Hey girls! I've been studying Luke 5 and I'm finding myself seeing this passage in a whole new light. I wonder what you think? I've always heard this story preached with Peter being this disobedient rebel that missed out because he didn't cast the "nets" but only the "net". I have also always believed that partial obedience is disobedience......I still do. If I tell my girls to clean their room and they do everything but make the bed...they still did not obey because making that bed is part of cleaning the room and they know that. But with that thought in mind let's look at the story of Peter, Jesus, and a fishing boat in Luke 5.
First of all let's think about what details we are provided. In verse 1 we know that Jesus had drawn quite the crowd to Lake Gannesaret (which is the sea of Galilee) and he must have felt a little crowded or overwhelmed because he asked the fisherman that had their boats drawn to land if he could get in one of them and push out a little so that the people could hear him better. Peter was the ship owner in this case and he granted the request of Jesus. V2 tells us that Peter was washing his net. He was finished with the fishing thing for the day. V5 tells us that he had fished all night and caught nothing. I don't know about you but staying up all night alone is exhausting and puts your body out of whack so to speak and then to be up all night and not catch anything? Are you kidding? How frustrating! I wouldn't have been in the best of moods. That was Peter's livelihood. That was his profession....if he knew how to do anything, he knew how to fish.
Simon Peter must have had a soft heart and recognized that there was something special about the teachings of this man called Jesus. Why would he have granted him the wish of using his boat...I'm sure Peter just wanted to go home and go to bed. But there's no record of even a complaint. He just did what Jesus asked.
In v4 Jesus makes his second request. "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught." What?....Fish some more???? Really Lord, that is pointless. We've fished all night....haven't caught one thing! We JUST got the nets washed....that in itself is a lot of work...we are tired....we are frustrated....we have no fish which means no money.....(don't you think you would have had these thoughts?) Here's what the Word records for us v5 "Simon answering said unto him, Master we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." This is where I've heard preachers really give Peter a hard time, because he only let down a "net", singular instead of "nets", plural, like Jesus said. But girls, he did let one down!! Would you have done that? I don't know if I would or not. My flesh and the exhaustion I would have felt may have said, maybe next time Lord, Maybe tomorrow, there really isn't any use....etc.
Well, you read the rest of the story and you'll see that they took in so many fish that their net brake and then even their boats began to sink. Then in v8 we hear what Peter's reply was "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Now, I want you to think through this part too. Just think about what Peter had just witnessed. Like I said earlier, if there was one thing Peter knew it was fishing...he knew he had done his best and it yielded nothing! Now at the command of a man named Jesus they had enough fish to sink 2 boats! He witnessed a miracle unlike any he had ever seen. His feelings may have went from excitement to amazement and maybe even to fear...v9 says astonished and in the amplified it says "For he was gripped with bewildering amazement (allied to terror)" I would have been scared....or more like freaked out! What about you?
I think Peter really caught a glimpse of the holiness and power of Jesus and it opened his eyes to who he was in comparison and that yielded the phrase "I am a sinful man" We are all sinful compared to Jesus. That's why we need salvation.
Should Peter have cast both nets....I think so. But Jesus reply to him tells me that even though he didn't obey fully....his heart was not disobedient. God knew his faith was weak. Look at the response from the Lord in v10 "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." Jesus didn't rebuke Peter; He didn't lecture Him or tell him how horrible he was. He spoke the words that I think we all would want to hear if we were face to face with God "Fear not"....wow...what comfort. What peace that would have brought. And then on top of that he told Peter what his future had in store for him. He told him he would be catching souls! Read Acts chapter 2....boy did Peter catch some souls.....3000 of them!!! The Lord doesn't see you as what you are.....He sees you as what you can be in Him!
I love Max Lucado's words so much when he says "God loves you just the way you are but to much to leave you that way; He wants you to be just like Jesus." How true! How wonderful! God knows where you are, he knows how much faith you have and he sees your heart. He knows if you are sincere and even though you are, you may sometimes falter and even fail....but dear sister don't worry.....He's right there waiting to say...."Fear Not". There's comfort in those words!! Amen!
One more thought.....If Peter had not had his faith muscle worked out in this part of his life....do you think he would have been able to step out of the boat onto the water later on in life??? He may have started to sink but at least he stepped out of the boat..that was a HUGE leap in faith.
Meditate on it and let me know what you think.
I love you all! Keep on Keeping on!
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