Luke 5:1-11
“Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” – Luke 5:10
Click to read passage
One of the most awkward things in life is having someone with no experience try to instruct an expert. Have you ever been in a situation like this? You are a doctor, yet someone tells you what medicine to prescribe. You are a teacher, yet someone tells you how to teach children to read. You are a cook, yet someone wants to teach you how to prepare a meal. You have been driving for decades, yet the person sitting beside you who does not even hold a license tells you to watch for cars on the left, watch for cars on the right, and not to drive too fast. Doesn’t it feel almost comical? You might even think to yourself, do you really know better than I do?
Luke chapter 5 gives us a scene along these very lines. A professional fisherman meets the son of a carpenter, someone who by all appearances is a complete outsider to the trade, and this man says to him, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). Isn’t that rather unbelievable?
The passage tells us that these fishermen had already worked hard through the entire night. They had just brought in their nets and washed them clean. Now here was someone asking them to let down the nets all over again. For a professional fisherman, this was a very hard request to accept. Simon Peter’s heart was full of struggle too. He said to Jesus, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing.” Peter probably had plenty of reasons to say no. Master, do you know what we have just been through? We have just finished a whole night of work. We had just settled down to rest. Are you asking us to start all over again? Yet because of what he knew of Jesus, Peter chose to honour this “Master” and said, “But at your word I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5).
As a result, “they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking… they filled both the boats, so that they began to sink” (Luke 5:6-7). This catch was not simply about two boats full of fish. It completely transformed Peter’s understanding of who Jesus was.
At first, Peter only saw Jesus as a teacher worth listening to and respecting. After this experience, he came to realise that the one standing before him was not merely a teacher, but the Lord who rules over all creation. This is why Peter “fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord'” (Luke 5:8).
In our own life of service, have we had a similar experience? Do we usually serve simply by relying on our own experience, ability, and skill, or are we willing to “obey the Lord’s word” even in the smallest matters?
When human experience comes face to face with the word of God, are we willing to let go of the thought that “I already know best”?
If we do not learn to listen and obey the Lord’s word, we may end up experiencing failure in the very areas where we felt most confident, most experienced, and most certain of success.
This account teaches us that we can have experience, but we must never let experience become our master.
It also teaches us that only when we obey the Lord’s word in all things, with a humble heart that allows His word to guide our lives, can we truly enter into an abundant life.
When an outsider instructed an expert, the real challenge was not Peter’s skill but his faith. As Peter came to know Jesus anew and acknowledged Him as Lord, his whole life was redefined. Peter’s original goal had been to catch fish, but after meeting Jesus, he received an entirely new calling: to go and catch people. And so, Peter left everything behind and followed the Lord Jesus wholeheartedly (Luke 5:10-11).
Reflection:
In my life’s journey, has there been a time when I moved from relying on myself to relying wholeheartedly on the Lord? If the Lord Jesus wanted to redefine my life today, what would I be willing to let Him change?
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, when I press forward relying on my own wisdom, ability, and experience, only to come up empty-handed, help me to know how to stop, to listen carefully for Your voice, and to seek Your will. In the past You were able to turn a professional fisherman into Your disciple. Today You are also able to change me, so that I am willing to place myself into Your hands, that I may become a disciple after Your own heart. In the precious name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
Click to read passage
One of the most awkward things in life is having someone with no experience try to instruct an expert. Have you ever been in a situation like this? You are a doctor, yet someone tells you what medicine to prescribe. You are a teacher, yet someone tells you how to teach children to read. You are a cook, yet someone wants to teach you how to prepare a meal. You have been driving for decades, yet the person sitting beside you who does not even hold a license tells you to watch for cars on the left, watch for cars on the right, and not to drive too fast. Doesn’t it feel almost comical? You might even think to yourself, do you really know better than I do?
Luke chapter 5 gives us a scene along these very lines. A professional fisherman meets the son of a carpenter, someone who by all appearances is a complete outsider to the trade, and this man says to him, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). Isn’t that rather unbelievable?
The passage tells us that these fishermen had already worked hard through the entire night. They had just brought in their nets and washed them clean. Now here was someone asking them to let down the nets all over again. For a professional fisherman, this was a very hard request to accept. Simon Peter’s heart was full of struggle too. He said to Jesus, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing.” Peter probably had plenty of reasons to say no. Master, do you know what we have just been through? We have just finished a whole night of work. We had just settled down to rest. Are you asking us to start all over again? Yet because of what he knew of Jesus, Peter chose to honour this “Master” and said, “But at your word I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5).
As a result, “they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking… they filled both the boats, so that they began to sink” (Luke 5:6-7). This catch was not simply about two boats full of fish. It completely transformed Peter’s understanding of who Jesus was.
At first, Peter only saw Jesus as a teacher worth listening to and respecting. After this experience, he came to realise that the one standing before him was not merely a teacher, but the Lord who rules over all creation. This is why Peter “fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord'” (Luke 5:8).
In our own life of service, have we had a similar experience? Do we usually serve simply by relying on our own experience, ability, and skill, or are we willing to “obey the Lord’s word” even in the smallest matters?
When human experience comes face to face with the word of God, are we willing to let go of the thought that “I already know best”?
If we do not learn to listen and obey the Lord’s word, we may end up experiencing failure in the very areas where we felt most confident, most experienced, and most certain of success.
This account teaches us that we can have experience, but we must never let experience become our master.
It also teaches us that only when we obey the Lord’s word in all things, with a humble heart that allows His word to guide our lives, can we truly enter into an abundant life.
When an outsider instructed an expert, the real challenge was not Peter’s skill but his faith. As Peter came to know Jesus anew and acknowledged Him as Lord, his whole life was redefined. Peter’s original goal had been to catch fish, but after meeting Jesus, he received an entirely new calling: to go and catch people. And so, Peter left everything behind and followed the Lord Jesus wholeheartedly (Luke 5:10-11).
Reflection:
In my life’s journey, has there been a time when I moved from relying on myself to relying wholeheartedly on the Lord? If the Lord Jesus wanted to redefine my life today, what would I be willing to let Him change?
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, when I press forward relying on my own wisdom, ability, and experience, only to come up empty-handed, help me to know how to stop, to listen carefully for Your voice, and to seek Your will. In the past You were able to turn a professional fisherman into Your disciple. Today You are also able to change me, so that I am willing to place myself into Your hands, that I may become a disciple after Your own heart. In the precious name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!