Sermon - Trinity V - Luke 5:1-11

Why do you work? I’m not just talking about a job you do which brings home a paycheck, although that too. I’m talking about all of the work, labor, and toiling you do throughout your life. From tending a garden or livestock, to raising your kids, to maintaining a house, the whole thing. Why do you do it? Well I’ll tell you why you ought to do it as a Christian; Christians labor for the sake of the Word of God and their neighbor.

But that’s not why non-Christians work, and perhaps that’s not why you work either. If we ponder this question for a little bit, we can come up with at least four reasons why most non-Christians work.

Firstly, I suppose many people work for the simple reason that they have to work. If they don’t work, then they’d lose the necessities of life, such as shelter, clothing, and food. Thus many people work because they believe that they take care of themselves. They work because they believe that they’re their own god who takes care of them.

But You see a Christian understands that all good things come from the Lord. “The eyes of all look upon you, O Lord, and you give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” In the Small Catechism we confess “I believe that God has made me and all creatures… He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with we all that I need to support this body and life.”

Christians don’t work because they have to work in order to have the necessities of life. We’re not gods. Rather God will provide for us. Our heavenly Father loves us and will provide us with all that we need. Indeed, in our Gospel we see Simon Peter, James, and John walk away from their miraculous catch of fish, “they left everything and followed Jesus.” They probably just caught more than they did in a normal month, and in faith they left it all behind knowing that God would provide for them.

The second reason that many people work is because of greed. People work long hours, many days of the week, exert great energy, in order to have a large paycheck and buckets of money. With this money they can have a better house, a newer vehicle, a bigger TV, go on more extravagant vacations, retire younger, and in a word live the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Their goal of working is not to serve the neighbor, but to serve themselves.

But a Christian doesn’t work because they’re greedy. “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” The Christian doesn’t work in order to amass great wealth and live a luxurious lifestyle, but in order that they may share with others who are in need. When Christ called Peter, James, and John to be His apostles, they didn’t stop working, instead their goal was no longer to make money for themselves, but to only serve their neighbor. Jesus told them, “from now on you will be catching men.” Christ, who gives us all good things, works through us to serve others.

The third reason many work is because of their pride and thirst for honor. This is especially true of artists, the learned, and craftsmen. It’s true of all who seek to work so that others may honor them. They work not so much for the sake of money and wealth, but because they desire worldly glory. They want others to look upon them and be amazed at what they’ve done. Ultimately they idolatrize themselves.

But the Christian doesn’t work for their own glory. Instead, the Christian rejoices aloud, declaring “All glory to God, the Father!” The Christian heeds scripture’s command, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Whatever success we have in life is not our own, but belongs to the Lord, because He has brought this success to us. 

So Simon Peter, who was a master fisherman, knowing how best to catch fish, after toiling all night long in the best places where the fish gather, after untangling and cleaning the nets, in humility listens to Jesus. And in the middle of the day, at the deepest part of the lake, when and where the fish are least likely to be caught, Peter replies, “At you word, I will let down the nets.” Then upon catching more fish than two boats can hold, Peter falls at the knees of Jesus and gives all glory to his Lord, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Indeed, for all of our work and whatever success we find, the glory belongs not to us sinners, but to our Lord who abundantly provides.

Finally, the fourth reason many work today is simply out of vain pleasure. Some work can be fun and purely enjoyable. While it is a good thing to enjoy work, as the scripture teaches us we all ought to “accept our lot and rejoice in our toil,” but the goal of work is not only carnal pleasure. We don’t work just for the sake of work, because if that were the case then work itself would become our god. Rather our work is always for the sake of the Gospel and to serve our neighbor.

Look to the wonderful example of Simon Peter! Even though he was a very hard worker, toiling all night long and then during the day having to clean and untangle nets, when Jesus begins to preach he sets down his work to listen to the Word of God. Peter let Christ use his valuable fishing boat as His chancel, His pulpit. Then when Christ called Peter to become an apostle, a fisher of men, he immediately “left everything and followed Him.” 

My friends, no true Christian makes their earthly work the most important facet of their life, but instead places their heavenly calling over their earthly work. Consider also the well-known example of Mary and Martha. When Jesus entered their house, Mary stopped her working, she “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving.” She placed her work ahead of the one thing necessary, her Lord, and so she was filled with troubles and anxieties. Mary on the other hand chose the good portion, she chose to listen to Jesus. 

Dear Christians, no matter how diligently you toil at your labors, remember that it’s all done for the sake of the Gospel. No work that you do is as important as daily stopping in order to set aside time to use for prayer and the study of God’s Word. Except in cases of great emergency, your daily work should never get the upper hand on Sunday when you have the weekly opportunity to hear God’s Word and receive the Lord’s Supper with your congregation. You see, a Christian works for the sake of their heavenly calling. 

The reason we Christians work is because God commands us to do so. “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread.” If we become lazy and slothful, avoiding doing any work, the apostle Paul says, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.” The work which we do is then performed in order to serve our neighbor and help those in need.

The greatest help that we can give to others is through the Gospel. All of the work which we do must be done with the Word of God in mind. If you find yourself working because work is your god, or because of greed, or because of pride, or vain pleasure, then repent. If you work and labor and toil all your life, but lose the Gospel and ignore the Word of God, what have you gained? “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”

So let us look away from our work, and look to Christ. Let us like Peter forsake everything to follow Jesus. Christ has indeed forsaken everything, indeed His own life, for you. He has accomplished the only work which redeems us from this toiling world to the next. He has entered into your busy labor-filled lives and invites you to rest in Him. He gives you all that you need, and you need not fill yourselves with sorrow and grief and anxiety; one day He will even give you eternal life in paradise.“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” Amen.