Jesus Over Responds to a Slight Obedience
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.” 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.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. ’
Peter really didn’t do a lot, but the little thing he did was in obedience to what Jesus told him to do. It was the same as what he had been doing all night. It was the same as he had been doing ever since he dropped out of the mandatory religious training that all boys attended. Not smart enough for Torah school, he was sent back to learn the trade of his family: fishing.
On this day, a Rabbi came and borrowed his boat for a while to speak to crowds of people. Peter may have already heard of Jesus, maybe not. Either way, he got an earful of teaching as Jesus spoke that day.
I have a friend that re-opened a grocery store once after they closed because we were camping and we all needed food for the next 24 hours. “I have $50 I will spend at your store right now if you open!” he shouted through the locked doors. They opened and we didn’t starve to death in the barren wastes of Dale, Indiana.
Peter had no such promise. He was done for the day and had held over for this surprise teacher. Still, he did what Jesus said. Exhausted, they threw their cleaned-up and put away nets into the water and waited. Again.
The other boat probably didn’t even put out into the water until the miracle happened. No need to. They caught nothing during the best fishing times, why would they catch anything now? When the huge pull of fish came in, Peter knew that he was in the presence of a very holy man. He knew that he wasn’t even worthy to have such a man in his boat.
If we balk at the idea that Peter would just leave everything and follow Jesus, we aren’t appreciating the epic hugeness of this miracle. They had probably never caught so many fish in their entire lives. They probably never even heard of such a thing. Jesus pinpointed the thing that would blow their minds with His power and did it.
Praise God for the gift of revelation that He gives to just a little bit of obedience! Praise Him also today that He so often speaks to us in just the way that we’ll get it if we listen.
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