Executive Producer

This episode is brought to you in part by Executive Producer, John Anonymous.

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 5 NET, Ch. NKJV

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Thoughts

I’m going to focus on chapter 5, verses 1-11.

Now Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing around him to hear the word of God. 2 He saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing! But at your word I will lower the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets started to tear. 7 So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were about to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For Peter and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s business partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people!” 11 So when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Luke 5:1-11 NET

Jesus got into Simon’s boat, and asked Simon to put out a little way from the shore. Jesus’ first request of Simon didn’t require much faith from him, did it? All he asked was for Simon to take him a little way from shore, so that He could speak to the people who had been pushing and crowding Him in order to hear the Word of God. 

Picture the scene. Simon (called Simon at this point in Luke’s gospel) and some other fishermen were by the lake with their two boats, washing their nets, after having been out all night try unsuccessfully to make their day’s catch. Jesus is being followed by a throng of people anxious to hear Him teach the Word of God. When He sees the boats, Jesus decides to get into one of the boats and speak to the crowd from a short distance away, using the water as a way to put some space between himself and the people, and also using the water as an acoustic aid so that more people can hear. The sound of his voice would carry as it bounced off the surface of the water.

The fishermen were tired. They worked hard all night. And they were frustrated, because of the lack of anything to show for their work. And now Simon, the one most prone to emotional outbursts, is asked to stop cleaning his net and Uber Jesus out in his boat. We are not told what Simon’s reaction is when Jesus makes this request, but I can imagine that Simon was less than thrilled. I’ll bet that he was looking forward to going home to get cleaned up and grab some shuteye. And I doubt that he hid his displeasure from Jesus. 

Nonetheless, Simon takes Jesus out in the boat. And he becomes a captive audience to listen to Jesus’ sermon. 

Luke does not tell us what Jesus said, but after his message to the people, Jesus tells Simon to go out to the deep water and put his nets back out for a catch.

Jesus is asking Simon to do something that requires more faith. And what does Simon do? He says, “Master (which is a term of respect for a person of high status), we worked hard all night and caught nothing! But at your word I will lower the nets.” So in a sort of backhanded way he says, “Sir, We’ve been at this all night. The fish aren’t here. We know this lake. We’ve been fishing it for years. We know what we’re doing. But ok. Fine. I’ll do what you want.”

Maybe it’s because Simon knew Jesus’ reputation. Maybe it’s because of what Jesus had said in his message to the people. Maybe it’s because of the way Jesus asked. Maybe it’s a combination of all those things. But Simon, against his “better judgement”, lowered his nets.

Of course, the fish filled the nets and Simon had to call the other fishermen to come and help bring the fish in. And both boats were filled with fish.

And Simon fell down at Jesus knees. This is him acknowledging that Jesus is worthy of worship. And then Jesus said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Simon. From now on, you are going to be fishers of men!”

Jesus first approached Simon and asked for a little faith. And then a little more. And then more.

What happened after they got all the fish into their boats and they got to shore? 

They left their boats and all the fish behind and followed Jesus.

I have discovered, beloved, that God often works like this. When I was very young in my faith, I used to think that living the Christian life would get easier as I grew older. I thought that once I learned to trust Him, life would get easier and easier. But I have learned that He asks for more and more faith. In a way, it *has* become easier to trust him, because He has *always* shown Himself to be trust *worthy*. 

Peter found that when he took Jesus out a little way from shore, he got the benefit of hearing Jesus teach. 

Then he found that when Jesus asked him to go into the deep water, he was richly rewarded with the catch of his life.

He found that putting his faith in Jesus forever changed his life, and ultimately, his eternity.

And Jesus is still asking us today. “Let’s go out into the deeper water.”

What is your answer?