Luke 5:1-6, 8-11 (NIV) 1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the people 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 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 catch men." 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
The disciples found in Jesus someone worth losing everything for. Simon Peter, who was a fisherman, was caught by a catch of fish, an experience of God’s grace. Jesus spoke in the language Peter could understand through fish, lots and lots of fish. Peter responded with heart-felt awe and Jesus told him that from then on Peter would be catching people. The word catch literally means “taken alive.” Jesus is saying that Peter will be drawing people to the life giving goodness and grace of God that he has experienced in Him. Jesus gives Peter a mission in life, a purpose in life, and it fits in with who Peter, the fisherman, really is.
Do you have a fish story? Do you have that experience of God’s grace and God’s goodness, that opens your eyes, speaks to your heart, and enlivens your soul? Certainly part of our purpose in life is to draw people to know the God we have known in our particular way, whether fisherman, engineer, businessperson, the manager of a home.
Some of us may like to say that we let our lives be our witness, that we let the way we live speak of God. But, do any of us really believe that our fallen life can speak that clearly of God, especially of the goodness and grace of God we have known in Jesus Christ? Part of our mission is to point people to the source of our life, to the grace and goodness we have known in Jesus Christ, not just in the way we live but also in what we say.
Notice that the fish story began with a small command to put out into the deep and let down the nets for a catch. A carpenter is telling a seasoned fisherman how to fish. Foolish, absurd. But, when the command was followed many fish were caught. So little faith, so great a catch. Peter’s fish story begins with Peter having just enough faith to give it a try, as ridiculous as it sounded. Faith begins and faith continues by giving obedience a try. We take what little we know of God’s will for our life, and we do it.
From a sermon preached by Henry Dobbs Pope February 8, 1998
© Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell
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