Saturday, 18 March 2017

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.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” They had toiled all night and caught nothing. at dawn they beach their boats and begin to wash, mend and dry their nets. Jesus makes an absurd request. Put the nets back in the boat. Go back to work in the blazing sun. Not the right time for catching fish. “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” What Jesus commands does not always look good to us. It does not always make sense to us. May look painful and risky and insignificant and bound to fail, even absurd. But we must obey Jesus, because he is Lord and he has given us his word. At his word, obey. Because you know who he is. Jesus asks us to give up things we want. To keep doing things when we want to quit. To do new things that scare us. We must say: “but at your word, I will do it.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 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. 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.” Simon Peter knew he was a sinner, and he knew Jesus is Lord, but he didn't know Jesus well yet. He didn't know that Jesus loves sinners. The one who calls him to obey, loves him and forgives his sins. Much later when Peter knows Jesus better, even though Peter has sinned against Jesus Peter responds in a different way. John 21:5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. Now though he has sinned against Jesus, Peter jumps in the water and runs to Jesus. When you know Jesus and you know that you are a sinner, you run to him.