Today's Passage
Luke 5:1-11
Jesus had already begun teaching. He didn’t need Disciples, but raising up men to carry forward the mission was part of His Calling. Jesus was looking for a few good men. The men Jesus picked were men who were pre-Believers; your average common man. The Disciples were men who were hungry for Truth, hungry for someone powerful to lead them. Peter’s brother Andrew was seeking someone real; he had been a Disciple of John the Baptists’ first. These men were all a semi- spiritual bunch, as they were all Jews, who had a working understanding of the Law of Moses and the Prophets. These men had their own political views, many of them were spoiling for a fight, and they believed Jesus would be the one to be able to bring the fight to Rome. Peter was a man just trying to make it, just trying to provide for his family. He was a scrapper, an opinionated man who never minced words. He was loyal to his band of brothers, and he was willing to fight. (He nearly split a man’s skull in the Garden of Gethsemane.) That’s the type of man Peter was, but when Jesus first met Peter, Peter was having a rough day…
What Peter Saw…
Peter saw his physical failure
Peter saw his nets were empty. He had worked hard all night. Hard work doesn’t always translate to profit, or even breaking-even. There will be times when hard work is fruitless.
Peter saw there was no provision.
Peter saw that his family would go hungry.
Peter saw holes in his nets.
Peter saw his own exhaustion, discouragement.
Peter saw his spiritual failure.
Peter saw he was a sinner. When in the presence of the Holy, we usually feel unworthy, we oftentimes feel dirty. Sin struggles to stand before God.
What we see in ourselves & what God sees are oftentimes two different things.
What Jesus Saw
Jesus saw Peter was Obedient.
Peter was willing to obey a stranger’s request, despite long odds, despite the potential of embarrassment, despite the potential of renewed loss, despite having to start over with cleaning the nets. Peter had to swallow his professional pride & allow a carpenter tell him how to fish.
Jesus saw that Peter was Humble.
He fell to his knees before Jesus.
Jesus saw that Peter Worked Hard.
Peter had worked hard all night long. Jesus didn’t hire a bum, all of the men Jesus recruited had jobs.
Jesus saw that Peter was Resilient. He didn’t give up.
Jesus saw that Peter was Willing to Follow.
Peter understood who Jesus was, even though his knowledge of Jesus was progressively revealed over the course of three years. His brother Andrew’s assessment was that he believed Jesus was the Messiah. Working on his brother’s assessment, Peter was fully convinced, but not fully informed, on what this Messiah’s plans and intents were. Peter was willing to follow Jesus based on what 1) Jesus taught and 2) based on what Peter caught.
What is God Saying to You? What is God Asking you to do?
God isasking you to Follow Him.
God is asking you to put Him as the priority of your life.
Jesus never asked them to leave everything, and the Disciples didn’tleave everything; they just temporarily left their stuff behind.
If they had left everything then they would have left their community; they didn’t. They would have left their families; they didn’t. They would have left their livelihoods; they didn’t (they returned to their boats and their nets, they never sold them).
“Leaving everything” is defined by the American reader as “sacrificial and permanent”. In this particular instance it was neither. Now, that’s not to say that Following Christ is not without its sacrifices. Jesus sets the bar pretty high, and many people choose to notfulfill Christ’s commands.
Jesus didn’t take the men away from their families. They didgo on some business trips together, but the ministry tours were brief. His closest Disciples were Peter & Andrew, James and John, all of whom lived in Capernaum.
Where did Jesus set up his headquarters? Capernaum. So, these men did not leave their jobs, or their families, for three years straight. They certainly came and went, but they did not turn their backs on their families.
Just like Peter, Jesus is looking for your willingnessto make the hard call, to make the hard decision.
God may be saying to you that…
Your Definition of Success can change quickly.
Jesus brought total success to Peter’s total failure. What Peter had dreamedabout had become a realitythrough Jesus.
Peter’s success was amazing, but it was not fulfilling; rather, followingthe man who displayed such power and command of the elements was morefulfilling. Friends, success in this world will only take us so far. A lot of the time, as men, once we accomplish something or defeat something that was once considered our mountain, we begin looking for another mountain. That’s why a lot of men who retire find another job within six months, because they’re bored, and many retired men start dying if they do nothing. A man never really retires, he simply shifts gears and shifts focus. A man may slow down, but he never quits. Sometimes that drives our ladies nuts, but it’s the way it is.
What is God asking youto do? God has called you too Friend, just like Peter. Despite your weariness of work & perhaps some temporary set-backs, despite your lack of worldly success & despite your freshly-cleaned fishing nets, Jesus has called you, because He sees something in you that you don’t currently see in yourself. Jesus called Peter when he was at his worst: discouraged, weary, exhausted. Does that describe your life right now? Answer the call of Christ, and begin finding fulfillment.
