Sunday February 11, 2007 | Greg Boyd
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He 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. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So 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. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and 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." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Jesus desires to be a part of every area in our lives. Following God is not a spiritual exercise or ritual that is relegated only to church. Rather, it is a relationship that consists of giving to God everything about us, and being obedient to God’s calling and direction in our lives.
Jesus desires to be a part of every area in our lives. Following God is not a spiritual exercise or ritual that is relegated only to church. Rather, it is a relationship that consists of giving to God everything about us, and being obedient to God’s calling and direction in our lives.
In the Luke passage today, Jesus calls the fisherman Peter to follow him. Although there would have been many “logical “reasons for Peter to question Jesus, Peter makes the choice to trust. It was in that faith-filled, but seemingly impractical choice, that God rewarded and blessed Peter’s obedience. This decision changed the course of his life.
Jesus asked Peter to drop his nets one last time after a long and disappointing night of fishing. Peter was tired and could have easily tried to talk his way out of doing what Jesus had asked. In fact, most people probably would have supported Peter’s objections and told him to do what makes the most sense. However Peter, even though all common sense would have told him otherwise, obeyed and dropped the nets into the water. We are often faced with similar struggles; we depend upon our common sense and practicality. However, God calls us to listen to Him, even if it looks a little odd from the outside.
In the midst of the abundant catch of fish, Peter falls to his knees in sincere repentance. Peter knew he was not perfect, but he had a heart for God. This is the same way we come to God, knowing we are full of sinfulness and selfishness and yet drawn by the hope of God’s love for us. The beautiful truth of the Kingdom of God is that we are all unworthy, and yet each of us has unsurpassable worth in Christ. Jesus wants us to come to Him in humility, just as we are. By humbly acknowledging we are all sinners in need of grace and forgiveness, God can begin to transform and renew us from the inside-out.
Humility is a sign of sincerity and maturity in the Christian walk. We never outgrow our need for God’s grace; therefore we never outgrow our need to remain humble in our faith. Humility is also expressed in obedience. As believers in Christ, we are called to place obedience over practicality and in this way we depend on God to sustain us. “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).
Our calling as believers in Christ is to cultivate a mindset to be open to God’s leading, and desire to seek his wisdom on decisions in our life. Jesus invites us, as we are, to come to Him and follow His mission for our lives.