Luke 5 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.
Jesus. So often he is unlike what we expect or even perceive he is. He is the man who Mary thought was the gardener. He was the man about whom was asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
And again he blows our comprehension of who he is and what he does in our lives as we see the evidence in his introduction to Peter and the boys.
He finds them down on their luck, exhausted and licking their wounds after an unprofitable fishing trip the night before. Who knows how many long and unfulfilling nights fishing the boys had experienced in recent days. The strain it had placed on their partnerships, friendships and home life. What financial impact it had on their livelihood and of course their morale.
But Jesus appeared to have no concern for this. He simply asked if he could borrow one of their fishing boats to continue his seaside ministry. I am sure Peter thought, “at least it will provide some entertainment as we finish cleaning our nets.” Without much consideration he obeyed, allowing Jesus to speak, while he went back to work.
When Jesus finished borrowing the boat, he didn’t materialize gold ingots and waive his magic wand to make everything ok for Peter. Instead he asked Peter to take his first real step of faith. One that would represent the life he was about to choose. A step that would lead Peter to triumphs in ministry, closeness to Jesus, and onto his subsequent death.
One question from Jesus that depicts what life with Jesus will always look like. “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets.”
Peter articulated his displeasure with this request quite heartily. And I am sure as we all think more than we say, he must have thought Jesus was crazy! Peter was the expert fisherman, although his previous days work didn’t reflect that. He probably didn’t have wages to pay his men, and to rally them one more time for a day sail in the heat, sleepless after a hard nights work. I am sure Peter was thinking of getting home to his wife, eating a meal and simply taking a nap to shake off the loss he had just experienced and get ready for another long night.
But instead Peter responded, after complaining, and was obedient to the leading of the Lord.
And that is when all miracles take place. When simple obedience to the leading of His Spirit is combined with putting our flesh under and ignoring the circumstances. Extending trust to the commandment of Jesus, and never quitting.
Each time Jesus gives us a command, and there are many along our journey, we have two opportunities. An opportunity to trust him and move on His command, or we can pull away into the misery and shame of yesterday’s loss.
Somehow I believe Peter thought “yest,erday is gone, and it just may be that the Lord will work for us today.” He was rewarded with an incredible relationship and life with Jesus. Lets carry this attitude into 2016.