A little meditation on Peter, James, & Johns conversion.
“When they had brought their boats to land they forsook all and followed him.”
This quote is from Luke 5:1-11. Its the story of when Jesus speaks to Simon (AKA Peter), commanding him to “launch out into the deep and let down the nets for a catch”. Do you know that story?
Well, it goes a little something like this.
Jesus, randomly got into this guy Simons boat as he was preaching to a multitude of onlookers.
Now here is a question for yah. Do you think that Jesus knew this random fisherman would be Peter as in the Pillar of the church? That he would be numbered apart of the twelve apostles? Did he specifically get into Simons boat for this reason? Or was the “High guys in the sky” (AKA our heavenly father) guiding Peter, James, and John to be in the influence of Jesus at the boat to be blown away by his power? Its a heavenly triune question, isn’t it? Its one of those Trinitarian mysteries
I imagine Jesus randomly getting into Simon’s boat and Simon being caught off guard. wondering what in the world is going on here. Who is this man and who does he think he is? God? And James and John just watching their partner fisherman wondering what in the world is happening?
Jesus’ command to let down the net for a catch must have been such an awkward question. Any fisherman knows that the only time to be casting the nets is in the early morning or the evening before dark. That is when they are running for food.
Peter’s shock and curiosity was made plane by his response.
“Master we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at your word I will let down the net.”
I am sure Simon Peters thoughts went something like this.
Its impossible that there is fish, and it is a pain in the butt to throw the huge net in the water, but, why not throw the net in the water. Even tho I am frustrated and tired from getting skunked the night before. This man speaks to me with such authority. I feel like I have to throw the net, and if I dont I am gonna miss out on something.
Sure enough
“When they had done this they caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking so they signaled to their partners to help them and they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink.
As I read this story I am struck with how much of a blessing this was for everyone present. I love spearfishing. I love being in the ocean and seeing the beauty of Gods ocean. But most of all I love hunting fish. When I go through the trouble of spearfishing and dont catch a single fish I am dissapointed. But spearfishing for me is a hobby. For Peter, fishing was his livelyhood. He had worked all night and was completely skunked. That must have been a frustrating moment in Peter’s life.
I read this story and sense that this miriacle had a whole lot more meaning to Peter, James, and John then just a big catch of fish. It was a display of POWER in the WORD of this man.
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O lord! for he and all who saw it were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken.
The night of fishing Peter had before this experience is a perfect illustration of their Godless life that they had been living. They were in the dark, throwing the net, toiing away, and in the end they had nothing to show for it. Only shame. That pretty much summed up these mens lives up to this point. Emptiness, and sinfulness. They knew it. That why Peter felt the need to throw himself at Jesus‘ feet and humble himself.
Then this guy Jesus comes along. Gives a command to throw out the net in the heat of day and Peter, James, and John obey his word and get the catch of a lifetime. This is the perfect illustration of the Godly life. A life in the light, A life of obedience and faith. A life of miriacles. A life of tottal dependence on God to provide. Peter, James, And John realized at that moment that Jesus is all they needed.
So “When they had brought their boats to land they forsook all and followed him.” Wow. we know the rest of the story. They truly did. No lip service. They Just went for it.
What does this kind of life, obeying God’s word and forsaking all look like today? Who around us is living this life?
Am I living this life? Have I forsaken all?
