Failing Fishermen
"[Jesus] 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 net.'
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.' -Luke 5:1-11
In retrospection, this scene at the Lake of Gennesaret was foreshadowing of the message that Jesus would live. In fact, it is the story of all of our lives, with a lesson that most of us will learn the hard way. The events that unfolded in Simon's boat tell us more than how the first disciples were called, they tell us why we fail to find the things we seek so desperately.
We all understand what it means to be Simon. While it may not be fish we are after, there are countless things we seek that seem to elude us: happiness, acceptance, fulfillment... regardless of the form they take, we all have our fish. We spend day after long hard day on the water, giving it all we've got, but our best just isn't enough and we continually return to shore empty handed.
Then Christ comes, asking more of us... asking us favors. He asks us to give up our time to Him, to trust Him, to follow Him without knowing where He might lead us. We agree and do as He asks. It seems that's not enough though; He also begins to promise us the very things that have so long escaped our grasp. Joy, peace, love...
But we are wary. We've been promised these things before. We, too, have worked hard all night and not caught anything. Why would this time be any different?
We get our answer when we, like Simon, take a chance; we must answer as he did, "Because you say so, I will let down the net." It is then that God can take our willingness to be vulnerable, our ability to allow ourselves to hope, and answer with an overflowing abundance. We receive infinitely more than we had dared to imagine possible. Everyone around us begins to take notice and they, too, come to join in, pulling net after teaming net out of the water.
We have all been Simon. Perhaps now your nets are coming up empty. Maybe you are willing to row Christ out to sea, but not ready to hope that there are fish just beneath the surface. Or possibly you are living in a time of abundance, and with each passing moment another blessing is hauled up. The question is not one of circumstance or timing. Instead, it is simply this: When we hear the words "let down the nets for a catch," will we be willing to listen?
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." -Ephesians 3:20-21
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 net.'
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.' -Luke 5:1-11
In retrospection, this scene at the Lake of Gennesaret was foreshadowing of the message that Jesus would live. In fact, it is the story of all of our lives, with a lesson that most of us will learn the hard way. The events that unfolded in Simon's boat tell us more than how the first disciples were called, they tell us why we fail to find the things we seek so desperately.
We all understand what it means to be Simon. While it may not be fish we are after, there are countless things we seek that seem to elude us: happiness, acceptance, fulfillment... regardless of the form they take, we all have our fish. We spend day after long hard day on the water, giving it all we've got, but our best just isn't enough and we continually return to shore empty handed.
Then Christ comes, asking more of us... asking us favors. He asks us to give up our time to Him, to trust Him, to follow Him without knowing where He might lead us. We agree and do as He asks. It seems that's not enough though; He also begins to promise us the very things that have so long escaped our grasp. Joy, peace, love...
But we are wary. We've been promised these things before. We, too, have worked hard all night and not caught anything. Why would this time be any different?
We get our answer when we, like Simon, take a chance; we must answer as he did, "Because you say so, I will let down the net." It is then that God can take our willingness to be vulnerable, our ability to allow ourselves to hope, and answer with an overflowing abundance. We receive infinitely more than we had dared to imagine possible. Everyone around us begins to take notice and they, too, come to join in, pulling net after teaming net out of the water.
We have all been Simon. Perhaps now your nets are coming up empty. Maybe you are willing to row Christ out to sea, but not ready to hope that there are fish just beneath the surface. Or possibly you are living in a time of abundance, and with each passing moment another blessing is hauled up. The question is not one of circumstance or timing. Instead, it is simply this: When we hear the words "let down the nets for a catch," will we be willing to listen?
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." -Ephesians 3:20-21
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