The Miraculous Catch of Fish

In Luke 5, Peter, James, & John were cleaning their fishing nets when Jesus asked Peter to let him use his boat for a platform for speaking. After, he told him to go deeper and then to let down his nets. Peter notes that he has already fished all night, catching nothing, but he is willing to do it since Jesus is the one asking. When he does so, the fish swarm into his net, so much so that it is breaking and he has to call James and John (he must’ve had a loud voice) to come and help him. Jesus uses this as a lesson both about his power/authority and as a way to call these men to be his disciples and to work with him in “fishing” for people to capture them into his Kingdom.

How often and widely can this be applied? This is what I am wondering. Probably like everyone else, I hope it can be applied broadly. I hope it can be applied to my life.

How ludicrous the Great Commission seems. Until this. This is a game-changer.

I’ve felt that I do not “see” many fish- I do not know them or have occasion to interact with them much. I do not know what they are looking for or if they feel need. They seem to be resistant to my “catching” them. But I read this passage today.

I heard the guy at the coffee shop connect with the server that I had just passed by. She was unmemorable to me. I don’t know if she wore a hat as part of her uniform. I don’t know if she wore glasses. But here this guy noticed her mask, complimented it, asked about the meaning (if any) of the symbols. He was making a connection; he got in her head. He saw what I missed.

At the lake, I walked past a woman & her son. I wondered if I tried to speak to her how open she would be to relationship. Was she lonely? Was she friendly? Suddenly she called to me. She asked if I could take their photo. A tiny connection. Could I have expanded it? What if her kid is annoying? What if she would want too much of me? What if she rejected connection? There are risks. Is Jesus speaking to me by this interaction? I took some photos, complimented her son, and went on my way. 

They got on their bikes and overtook me. I heard the mom say as she passed, “Just follow me.” Again I wondered, “Is He speaking to me?” As I walk by the lake and think about the fish, and fishing, and being horrible at fishing results despite training and effort, and the miraculous catch He supplies after simple obedience, I wonder. What is He saying to me? How do I follow?

The world that the fish live in is utterly different from the world I live in. But the 2 worlds meet. They can interact. I live on a lake. I live near 3 others. I am very close to the river and not far from the sea. There are fish everywhere. I live near NYC. I communicate with people worldwide with live”streams” and email and this website. The fish are everywhere. Often it seems I have fished to the best of my ability all night long, but caught very few, virtually none. May God help me to know how to catch some.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Lead on, and help me to follow.