Fifth Sunday after Epiphany February 8th & 9th, 2025
“THE DEVIL’S TRICKS” – Luke 5:1-11
The devil has a bag of tricks that he uses over and over to try to accomplish his unholy desires. What is it the devil wants so much? To draw you away and separate you from God. He uses fear and danger and deceit to do this. And one of his favorite tricks is to ACCUSE you, to make you feel bad about yourself. In fact one of the most common names we use for the devil is SATAN. Do you know what that word means? It means ACCUSER, and he uses his accusations to create distance between you and the Lord. He points out how different you are from God, how other God is from you. Satan points out your sins and your failings and how God has none of those. Satan tells you that you’re too weird, too stupid, too sinful, too different for God to ever want you.
Our Gospel reading from Luke 5 talks about an encounter Jesus had with some fishermen. Jesus noticed their boats pulled up on shore near where they were washing their nets. Jesus got into one of the boats and He asked Simon Peter to put out into the water a little ways, but to stay near the shore so the people could hear His teachings, and that’s exactly what happened. When He finished teaching Jesus said, “Put out into the deep and put your nets out for a catch.” Simon was a professional fisherman, but even though they had tried all night and had caught nothing he still did as Jesus told him. When they had let down the nets they caught enough fish to fill both boats until they started to sink! They’d never seen a catch like this. So what was Simon’s reaction? Did he give Jesus a high five? Did he thank Him? No. Simon dropped to his knees and said, “Get away from me. I’m a sinful man.” The otherness of Jesus was too much for him. The power that Jesus possessed scared Simon. We can all feel that way when we think about our sinfulness, the things we’ve done that are so wrong. That can be a struggle for any of us. The otherness of God can feel like a problem. Sometimes we don’t want to pray because then we’ll have to face God, and it scares us. And that’s how it starts, a crack in our relationship with Him, a separation. We start to hide from Him. And that can spill over into our relationships with others too.
There was a woman who had a young child who was very ill and the effort it took to take care of her was overwhelming. Friends saw how hard it was and offered to help her in various ways, but the woman always said no. She would tell them it was hard but she was fine, she’d handle it herself. This woman’s Mom came for a visit during that time and when her mother arrived the woman literally collapsed into her Mom’s arms weeping and thanking her for being there because it was just too much, that she couldn’t do it on her own. This is how we can be, especially when it comes to God. We try to do it on our own. But the reality is, we need Him.
Have you heard about the man who lived in a place where there was flooding? It got so bad that he went up onto the roof of his house because the water was getting so high. A man with a rowboat offered him help but he said, “Thanks, but I’ll be fine.” The waters kept getting higher when a couple with a ski boat came along and offered him a ride out, but again he thanked them and said he was going to stay and ride it out. Finally a police helicopter lowered a rope ladder and told him to climb up, but he waved them off. The waters continued to rise and eventually the man drowned. Thankfully he was a believer and he went to Heaven, but when he arrived he said to God, “I’m so glad I’m here in Heaven, but why didn’t You save me down there on earth?” God answered, “I sent two boats and a helicopter and you kept saying no.”
Just as satan tries to separate us from God, he also tries to separate us from one another by trying to do it on our own. But God wants just the opposite. God gives all kinds of spiritual gifts for us to use for one another, and He calls us to use them to bless and help each other. But when we think and act like Simon Peter, when we get wrapped up in our own sins, and stop taking them to God, instead of being grateful for the amazing blessings from God we push Him away, and we hide from each other in our embarrassment or our pride.
A few years later the woman’s daughter was older and going to school. But each day when her child came home, her daughter was a mess. She was cranky and disobedient and sassy. She wondered if her daughter was acting this way in school toward her friends or her teacher, so she met with the teacher and found out she was a model student. She never acted up, she got terrific grades, was never sassy to the teacher but always obedient. The teacher said, “She acts like a little adult. She never asks for help.” It was then it came to this mother. She recalled when her own Mom had come and she just broke down in her mom’s arms. That’s what was going on with her own daughter. She was holding it together for everyone else, but with her Momma she would let go, but of course in her own way. We all have the same needs. We need support and love from others, and most especially from God.
It’s true, God is so OTHER from you and me. But thank God that He is so different. Simon Peter told Jesus to go away. After Jesus cast out all the demons from a possessed man and they went into a herd of pigs, what did the people of that village say to Jesus? Get away from us. After they sinned Adam and Eve hid from God. That’s what the devil wants. He wants us to be separated from God. Is that what God wants? Not in the least. God made us to be in communion with Him. God is other, no doubt of that. Jeremiah 10:6 says, “No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.” 1 Samuel 2:2 says, “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God.” Isaiah 55 says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.” But that doesn’t have to be scary, it’s Good News! We can celebrate His otherness because that’s literally why He doesn’t demean us or reject us. He loves you. He wants to be your Savior. He blesses. He forgives. He shows compassion and patience. Simon Peter focused on his own side of otherness, and felt shame. How about you and I go the other way? Let’s focus on God’s otherness, His goodness, and thank Him for using that for our good. Next time you’re feeling accused and guilty, instead of focusing on your shame, focus on God’s goodness and fly into his arms and say thank You for still loving me. I need help. I need You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
