Deep Sea Fishing

In my April 25 post I wrote about one of Jesus’ final conversations with his friend Simon Peter. Today we look at one of the earliest encounters between the two men as recorded in The Gospel of Luke, Ch 5.

It was Simon’s lucky day – but it hadn’t started out that way. After a fruitless night of fishing, he had come home with an empty boat. For a professional fisherman that spelled frustration, no respect, no income and the added burden of having to clean and repair your gear in hopes of a better outing tomorrow.

But then Jesus told him to “push out into deep water and let out your nets for a catch” Simon took up his challenge – and as soon as his nets hit the water the lake erupted in thrashing fish and a haul so large his nets began to tear apart. His partners on the shore leapt to his aid and together they pulled in a catch that almost swamped both their boats.

Miraculous Catch

When Simon grasped what Jesus had done, he instinctively fell to his knees. He was over-whelmed, stunned by Jesus’ extravegance, mastery and authority. But he knew that Jesus was after bigger game than pickerel and trout. Jesus was trying to net Simon for his cause and Simon was a reluctant fish. He felt completely inadequate. He told Jesus that he was just not made for the job; that he wasn’t in Jesus’ league; he wasn’t holy enough. “Go away, Jesus; I’m a sinful man.”

Behind Simon’s reticence, Jesus saw a proud strong fisherman quaking in his sandals at the thought of throwing in his lot with Jesus.

'Don’t be afraid, Simon,' Jesus said, 'launch out into the deep – into this new venture with me. Yes, you’ll be completely out of your depth, but we’ll be there together, and the fishing will be beyond belief. From now on you’ll be catching men and women, bringing them on board for life.'

For the next few years, Jesus relentlessly took Simon into the deep waters of his own soul. Proverbs 20:5 says, “the purposes of the heart are deep waters.” Jesus confronted Simon’s motives and fears and gave him tasks that called forth courage and faith Simon didn’t know he had.

He gave Simon a new name, Peter – Rocky – and continued to deepen his rock-solid character, transforming him into a renown disciple and disciple-maker. Simon accepted the high challenge of Jesus’ call; he didn’t miss the opportunity to participate in a world that will last forever.

This is exactly the kind of thing Jesus has done in my life over and over again. He saw potential in me and asked to use the boat of my life as his podium; he called me to deep-water adventures which I felt were beyond me, answered profound fears I hardly knew how to name, over-looked both my perceived and real inadequacies and showed his power through the work of my hands.

In every role I’ve played, like Simon, I have known days of failure and disappointment as well as nets bursting with life and undeserved grace.

There’s nothing shallow about the way of Jesus. Deep-sea fishing with Jesus can be an astonishing ride. I wouldn’t miss the opportunity for the world.

Photo Sources:
Mending Nets ... Deep Waters