A STEP OF FAITH: LEAVING YOUR NETS BEHIND

“One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.” – Luke 5:1-3.

When he first encountered Jesus, Peter was a simple fisherman from a small village. Peter is always interesting. He was not one to take a back seat but was always front and center, speaking his mind, for better or worse. He was considered an ordinary man, but despite his humble origin, Christ called him one of the most influential leaders among the disciples and the early church. Of course, he did not know that when he first met Jesus.

Jesus saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake. The fishermen were out of the boats washing their nets. Jesus He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put it out a little way from the land. He sat in the boat and began teaching. When He finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish” (Luke 5:4).

The fishermen were washing their nets. They had finished. They were tired. They were frustrated. Loaning the boat as a pulpit was one thing, but going back out fishing was something else. Simon answered and said, “Master,” Simon replied, “We worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again” (vs 5).

But then Peter took a step of faith that contradicted his professional experience as a fisherman. He decided to fish and caught so many fish that the two boats were in jeopardy of sinking. When Petter realized what happened, “he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” (vs. 8).

Jesus responds by telling Peter not to fear. He says, in effect, “I know you. I know what you are like. And I still want you to follow me. Don’t be afraid—just follow Me and see what you become.” Verse 10-11 says, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

In this story, Peter shows us the content of an act of faith. An act of faith consists of doing something, in this case, leaving his nets behind.

Following Jesus is not set up for a simple life. But it’s an invitation to live differently and to see differently.

Discussion Questions:

Are you following Jesus? As you thought about that question, where did it lead you?
What risks do you associate with following Jesus? What do you need to leave behind?