~~~ 1 Cor 3:18-23 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ Luke 5: 1-11 ~~~
I am particularly fond of today's gospel from Luke.
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
A few years ago this was the theme for our annual women's retreat.
The whole passage has a wonderful message of listening to what God tells us.
Listening even when we have our doubts.
Listening even when we think we know better.
Listening when he is asking us to repeat something we have previously done.
Jesus told Peter and the others to lower their nets for a catch.
The fishermen had just returned from being out fishing all day.
They were tired and futrther more they had not caught any fish...
Why would they want to try one more time?
Jesus uses what we are familiar with and puts his own spin on it.
Jesus turns something we thought we knew
into something unbelievable.
Jesus takes the mundane and makes it remarkable.
Peter tries to talk Jesus out of this late fishing expedition,
but in the end they do lower their nets.
How often are we tempted to tell Jesus we are tired?
How often do we want to say to Jesus this will not work?
How often do we finally surrender to what God wants from us?
Jesus respected Peter and the others for their expertise
when it came to fishing.
They were the professionals. This was their livelihood.
This was how they supported their families.
"...the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God..."
These guys certainly thought they had all of the answers
when it came to fishing.
They knew these particular waters very well.
They had spent many hours and days fishing right here.
This is exactly why Jesus chose to test their trust in him.
Was he also testing their loyalty?
Was he testing their obedience?
It is as if Jesus was saying...
okay you 'know it alls' just cast out the nets and I will show you...
Jesus wanted to show them what he could do
in spite of their years of experience and wisdom.
His power transcends any knowledge or wisdom
we think we have acquired at our age.
Jesus creates abundance where they had not even caught
one fish that day.
"...they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing..."
and their nets were tearing..."
In this abundance Jesus creates the need for them
to reach out to others for help.
He created community between the fishing boats.
In the past the fishermen were probably
only interested in taking care of their own catch.
This was their job.
Whatever they caught would be able to
bring in money for their loved ones.
They were not accustomed to sharing what they caught
with the other fishermen.
If the other boat was also theirs they alone had caught enough
to fill both boats.
They both benefited from the full nets of the one boat.
This bursting net full of fish was so impressive that
upon returning to the shore...
"...they left everything and followed him."
Surely they could not understand what he meant in saying
that they would soon be catching men.
All of their wisdom collectively did not prepare them for this
fishing expedition.
It was more of a 'deep see' experience.
They followed without any other questions.
Because they were willing to follow, Jesus was encouraged
to embark on his true purpose for being here among us.
Jesus did not come to go fishing with the guys.
But when he did it was an unforgettable day for these fisherman.
Peter fell to his knees admitting before Jesus and the others,
his peers, that he was truly humbled by what he had just witnessed.
Peter is so human...he is so much like us.
What would it take for God to challenge the wisdom and expertise
you believe you hold?
Where does your wisdom lie?
That is where you might look for God to be working.
Often he is at work where we would not expect.
