You’ve worked hard for many hours, but you’ve had no success in what you are doing. Now you’re tired and want to go home, forget about the day, and get some rest. However, before you have a chance to leave, a friend comes and suggests you try it a different way. They’ve never done what you were trying to do, and wouldn’t seem to have any special expertise. Should you listen to your friend? It might seem ridiculous! This is the situation that Peter found himself in in our Scripture today from the Gospel of Luke.
Peter and his brother Andrew, along with his two good friends, James and his brother John, were all commercial fishermen, living in Capernaum, and working on the Sea of Galilee. As our reading begins, Peter and his companions had spent the night fishing out on the large lake. Their mode of fishing was with nets which were cast out and then hauled in, hopefully with a catch of fish. However, that morning they came back to shore, following a night of fishing, with empty nets. The men sat in their boats along the shore cleaning their nets and checking them for any tears.
Jesus was in town, and a crowd was gathering along the shore of the large lake where He currently was. So He asked Peter if He could sit in his boat so He could preach and teach them without being pressed upon. Peter agreed and rowed a few yards out (vs. 1-3). It was important to the Lord Jesus that His message reached the crowds at every opportunity, and that He taught them the Word of God. Though we don’t know what His specific message was that day, Jesus often used everyday situations that they would be familiar with, such as fishing, to reveal divine truths.
When Jesus finished His message, He spoke to Peter, and asked him to go back out into the lake and throw out his nets for a catch of fish (vs. 4-5). Peter was tired. He had worked hard all night, and had just finished cleaning up his equipment and listening to Jesus’ message. I’m sure that Peter was only interested in going home. He had already spent many hours and had caught nothing. Peter and his partners were professional fishermen, and Jesus was not. What would He know about fishing? Should he listen to Jesus? Peter registered his doubts about this, and the little likelihood of catching anything. However, he decided to do as Jesus asked.
Though this was early in the days of Jesus’ ministry, Peter and his companions knew Him for being a powerful preacher with an important message. But what would He know about fishing, and about the best conditions and time for catching fish? Their obedience was a very important step in their newly growing faith. By saying yes to Jesus, Peter would experience both material and spiritual blessings. These blessings would far outweigh any effort and inconvenience he had.
Peter rowed out to deeper water and then let down his net. Much to his surprise they immediately caught a large amount of fish, so much so that his nets were starting to break and he had to call his friends over to help bring it in (vs. 6-7). There was so much fish that both boats were beginning to sink! This demonstrated Jesus’ divine power, and also His provisions for Peter and his companions who earlier had nothing to show for a day’s work.
Immediately after this, Peter felt the conviction of his prior doubts about believing in what Jesus had said, and reluctance to obey (vs. 8-10). It was important for Peter then, and for us today, to obey God’s Word, even when it seems contrary to human reasoning. God blesses obedience and faith in remarkable ways.
One interesting thing to note is that when Peter recognized his own sinfulness and doubts, the Scripture says that he fell down at Jesus’ knees (vs. 8). We would typically think of someone falling down at another’s feet, not knees. The feet are the lowest point, so when we drop down in front of someone else, we fall down at their feet. However, the boat was so filled with fish, it was up to their knees. These commercial fishing boats that Peter would have owned would have room for about 15 or so people, and now it was filled knee deep with fish, from one end to the other. At Jesus’ knees was the lowest point that Peter could fall down to.
When they got back, Peter, Andrew, James, and John left everything, and began following Jesus full-time (vs. 11). Like them, we need to trust and obey God’s commands, even when they may seem illogical or difficult. When we do, He will provide for our needs, just as He did for Peter.
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