S3E144 – Luke 5-6: Let’s Go Fishin’

Podcast Introduction

Our reading today is Luke 5-6, and I’m calling the episode “Let’s Go Fishin’.”

Comments on Luke 5

Jesus’ first request of Simon didn’t require much faith from him, did it?

He got into Simon’s boat, and asked Simon to put out a little way from the shore. That’s all He asked. “Take me out just a little way, Simon.” He wanted to speak to the people who had been pushing and crowding Him so they could hear the Word of God. 

Picture the scene. Simon Peter (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. And 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 that, as we get to know him, is most prone to emotional outbursts, is asked to stop cleaning his net and take 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 frustration from Jesus. 

Nonetheless, Simon takes Jesus out in the boat. And…he becomes a captive audience in the process. He has to listen to Jesus’ sermon. Don’t you just love Jesus? I don’t think that Jesus’ choosing to go out on Simon’s boat was an accident, do you?

Luke does not tell us what Jesus said in his sermon, 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. 

What’s happening here? 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 as you ask.”

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 then Simon fell down at Jesus knees. This is him acknowledging that Jesus is worthy of worship. 

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

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?

Today’s Bible Translation

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

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