The Sinner’s Fear
Grace to you and
peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Peter was afraid. When he saw the catch of fish—how great it
was, and how miraculous the miracle—then he was afraid because he knew he was
in the presence of the Son of God. And so down on his knees he went. And up
went his prayer, his cry for help. He was not sarcastic. He was not demanding.
He did not try to spin things so that he was in control. He was not
manipulative. He simply said, “Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful
man.” Peter confessed who he truly was—a sinner. He confessed that he was
unworthy to stand in the Lord’s presence. And he confessed that his labors, his
fishing skills, his wit, his wisdom—they all added up to nothing. This catch of
fish was entirely the Lord’s doing, and it was marvelous in Peter’s eyes. And
while it astonished him, it also scared him. He was afraid. Peter was afraid of
standing before the living God. It’s not that Peter was afraid of what God
might do to him. Peter was afraid because Peter knows himself. Peter knows that
he doesn’t deserve to be in the Lord’s presence. He knows that God in the flesh
is slumming, visiting the little people.
Some would say that Peter was suffering from low self-esteem.
Others would say that Peter was emotionally distraught and not in his right
mind. Still others would say that Peter was making a fool of himself. And some
might say that Peter was overwhelmed by the power and majesty of God. But in
truth, Peter says what Cain should have said; what Saul should have said; what
Judas should have said. And Peter says what King David said, what the Apostle Paul
said, and what all the saints and martyrs have said. Peter says what should be
in our heart and mind when we cry out, “Lord,
have mercy”; or when we pray, “Lord,
I am not worthy that You should come under my roof.” Peter’s prayer is not
the whine of a whimpering coward; it is the truthful confession of a man who sees
his Maker and, at the same time, sees himself.
Listen to what Peter says, because his confession belongs in
your mouth. And it doesn’t take a miraculous catch of fish for you to realize
it. As you examine your life according to the Ten Commandments, you recognize
yourself for what you really are. You are a sinner. Like Peter, you know you
don’t belong in the presence of the Lord. Like Adam and Eve, you hear the Lord,
and you hide from Him because you know you are naked in your sinful nature; you
know that you are no longer the “very
good” creation He made you to be.
You’ve heard Peter’s confession of sin, and you recognize it
as your confession, too. With that in mind, listen to what Jesus says to Peter and
to you: “Do not be afraid.” Do not be
afraid—not because there is nothing fearful in God; and not because your fears
are misplaced. But do not be afraid, for He has taken into Himself your sin and
your death. Do not be afraid, for He has restored the relationship between God
and man by drawing you into Himself. Do not be afraid, for He is your Life—so much
so that your sinful self has being drowned in His undying love and mercy in the
waters of Holy Baptism. And do not be afraid, for He is your Strength, your
steady Rock, your Salvation, your Hope, your Consolation, your Joy.
So what are you afraid of? Losing father or mother or children?
Are you afraid of what life in the Church means, what sacrifices it requires?
Are you afraid of the journey or that you will sin? Listen again to your Jesus:
“Do not be afraid.” You have nothing
to fear. He knows what you are. He knows you will sin. Our Lord forgives you.
He washes you clean. He welcomes you into communion with His holy Church. So do
not be afraid. He has come to be Immanuel—God with us—God with His people
forever. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all
understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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