Feb. 09, 2025

“Jesus Gives the Fishermen a Mulligan”

Luke 5:1-11

In golf a “mulligan” is a "Do Over" the golfer gets to take a replacement hit of the golf ball.  The disciples got a "mulligan." Before Jesus picked His disciples “He went up on a mountain to pray.”  The ones He chose were known as “The Twelve”.  Why “twelve”?  Jesus was symbolically reconstituting the kingdom of Israel.  Jesus was the “new Israel”. As the Gospel of John would later point out… Jesus was the “replacement” for all things Jewish.  Jesus was establishing the new Israel, restoring the people of God. It surprised many for it included “Jews and Gentiles.” Nothing in God’s plan happens by chance. It is fascinating to consider the men Jesus chose as his first disciples. Jesus chose fishermen as his first followers. In our gospel lesson today, Jesus asked Peter and his fellow business partners in the fishing business to take a “mulligan.”  Making people different is why Jesus was born.  Peter was the fishing pro. Jesus said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” The words of Jesus contain both a command and a promise. Those fish were in the water the night before; Peter just couldn’t find them. But when Jesus is in the boat, everything changes. Now Jesus is going to give Peter a new occupation.  Jesus makes people different. Jesus came and lived a perfect life so our lives might be different. 

Questions:

1.    How did the disciples take a mulligan?

2.    What lesson were the disciples learning?

3.    How does Jesus change things?