The background - Peter & Co. were cleaning their nets. Getting ready to go home and sleep. They'd worked hard; fished all night - but had only dirty nets and worn out bodies to show for their efforts. No fish at all. Not even a minnow.
But then Jesus showed up.
And when He shows up things begin to change. Even when it doesn't look like it at first. That's the funny thing about Jesus. You don't always see when He first shows up. But just give Him a little room in your boat, give Him a little room in your life, obey what He tells you to do, and - BAM!! you'll notice Him soon enough. And not in a small way, either.
Peter was smart about it. He made room in his boat. He made room in his life. And he obeyed.
That was how he found himself scrubbing his nets while Jesus was teaching from his boat. That doesn't sound like church on Sunday morning. It doesn't sound pretty. Or dressed up. It doesn't neat and tidy. Or even focused on God. But it DOES sound like someone who made room for Jesus in their boat.
That was also how Peter found himself headed out toward deep water with his cleaned-up nets. Peter (in his usual blunt way) even reminded Jesus "Master, we've been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I'll let out the nets." That doesn't sound overly hopeful. That doesn't sound full of faith. It doesn't sound like he expected anything to happen, except getting the nets dirty and having to clean them again. But it DOES sound obedient.
Which is how he suddenly found his nets strained past their capacity, and had to call for help from his buddies.
Peter was overwhelmed. I've no doubt you and I would have been, too.
He fell to his knees in front of Jesus and said "Master, leave. I'm a sinner and can't handle this holiness. Leave me to myself."
Now here's where I can't help getting a bit amused at Peter. Not in a mean way. Amused because, well, I think I get it. Because when I'm confronted by God and His holiness I tend to be so overwhelmed that I get fearful and feel like crawling in a hole all by myself.
But unless I'm missing something, it doesn't look like Jesus answered Peter's pathetic and overwhelmed statements just then. Unless, perhaps, it was to tell him to get back on his feet and keep working. Because the very next statement says "when they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed... everyone." Now, I'm no fisherman, but pulling in a catch of fish that huge sounds like an awful lot of work. It doesn't sound quick. It doesn't sound clean and tidy. It sounds to me like it would be rather chaotic. And messy. But unless I'm missing something, it wasn't until they got the fish pulled in that Jesus had something more to say to Peter.
"There is nothing to fear. From now on you'll be fishing for men and women."
That's right. He told Peter he had nothing to fear. Nothing to fear from seeing his own sinfulness in the face of holiness. And get this: Jesus didn't leave when Peter wanted him to. Or maybe Peter really didn't want Jesus to leave - he just said so because of being overwhelmed. And maybe, just maybe, Jesus knew that.
But not only did Peter get told to not fear, he also got a glimpse of his future. That's right - a man confronted by his own sinful self gets a picture of who and what he can (and will) become.
That's one of my favorite things about God, I think. He never confronts our sinfulness without also giving us hope that things can be different. I love that about Him.
But then Jesus showed up.
And when He shows up things begin to change. Even when it doesn't look like it at first. That's the funny thing about Jesus. You don't always see when He first shows up. But just give Him a little room in your boat, give Him a little room in your life, obey what He tells you to do, and - BAM!! you'll notice Him soon enough. And not in a small way, either.
Peter was smart about it. He made room in his boat. He made room in his life. And he obeyed.
That was how he found himself scrubbing his nets while Jesus was teaching from his boat. That doesn't sound like church on Sunday morning. It doesn't sound pretty. Or dressed up. It doesn't neat and tidy. Or even focused on God. But it DOES sound like someone who made room for Jesus in their boat.
That was also how Peter found himself headed out toward deep water with his cleaned-up nets. Peter (in his usual blunt way) even reminded Jesus "Master, we've been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I'll let out the nets." That doesn't sound overly hopeful. That doesn't sound full of faith. It doesn't sound like he expected anything to happen, except getting the nets dirty and having to clean them again. But it DOES sound obedient.
Which is how he suddenly found his nets strained past their capacity, and had to call for help from his buddies.
Peter was overwhelmed. I've no doubt you and I would have been, too.
He fell to his knees in front of Jesus and said "Master, leave. I'm a sinner and can't handle this holiness. Leave me to myself."
Now here's where I can't help getting a bit amused at Peter. Not in a mean way. Amused because, well, I think I get it. Because when I'm confronted by God and His holiness I tend to be so overwhelmed that I get fearful and feel like crawling in a hole all by myself.
But unless I'm missing something, it doesn't look like Jesus answered Peter's pathetic and overwhelmed statements just then. Unless, perhaps, it was to tell him to get back on his feet and keep working. Because the very next statement says "when they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed... everyone." Now, I'm no fisherman, but pulling in a catch of fish that huge sounds like an awful lot of work. It doesn't sound quick. It doesn't sound clean and tidy. It sounds to me like it would be rather chaotic. And messy. But unless I'm missing something, it wasn't until they got the fish pulled in that Jesus had something more to say to Peter.
"There is nothing to fear. From now on you'll be fishing for men and women."
That's right. He told Peter he had nothing to fear. Nothing to fear from seeing his own sinfulness in the face of holiness. And get this: Jesus didn't leave when Peter wanted him to. Or maybe Peter really didn't want Jesus to leave - he just said so because of being overwhelmed. And maybe, just maybe, Jesus knew that.
But not only did Peter get told to not fear, he also got a glimpse of his future. That's right - a man confronted by his own sinful self gets a picture of who and what he can (and will) become.
That's one of my favorite things about God, I think. He never confronts our sinfulness without also giving us hope that things can be different. I love that about Him.
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