Raising the Giant Within You
Luke 5: 1-11
Jim from B.C.

"Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink." Some of you may recognize that stanza from the famous poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Coleridge, who lived from 1772 to 1834, was a genius— a brilliant conversationalist and a gifted writer, not to mention a wonderful man. But he's not as well-known as some of the other English poets, because he left behind so few poems, and some of them, frankly, are second-rate. Coleridge's main problem was that he felt inferior and inadequate, which hampered him throughout his life.

Coleridge, however, did produce a few magnificent pieces, such as "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" Historians attribute this flowering of his genius to his friendship with his contemporary William Wordsworth. Both Coleridge and Wordsworth produced their best poetry during the years that they were friends.

Wordsworth became a mentor and inspiration to Coleridge. He considered Wordsworth a literary giant compared to himself, and said he felt himself "a little man" in comparison.

It reminds me of Elijah and Elisha in the Old Testament. Young Elisha felt only half as worthy and half as powerful as his predecessor Elijah, so he prayed for a double measure of his spirit.

Perhaps you are a gifted person, but have always felt inferior or inadequate or unworthy, and therefore have been hampered in your life, and only partly successful. It's a very common problem. Most of us are very gifted; but either we don't believe it, or we compare ourselves to giants, people much better than ourselves. Then we easily find confirmation of our low view of ourselves. We can say, "See, I was right! I AM inadequate. I AM inferior." People who have a low self-image usually find ways to live DOWN to that image of themselves.

It doesn't have to be that way. Just as God enabled Coleridge become a literary giant through his friend Wordsworth, and God enabled Elisha to become a great prophet through Elijah, so also God can raise the giant within you or me, through our relationship with the greatest giant of all humans, Jesus the Christ.

We learn of God's power to do this from today's Gospel Lesson, in the experience of Simon Peter. Notice that Peter starts out thinking he is vastly superior to Jesus, at least in his area, which is fishing. Jesus told Peter to put out into deep water and let down his nets for a catch. Peter must have chuckled to himself; the way loggers do when city-slickers come into the woods and try to tell them how to do their jobs.

It was obvious to Peter that he knew far more about fishing than Jesus. It was obvious to Peter that they weren't going to catch anything. And afterward, Peter would have been one of those people who said, "See? I told you that would happen! I knew that was going to happen!"

So Peter is magnanimous, as superior people can afford to be. He condescends to do as Jesus asks, probably smiling and winking at his friends. "We've fished all night and caught nothing. Yet, if you say so, we'll let down the nets." Even though I'm a professional fisherman and you're only a carpenter; even though I've been fishing this lake all my life and this is your first time out; even though I know the optimum times and depths for fishing (and this isn't one of them); even though it's insane to keep doing the same thing again and again expecting a different result; even though it's a lost cause, NEVERTHELESS, at your word, I will let down the nets."

"When they had done this, (our text says) they caught so many fish that their nets started to break.... And they filled both boats so full that they began to sink... ...when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" I was so sure I was right, and yet I was totally mistaken. I was an idiot. I should have believed that you are the Son of God. I should have trusted, that for you nothing is impossible."

Notice how Peter, with his mercurial personality, went from a sense of confident superiority, to a sudden admission of his inferiority, and a deep awareness of his unworthiness and inadequacy. What does Jesus reply? "YES! This is just the kind of person I want for my disciple! — just the kind of man who will make a good fisher of human beings."

This is a very important point. Notice how Jesus responds: As soon as Peter is humbled and realizes that he's nothing, as soon as Peter recognizes that Jesus is the giant, then Jesus calls forth the giant within Peter.

Jesus does NOT say, "You worm! I've just shown you that you're nothing without me." No, Jesus says, "You can be JUST LIKE me. Do not be afraid; henceforth you will also be catching people."

I'm reminded of what Jesus said at the end of the Gospel of John: "Truly, truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father."

Also you might remember Peter's confession to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." When Peter said that, Jesus blessed him for recognizing the Rock of Ages. But Jesus turned around and said, "You too, Peter, are a rock. There's a rock within you, within the shifting sand of your personality. There's a giant within you: it is MY SPIRIT, upon which I will build my church."

Yet again, just before Jesus ascends to heaven, he asks Peter three times if he loves him, and Peter answers three times that he does. Then Jesus says, "Feed my sheep." The implication being: "You can do this, because you have my love within you. YOU CAN DO THIS!"

Some of you may remember a TV show from a few years ago called "The Incredible Hulk". It was incredibly popular, even though it was rather silly and childishly fantastic. I think its popularity came mostly from the basic premise of the show: that a vulnerable person being chased by the forces of evil could turn into a giant and a powerful warrior on the side of good. Most interestingly, the hero did not trigger his own transformation into a giant. It was out of his control. Something external triggered anger within him, and that anger raised the giant within.

It's kind of parallel to what God can do with us on a spiritual level. God can put His Spirit within us, and arouse it, and transform us into spiritual giants, capable of doing even what Jesus did.

It's even more true of us if we work together as a church. Theologian Elton Trueblood has said: "The church of Jesus Christ is a sleeping giant. Its unrealized potential is almost staggering to contemplate."

You may say to yourself, "No, I have no giant within me, waiting to be aroused. Except perhaps a giant guilt complex; or a burden from my past that weighs me down like a giant on my back." To that I say, Jesus can conquer those giants. Indeed, he has already, once and for all, in the cosmic battle on the cross.

Remember when Jesus was accused of having the spirit of Beelzebul in him? He replied that what they were seeing was a Stronger One was invading the household of Satan, and binding him. So also Jesus has the power to replace our guilt with forgiveness, our weakness with power, and our demons with his Holy Spirit.

You and I will become spiritual giants, if we pray the Prayer of St. Francis until God answers our prayer: "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope... and where there is sadness, joy."

Have you heard the voice of God calling to the giant within you, trying to raise up that great Spirit? A still, small voice is saying: "You have the rock of my Spirit within you. You have my love within you. Before the foundation of the world I chose you to be my people. You are salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

The Lord of the universe has even given us special medicine that will help turn us into giants, the body and blood of His Son, in the bread and the wine of Holy Communion.

William Wordsworth helped unlock the potential within Coleridge. Elijah passed on a double measure of his spirit to Elisha. And Jesus the Christ raised up the giant within Peter. Can our Lord not do the same for us? Let us allow Christ to arouse the giant within us. Amen.