Christian Living

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LETTING DOWN THE NETS

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. Luke 5:5 (NIV)

Who enjoys fishing? Does anyone have a good “fish story?” There are a couple of good fish stories in the Bible, but Luke’s documentation of the calling of the first disciples, Simon Peter, James and John, in Luke Chapter 5, is one of I’ve been re-reading and contemplating recently. As Luke recounts the events, Jesus had been teaching by Lake Gennesaret, with a large crowd of people gathered on the shore. There were two fishing boats on the bank, the fishermen busy mending their nets after returning from their nightly fishing excursion. Jesus asked Simon Peter to take him out in the boat a short distance from the bank, where he could continue to teach those gathered on the shore. When he'd finished speaking, Jesus directed Simon Peter to "put out in deep water and let down the nets for a catch." Simon Peter replied, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything." But listen to his next words.

"But because You say so, I will let down the nets."

The rest of the story? Well, the nets were so full of fish that they began to break before they could be loaded into the boat. Simon Peter hailed his partners, James and John, who joined them in the other boat, and by the time they were done emptying the nets into the boats, the boats were in danger of sinking from the weight!

Just imagine. The nets were filled to bursting. The boats were "so full that they began to sink." I'd guess that these three fishermen had never had a catch like this in their lives, nor had their fathers before them. This is the ultimate "fish story", isn't it? In my own experience, a good day fishing is a day where you've "caught your limit", which means you may have half a dozen trout on your stringer, depending on the lake and the State game laws. I've never been in peril of the boat capsizing due to the amount of fish taken. From trying desperately, unsuccessfully, to retrieve the glasses I'd accidentally dropped into Deer Springs, yes, but not from too many fish in the boat (although I did out-fish my husband that day, half-blind or not!)

Sometimes I've missed the opportunity to cast my line into the water, in the first place. Maybe I've been too "busy" with other things to take the time to take the pole down from the rack, or maybe I've just been too tired to even become excited about the prospect of the excursion in general. I can only imagine that Simon Peter, James and John were tired on that particular morning, the day they met their Lord and Savior, the day their lives would be changed forever. They'd spent the night out on the water, with nothing to show for it, and even then their work wasn't done; there were the nets to be dealt with before they could go home, grab a bite to eat and get some sleep. And suddenly, there's Jesus, and He asks for just a bit more of Simon's time. There's not a doubt in my mind that Jesus knew these guys had come back empty-handed, were tired and discouraged. There was a reason that Jesus chose to approach these particular men, on this particular morning. He knew something that they themselves didn't know; that they were going to be given the opportunity to make life-changing decisions that day, and that the choice was entirely theirs to make.

Jesus doesn’t always approach us when everything’s going well in our lives, does He? In my own experience, I’ve been called to service during times when I felt stretched to the limit, emotionally or physically. I have to remind myself that He knows my life circumstances intimately and has far more insight into the situations I’m involved in than I do myself. And just like Simon Peter, James and John, on the morning they met their Lord face to face, the choice to answer His call is mine alone.

What if Simon Peter, upon Jesus' direction to let down his nets, had demurred? What if he'd said, "Master, this lake is fished out. We've been out on the boat all night, for nothing. Not only that, these nets are old and it seems like all we do is repair them. We're tired and hungry, and thanks for the thought, but I think we'll just go on home and get some sleep."

This sounds like something I'd have said, if I were Peter. I'd have seen the situation with human eyes, made it about myself and my immediate needs. I’ve worked eight hours at my job and the day isn’t close to being done yet. I still have to get to the grocery store, then cook supper, run a couple of loads of laundry and try to get a few pages written before I can even think about getting some sleep. Why would I agree to work overtime when I have so much else to do?

I'm glad Peter had a willing heart and that he was obedient. What were his words again? "But because You say so, I will let down the nets." Putting his fatigue and whatever plans he had for the day aside, he listened to and followed Jesus' direction. Because of his faith and obedience, the Lord blessed him immeasurably. Because of his faith and obedience, his life would never be the same.

How many times has the Lord desired to bless me but I've chosen not to follow His direction? How many times have I "missed the boat" because I've been too caught up in mending my nets to trust Him to use them for His service, even though they aren't in perfect condition?

Lord, I ask that You will help me to really hear You, to really see You, when You ask me to cast my net into deep waters. Help me to remember that it is Your Hand that causes my nets to fill, that it isn’t a result of my efforts alone. And help me to remember to return each blessing You bestow upon me into praise for what You’ve done, and are continuing to do in my life, and through the gifts You’ve given me. Amen.

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