IF I ASKED YOU , WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE VERSE IN THE BIBLE, IM SURE MOST OF YOU WOULD QUOTE THOSE WONDERFUL OLD FAVOURITES SUCH AS JOHN 3V16, PSALM 23, JOSHUA 1V9 ETC.
I WOULD SAY LUKE 5V8. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT ONE OFF THE TOP OF THEIR HEADS.
PICTURE THE SCENE, PETER A BIG, TOUGH ARGUMENTATIVE FISHERMAN OF MANY YEARS IN THE TOWN OF CAPERNAEM. HE HAS BEEN FISHING THE SEA OF GALILEE FOR YEARS WITH HIS BROTHER ANDREW AND THEIR MATES, HE KNOWS THE SEA LIKE THE BACK OF HIS HAND, TIDES, DEPTHS, WINDS , WHEN AND WERE TO FISH. HOWEVER THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, WHICH INCIDENTLY IS THE BEST TIME TO FISH AS THE FISH CAN NOT SEE THE NETS, HE HAD CAUGHT NOTHING , NOT EVEN A TIDDLER.
EVENTUALLY HE GIVES UP AND SAILS HIS BOAT INTO THE HARBOUR, HOW MUST HE HAVE FELT ? TIRED, KNOWING PETER, MAYBE A LITTLE ANNOYED, READY TO BITE THE HEAD OFF ANYONE WHO MENTIONS HIS CATCH. HOW IS HE GOING TO PAY HIS TAXES WITH NO FISH TO SELL, WHATS HE GOING TO EAT WITH HIS CHIPS? ITS NOT LOOKING GOOD.
ALL THESE THOUGHTS MUST HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH HIS MIND AS HE NEARED THE SHORE, BUT I THINK MOST OF ALL, THE THOUGHT OF GOING HOME TO BED. BUT FIRST OF ALL THEY HAD TO WASH AND CLEAN THE NETS, REMOVE ALL THE BITS OF WEED AND OTHER BITS OF DEBRIS THEY HAD PICKED UP.
HAVE YOU CLEANED YOUR NETS, REMEMBER JESUS SAID HE WOULD MAKE YOU A FISHER OF MEN, HAVE YOUR NETS IN GOOD ORDER,THAT YOU MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN YOUR MINISTRY, YOU TO ARE CALLED, JUST AS PETER AND ANDREW WERE. BACK TO THE STORY, PETER AND THE LADS ARE WASHING THE NETS, IT MUST HAVE BEEN EARLY MORNING BEFORE THE HEAT OF THE DAY, ALONG COMES THAT TEACHER, JESUS WITH A MULTITUDE, A GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE. DOWN HE COMES TO THE SHORE LINE AND WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT , HE GETS INTO PETERS BOAT AND SAYS" PETER, PUSH OUT A LITTLE INTO THE SHALLOWS, " SO PETER OBLIGES. THAT IS WERE HIS FAITH IS AT THIS TIME, IN THE SHALLOWS, JESUS HAS OTHER PLANS THOUGH. JESUS CONTINUES TO MINISTER TO THE CROWD ON THE SHORE, PETER SITS BACK AND LISTENS TO THIS TEACHER FROM NAZARETH WHO HE HAS RECENTLY JUST MET, HE HAD HEARD HIM IN THE SYNAGOGUE AND HAD WITNESSED HIS MOTHER IN LAW BEING HEALED OF THE FEVER BY JESUS (WHAT HE THOUGHT OF THAT WE WILL NEVER KNOW) 4V39 LUKE.
HE PROBABLY THOUGHT OF JESUS AS ANOTHER PROPHET, BUT WAS HAPPY TO LET HIS BROTHER ANDREW RUN AROUND AFTER HIM WHILE HE STUCK TO THE FISHING BUSINESS.
JESUS FINISHES SPEAKING THEN TURNS TO PETER AND SAYS "COME ON PETER LETS GO OUT TO THE DEPTHS AND PUT THE NETS DOWN FOR A CATCH"
HE OBVIOUSLY KNOWS ABOUT THE FISHLESS NIGHT. I THINK HE IS ALSO TESTING PETER OUT HERE.
WHAT ABOUT PETERS RESPONSE"MASTER WE HAVE TOILED ALL NIGHT AND CAUGHT NOTHING" TIRED , FED UP AND DEFEATED. NOT QUITE FOR HE GOES ON TO SAY "NEVERTHE LESS AT YOUR WORD I WILL LET DOWN THE NET"
HERE IS PETER A FISHERMAN BY TRADE, GOING OUT IN BROAD DAYLIGHT , IN A BIG FISHING BOAT, LISTENING TO A RABBI FROM NAZARETH, WHO IS TELLING HIM TO GO AGAINST ALL HIS INSTINCTS PETERS FAITH IS STILL IN THE SHALLOWS, BUT HE IS ABOUT TO TAKE IT INTO THE DEPTHS.
HE MAY OF THOUGHT TO HIMSELF "WHAT AM I DOING" AS THE NETS SANK INTO THE BEAUTIFUL DEEP WATERS OF THE GALILEE. AT THIS POINT, I IMAGINE JESUS WAS QUITE HAPPY TO SIT BACK AND WATCH THE DRAMA DEVELOP. GRADUALLY IT BEGINS TO DAWN ON THEM.
"OI PETER, GET A LOOK AT THIS" SHOUTS ONE OF THE CREW, PETER CURIOUSLY WANDERS OVER TO HAVE A LOOK, ITS THE NETS, THEY ARE PULLING, WE CANT HAVE SNAGGED ANYTHING ON THE BOTTOM AS ITS TO DEEP. THEY GATHER ROUND AND BEGIN TO PULL THE NETS, ITS HARD WORK BUT AS THE NETS GET NEARER THE SURFACE, IS IT A TRICK OF THE LIGHT? NO, ITS , "ITS FISH, BLINKIN HUNDREDS OF THEM. YOU LOT GET OVER HERE AND HELP". THERE ARE SO MANY FISH THAT THE BOAT IS IN DANGER OF BEING PULLED UNDER. "LADS, SAIL THE OTHER BOAT OVER TO HELP, QUICKLY"
THEY ARE LAUGHING THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF UNBELIEF OF WHAT HAS JUST HAPPENED, ITS NATURAL TO QUESTION THINGS WE DON'T UNDERSTAND, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT JESUS IS SUPERNATURAL.
THEY ARE BEGINNING TO COMPREHEND WHAT HAS JUST HAPPENED, ESPECIALLY PETER, THIS WELL HARD MAN IS OVERCOME BY CONVICTION, HE REALISES THIS MAN IN HIS BOAT IS NOT JUST A PROPHET, HE IS THE PROPHET SPOKEN OF BY MOSES, ISRAELS MESSIAH.
HE APPROACHES JESUS, LOWERS HIMSELF AND LEANS INTO JESUS KNEES " DEPART FROM ME , FOR I AM A SINFUL MAN, O LORD," HE IS NO LONGER MASTER, HE IS NOW LORD.
PETER WILL NEVER BE THE SAME, LET JESUS TAKE YOUR FAITH TO THE DEPTHS.
Written by Tom
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