Jesus Saves, Calls, and Equips, but Not Always In That Order
Luke 5:1 ¶ On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret,
Luke 5:2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
Luke 5:3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
Luke 5:4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
Luke 5:5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”
Luke 5:6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.
Luke 5:7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
Luke 5:8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
Luke 5:9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken
The genius grace of the Lord Jesus shows up in so many ways here.
1. The Call and Salvation of Peter
Did Jesus have mercy on Peter or call him into service first? It’s tricky, isn’t it? Jesus shares in the kingdom with everyone He calls. He shares in the work and He shares in the victories. Peter became part of the mission before he ever realized it, but something about they way he went along with Jesus’ commands was the way he joined the mission.
2. Nobody Deserved It
It was obvious to Peter that Jesus was a righteous man of power. Nobody could do things like this unless God was with Him. At the same time, Peter knew his own frailty and weakness. That was exactly the kind of man Jesus was looking for! There were plenty of Pharisees all over, but Jesus was calling fishermen that knew their only hope was to depend on God.
3. The Whole Water Thing
Jesus made an instant amphitheater by preaching from the boat. People could crowd all around on the shore and there would be a lot more front row seats. Sound carries better over water, and unsuspectingly, Peter is now associated with Jesus because of his proximity. Later, when Peter speaks to the crowds, some of them will remember this day and recognize him.
4. Jesus In Real Life
Peter didn’t need so much wise teaching that day as he needed to catch some fish! Jesus showed off that He was Lord over our needs. He gives us everything we need to build His Kingdom every day. I might not get the self-driving Tesla that I want, but it’s God’s wisdom that holds that back. Peter wouldn’t have handled a sweet new fiberglass fishing boat very well, either.
Jesus is remarkably relevant to our every day life. He shows us mercy and equips us for what He is planning. He works in brilliant ways, and He takes care of us every step of the way.
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