Reflections on Acts 5; Luke 5; John 6
9th Sunday after Trinity
Pastorin Kornelia Schauf
Themed Sermon
Under the Sign of the Fish – Faith Like a Fish in Water
Reflections on Acts 5; Luke 5; John 6
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen
Dear congregation,
Our topic is: Under the Sign of the Fish – Faith, like a fish in water.
We have already heard three passages on this, and I would like to explore this a little further: what exactly does the fish symbolise for us as Christians?
To begin with, a question:
did you know that you can tell how healthy a river is by its fish?
There is a saying that goes:
‘Only living fish swim against the current. Dead fish go with the flow.’
We can easily apply this to our own lives: those who swim with the current can simply let themselves drift. It’s comfortable and cosy. It doesn’t demand much.
Applied to our lives, swimming with the current means simply going along with what almost everyone else is doing. Thinking for yourself very little, but doing what almost everyone else does. Saying what almost everyone else says. Conforming, just so as not to stand out.
The alternative is this: to think for yourself. To make your own decisions. And to have the courage to swim against the tide. That means allowing yourself to form your own opinion. And yes, anyone who does that – anyone who lives their life differently from almost everyone else – doesn’t always have it easy. They face headwinds.
Today’s welcome is all about getting a first impression of what it means to live as a Christian.
From each of the stories we heard briefly just now, I’d like to pick out one thought:
- Who tells me how I should live? Living consciously as a Christian means I’m changing course. My boat, my life, is now heading in a different direction. Back then, when the Christians chose the fish as their secret symbol, that was dangerous too. By doing so, they were expressing: we do not necessarily follow what the Roman Emperor says. They were saying:the Roman Emperor is not a god to us. Our God is Jesus Christ. No one else.
You’re at the start of your confirmation classes. This is an important time in your lives – you’re becoming less and less like children and more like teenagers, and soon you’ll be adults. It’s a time when a lot changes in life. And that raises the question: who actually tells me how I should live? Is it the influencers on TikTok? Is it peer pressure in class? Your parents’ expectations?
Believing as naturally as a fish in water means having the courage to chart your own course. It means saying: I look to Jesus for guidance. I learn from Jesus Christ.
I don’t just do what almost everyone else does. I swim against the tide.
I have values and goals. I’m finding out how I can live as a Christian.
- This brings us to the second point: ‘At your word’ – Jesus has something to say to me. The story of the fishermen who became fishers of men. Peter had been working all night, casting his nets. He had caught nothing. But because Jesus asks him to, he sails to another spot on the lake. Deeper.
‘Because you, Jesus, say so. That’s why I’m doing it!’
Confirmation is all about this: finding out what happens when you listen to Jesus. How does that change me? How does that help me at school, at home, in sport, and in my friendships?
- And that brings us straight to the story of the five loaves and two fish. A little boy had the with him just when Jesus needed them. Of course, that’s far too little for thousands of hungry people. Yet the child is willing. He shares what he has. The child doesn’t do the maths and conclude: ‘This won’t be enough.’ He has imagination and a generous heart. In the end, everyone is full. A miracle.
Believing as a fish in water also means sharing what we have. Believing in miracles that happen when we live with a generous heart and great love for our fellow human beings.
As a congregation, we also share: we share our lives. We help one another and realise: this community sustains us. That is a good net: the network of faith.
A start has been made: you have been baptised. You are journeying through life like a fish in vast waters. You are not alone in the sea of life. You have a congregation by your side, including Julia and me.
We hope that during this time you will learn to have great confidence, so that you may swim against the current, not shy away from the deep waters, and experience wonderful things in the depths, because Jesus speaks to you.
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen