Luke 5:1-11
1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Don’t Be Afraid to Fish
What a difference a day makes. When the morning had begun, Peter was wrapping up a hard and unfruitful night of fishing, getting ready to go home and get some well earned rest before heading out again that night. By lunchtime, he had quit his job and embarked on an entirely new career path doing something he had never done before, following a man who – moments before – he was uncomfortable being around. What happened?? And – maybe more to the point – do you think any of it would have happened if Jesus had just cut to the chase and approached Peter as he was cleaning his nets and said, “Forget that. Quit your job. Come with me. You’re going to fish for people now.”
What would you have done if you were in Peter’s sandals? Jesus was asking a lot of him. Peter and his brother Andrew had just spent a hard night fishing with nothing to show for it. They were stowing their tackle when a local-carpenter-turned-traveling-preacher asks to use your boat for a couple hours. I mean, that’s pretty passive, right? All he wants is your boat. But you’re tired. You’re busy. You just want to go home. Would you have taken Jesus out?
Peter does it. Tired as he was, he had more than a passing interest in Jesus that made him not only willing to let Jesus use his boat, but eager to hear what Jesus had to say. Peter didn’t mind pushing bedtime back a bit. But then Jesus pushes Peter, and asks him to do something that, frankly, was nonsensical – go out into deep water and let down your net.
Again, it wasn’t as if Peter had come home emptyhanded that morning for lack of trying. He had tried. All night long. He had used every trick in his tacklebox, every insight into the lake’s layers and the fish’s tendencies. And now this carpenter is telling the professional fisherman to go out in broad daylight in the heat of the day and do something that had been proven to be unsuccessful under far better circumstances.
It would have been so easy for Peter to say, “I really should get home to my wife and mother-in-law. It’s been a long night. I need some rest. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but trust me, it won’t work. If you want to, maybe we can try again later.” But he doesn’t! He says, “Upon your word.” Would you have put your freshly washed and folded nets back in the water if you were Peter?
Or after Jesus’ instructions prove helpful, what would you have done then? Would you have done what Peter did? On the spot, dropping his nets, leaving his boats – his multi-boat franchise with partners – and follow Jesus? Or would you have said, “Jesus, that’s too much. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the fish. Really, I do. But I have a life here. I’ve built up a business. I have a family to think about. This is my home. This is my life. Jesus, you’re asking too much.”
Honestly, for me, this is the piece that makes me the most uncomfortable about myself, because this is the one time that Jesus didn’t ask Peter to do anything. Peter just did it of his own free will, voluntarily! He literally dropped everything and followed Jesus. Would you?
Doesn’t Jesus do the same for us? He asks for our passive attention in much the same way he asked for Peter’s boat. You don’t have to do much. It might mess up your schedule, but just sit and listen. All it’s going to cost you is time. And yet, how many times have you said it? “I’m too busy.” “I can’t make it; I’ve got too much going on.” “I can’t sit down with my devotions; I’m already late for work.” “My wife and my family are waiting for me.” “Not this time, Jesus; maybe some other time.”
But even when you do carve out a Sunday morning – even when we do give our time and attention to Jesus, he always takes it one step further, doesn’t he? “Ok, now that I have your attention, I’ve got something else for you to do.” And most of the time it not only feels inconvenient but unreasonable.
Don’t game the system. You may not earn as much money, you may have to pay more money, but be honourable and upright. Don’t stoop to their level. Their lies and manipulation may get them a raise at work, may get them friends at school, but be honest and kind even if it costs you. Love your enemy. Yes, even that one. Pray for your leaders – for presidents and prime ministers – even if you’ve prayed all night long and haven’t seen any results. Share the gospel, even if it’ll make it awkward.
The fact that Peter and Andrew, James and John left everything behind and followed Jesus that day is crazy, especially when we think about all the things we’re afraid to lose for Jesus – our time, our attention, our relationships, our livelihood, our hearts. There’s a lot that we can be afraid to lose, but we have one who says to us, “Don’t be afraid.”
Jesus asked a lot of Peter. To his credit, Peter obliged and Jesus blessed him with such a catch of fish that he and Andrew couldn’t haul it in. Even after James and John brought another boat, the abundance of Jesus’ generosity and power and love threatened to sink them all.
Peter’s reaction was perfect: “I am a sinful man.” Jesus’ response was even better: “Don’t be afraid.”
This is the thing that blows me away – not just about this text but about Christianity in general: this was a legitimate epiphany for Peter. I’m sure that he would have admitted that he wasn’t a perfect person before this, but it wasn’t until that moment that he realized how unworthy he really was.
This was an epiphany for Peter. But it wasn’t for Jesus. Jesus knew who Peter was long before he stepped on his boat. Jesus knew how sinful Peter was, better than Peter knew himself. Jesus knew how little Peter would understand – how often Peter would continue to stumble – but Jesus came to Peter anyway, and pushed him.
It wasn’t too much for Jesus to ask for Peter’s passive attention. It wasn’t too much for Jesus to ask for Peter’s irrational obedience. Because Jesus was willing and able to give so much more to Peter than he was asking of him. He had already given Peter his love. In his mercy, he did not hold Peter’s sinfulness against him or insist on perfection as a prerequisite to disqualify him. Jesus saw a sinner and called him to be his disciple. And then in his grace, Jesus showered him with blessings too great for him to handle – a catch of fish that not even 4 professional fishermen in 2 professional fishing boats could reel in. More than that – a place at Jesus’ side, a partnership in Gospel ministry, and a peace that could only come from the forgiveness of Peter’s sinfulness.
That’s the same thing that Jesus has done for you – he saw a sinner and called you to be his disciple. He knew who you would become before he came into this world. He carried your every sin to the cross before you were born to commit them. And that didn’t stop him from loving you or still coming to you through his Holy Word or some sinful mouth that was sent to proclaim it to you.
Jesus loves you – sinner though you are. And of all the irrational things that Christianity contains, that’s the greatest – the greatest mystery, and the greatest gift. And it’s that gift of his love that continues to come to you today in much the same way he did for Peter, slowly and progressively, but in a persistent way that challenges you to stretch and grow in your faith and love for him.
He asks for your attention. And you’ve given it to him. You’re here today. You’re listening to these words. You weren’t too tired or too busy today. Remember that the next time work goes long or your homework piles up. Remember that when you’re traveling or tired. There will always be excuses not to give your attention to Jesus, but he calls you so give him your attention, even if it’s passive – even if all you do is sit and listen.
But don’t be passive in your faith. Jesus calls you to more than that. He calls you to change, to push yourself past your comfort zone and do things that might not make sense to you – to be kind to those who are anything but to you; to have integrity and seek God’s kingdom while everyone else is doing whatever it takes to get ahead in this earthly rat race; to share the Gospel even when it’s scary, even when you’ve tried before and haven’t seen the results you wanted.
The truth is, there are many more fish in the sea – too many, in fact, for any one of us, or even all of us put together to be able to haul in. But this is God’s mystery and God’s gift: he chooses sinners like you and me to fish for people – to do what Peter did, i.e. to listen to Jesus even when it seems irrational and try again. Never to give up or write it off as a lost cause, but to trust in Jesus’ generosity and power and love.
That might sound strange to you. You might not be able to envision it for yourself today. Had Jesus approached Peter and told him that he was going to leave his neighbourhood, lose his livelihood, and be the leader of his church – face hardship and persecution, even death, for Jesus’ sake – he probably would have called Jesus crazy. Jesus did call Peter to change, but it wasn’t a change that took place overnight. It started with Peter’s attention, which inspired faithful action, and resulted in complete dedication.
God is working the same in you. He has your attention today. Continue to give it to him, even when you’re busy and tired, and then turn that attention into faithful action and complete dedication as you put your faith in him – your Saviour, whose generosity and power and could sink ships with his grace and save souls with his love, which you are privileged to know and called now to share. God bless your growth in faith and your fishing in his name. Amen.