Again?
Great crowds gather on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. They press in to hear Jesus.
At this time, nearby fishermen leave their two empty boats at the water’s edge so that they can wash and tend to their nets.
Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asks Simon, its owner, to push the well-worn and cared for vessel further out into the water. Here Jesus sits in the boat and teaches the crowds.
When he finishes speaking, Jesus says to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”
“Um…” Simon may have wondered. “We’ve been there, done that.”
Jesus likely doesn’t change his expression.
“Master,” Simon replies into what may have been a moment of silence. “We’ve worked hard all night and didn’t catch a thing.”
I am speaking to the story found in Luke 5:1-11. This gospel writer, like John, is seeking to prove Jesus’ unquestionable divinity here. He records Simon as saying, “But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”
Pun intended, there is a hook that cannot be ignored here. Jesus has a background in carpentry, not fishing. Simon may have heard Jesus speak of his earthly father, Joseph. After all, Jesus did use parables to illustrate his points. His background in carpentry would not have lent itself to a good example or two.
What is interesting is what is obvious: professional carpenters do not fish for a living. That Jesus gives fishing advice to a professional fisherman creates for all of us an unforgettable moment.
This moment can and should be applied today. We are to go at it again, too.
“But,” we tend to say, “what we tried didn’t work. Like the crew in the boat fishing all night long, we are coming up empty.”
I need to insert a point here. The well-known adage, “If at first you don’t succeed…” can create for us evangelizing Christians an endless spiral of disappointment. To just keep at it—to keep trying and trying and trying—is not the point of Luke 5:1-11. Yes, we are to put ourselves out there. Yes, we are to persist, press on, and pursue. But, as Simon will tell you, we need to hear (or be reminded) that we are to follow Jesus’ instructions not our own patterns. “Business as usual” is being challenged here.
It should be.
Yes, oh, yes, sometimes Jesus’ instructions sound crazy. Or big. Or weird. Or impossible.
If they do, we are not listening to a God who is indeed bigger than we can imagine. We do not anticipate a God who comes through not meagerly. We anticipate a God who comes through with overwhelming abundance.
The story of Jesus and Simon continues. When Simon and the others return from their second trip, their nets are so full of fish they began to tear. Both boats are so loaded with fish that they verge on sinking.
When Simon realizes what has happened, he falls to his knees before Jesus. “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.”
Note that Simon doesn’t ask for forgiveness. Instead, he realizes he cannot stay in the company of this Lord of great generosity.
We can’t either—if we are honest.
But Jesus does not leave Simon. He does the complete opposite. He includes Simon (who becomes known as Peter) in his ministry.
Jesus does this with us, too. In response, there is something we can do in the awe and splendor of a Lord who directs us. We can follow. We can even lead. Like Simon, we can give up what we were—and who we were—and listen.
Each of us is a fisherman of sorts. We are used to doing things a certain way. We think we know what will work, and what will not work.
But be surprised. Welcome Jesus’ impossible message in your life as you, like Simon Peter, fish for people.
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