This is the confession of Simon Peter after unsuccessfully fishing all night and beginning the process of cleaning the nets. Jesus boards Simon's boat and begins to teach the crowd of people from the boat. After Jesus finished speaking, He commanded Simon to put out to deep water and let down the nets for a catch. Simon explained that he and the other men had already been out fishing all night and had not caught anything, but he reluctantly submitted and said "but because You say so, I will let down the nets."
Here is Simon Peter, reluctant and doubting the Son of God. Jesus had been staying with him - even healed is mother-in-law of a fever! Now, Simon Peter is acting as though he doesn't have the time, energy, or desire to do what the Son of God says...but he still does so. In spite of his lack of faith, Jesus performs this sign - a miraculous catch of fish. Upon witnessing this great catch, Simon falls on his knees before Jesus and says "Depart from me, Lord; I am a sinful man."
The miracle of the catch revealed to Simon that he was in the presence of someone who was holy. A similar revelation is recorded in the Gospels - when Jesus calmed the storm and His disciples ask themselves "what manner of man is this, that even the winds and waves obey him?" These miracles were the Lord's way of revealing who Jesus is. Who could perform these works but God alone? And when one's eyes are opened to see that they are in the presence of God Almighty, one becomes keenly aware of one's own sin, one's "undoneness". This, too, is a work of God - that a sinner sees his true condition. Consider the responses of Isaiah, Daniel, Samson's parents, or John on the Island of Patmos. They considered themselves as dead or undone for being in the presence of the one, true, Holy God. Many times in the scriptures we read of these encounters, "I fell on my face, as if dead". It is like they were waiting or expecting to be consumed by God's wrath because of their sin.
And consumed we all should be and deserve to be - "but God!" Our God, who is rich in mercy and grace, comforts His people. Jesus utters those words of comfort "Do not fear" to Simon. How wonderful are those words to the sinner!
I can imagine the fear that Simon displays for his lack of faith. Ashamedly, I have displayed this same lack of faith many times over. Many, many, times I think "Why, Lord, would you have anything to do with me - sinful man that I am?" Each day it seems I am becoming more aware of the sin in my life - everywhere I turn it is ever before me. But praise the Lord that His grace is more than sufficient! Praise be to Him that forgives! And praise be to Him who gives mercy and restores! All the glory is due to Him alone!
We also see from this passage that Jesus is Lord over the catch of fish and He is Lord over the catch of men! Have we ever really considered what a privilege and responsibility it is for us (sinful creatures) to actually be tasked with proclaiming the gospel to all creation! Even though we see over and over again - God's choosing and using sinful men in Scripture to accomplish His purposes - it is sometimes hard to understand and wrestle with why He would use any of us at all. To be sure, the glory rests solely with the Lord! But how awesome and humbling it is to be His instruments, His vessels in proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ! In this, too, all the glory is to God alone!
When we are tired of laboring in our work; laboring in the Word; laboring in prayer; laboring in sharing the gospel with our family, children, coworkers, and others; laboring in the work of the Lord, we must remember Jesus is Lord over all. When confronted with the sin in us, may we see it for what it is and confess it to the Lord. If we are called to put out deeper, let us trust and obey Him, who is Lord of all!
1 comment:
Excellent first post. Spoke directly to me. We should get more people to read this blog.
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