it would be great to contact that person and say thanks.
I hope you'll read the Scripture and join us every Monday on Live the Word.
We'll be back with a new episode on Monday.
And my buddy Christian will have a short response video up on Thursday as he wrestles with these
questions.
I hope you'll read the Gospels and Epistle passages we covered today.
And, whether it's with family or friends or a Bible Study group, I hope you'll talk about
what we've covered and wrestle with what God has for you, in your life.
Most importantly, I hope you'll celebrate with us this Sunday and hear these beautiful
readings proclaimed during the Divine Liturgy.
Christian, I'll see you Thursday, and everybody else next week!
Thanks for watching. You can click on the bee to subscribe to our channel.
And make sure you turn on notifications so you never miss a video.
You can find lots more from us at our website: y2am.org