Following the Master Pt 2 (Fishing)

Luke 5:1-11

1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,  the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He 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.

    4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

    5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

    6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 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.

    8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 910 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,

    Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people." 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Colossians 1:13-14

13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

It's an interesting scene, isn't it.  A crowd gathered on the shore of the lake listening to Jesus as He speaks, first from the shore, and then just off the shore to the crowd.  Do you even wonder what was going through the minds of all those people as they listened, as each of their stories interacted with what Jesus was saying.We don't know a lot about the stories of many of those in the crowd, but we do know a little about Peter's.  It had been a long night.  They had fished but had caught nothing.  As Jesus concludes His remarks to the crowd, He continues His conversation with Peter. 

"Put out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch."  Unexpected things happen when you push out in the deep with Jesus.  Sometimes things happen that conventional wisdom tells us really should not or does not happen.  Yet it does, doesn't it?  What happened that day between Peter and Jesus is what Pastor Jon shares with us this morning in the sermon.  If you would like to listen once again. or perhaps hear it for the first time, click here.

Points to Ponder:

What happens when Jesus gets into our space?  Jesus gets into the middle of what Peter feels he is good at and knows, and invites him to do it differently.  How hard is that?  How receptive are we?  Is Jesus welcome into our "space" where we already know/have decided that things are a certain way?  Yet Jesus invites us out into the deep, and has things to say, if we are willing to listen.

What happens when we are willing to share what happens to us when we are willing to go out into the deep with Jesus?  Jesus uses the language of "catching people alive" for the Kingdom.  A unique phrase, and a unique idea.  Do you wonder if might be more willing to listen and to hear than we sometimes might think?  Perhaps there are fish that would not object to being caught as much as we might think?