Radically Reoriented…

God often becomes manifest in the ordinary, even seemingly unnecessary events of a person’s life— events which nevertheless are in accord with some purpose that is or is not known. – Arland J. Hultgren

Jesus knew Peter was exhausted. Weary. Done. Knew he had spent a fruitless night pulling in empty nets. Scripture tells us that Jesus was there on that same shore standing among the great crowd that had gathered there to hear more about God—to hear Him preach. He was an eyewitness to Peter’s discouragement. “He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets”—Luke 5:2. If anyone is paying attention, what Jesus is doing on this shore is a nod to the new thing He’s is about to do. A shift. Until now, Jesus had always taught in the Temple (Luke 4:15;4:31).

But I digress…

Jesus was an eyewitness to Peter’s empty nets. And even if He had not been, standing there that is—He alone is Omniscient. Before He stood over the dark void this Triune God knew Peter would be found sitting there. Sitting on the very bank of this sea—discouraged. This experienced fisherman not having caught so much as a minnow. Having nothing but a sore back and some empty, tattered nets to show for his fruitless hours of laboring through the long watches of the night. He was ready to put this night behind him now. To have a bite and hit the bed. But here comes Jesus—doing what Jesus does. Asking that we trust Him. Asking that we push off just one more time. Even though we know it makes no rational sense to do so. Even though we know we just do not have the strength for yet one more “useless” attempt at catching what has eluded us thus far. Still, He is who He is. We know this. Believe it—at least we are beginning to…

What do you do when all that you know, all you have learned and relied on—fails you? Slipping away like water through your clasping fingers. When you are left staring at the needle of your compass as it spins wildly in circles? Your due north momentarily inaccessible. What happens when the systems you have had in place stop yielding up a catch?

Jesus is about to answer that question. He will demonstrate for us—as we read through this account in Luke 5, what will happen to a man—a heart, that, contrary to all it knows, has learned, is willing to leave it all behind for a new way of doing things. He will show us in no uncertain terms that going out into ever deeper water is often what is needed to change us. To fulfill the plans He has for us—contrary to how we may feel about it. We were not created to sit idly on the shore. We are destined to be doers instead. “When he had 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.

Beloved, it is time to let go…

Typically, it is in these moments of hesitancy, of discouragement—some will call them the dark night of the soul. Moments when we are wresting and weary, worn down and feeling a million miles away from God that He, in fact, is the nearest to us. It is usually when we come to the end of ourselves that we find that single thread—the slim hope needed, the crack in the door that leaves in just enough Light to pierce our inner darkness. It is there, in that place, through that sliver of Light, that we emerge—somehow. No, not somehow. Only by God’s grace. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” –Philippians 2:13. This has been my Truth certainly. The very Cornerstone of what sustains me. Christ alone. No-thing else. Certainly, no person. Peter is about to experience this radical reorientation more fully. This new thing that happens in a soul when Jesus passes by and takes possession of all that we know—have come to rely on.

I say more fully because this is not Peter’s first encounter with Jesus. If you will turn back and read Chapter 4:38-39 of Luke’s Gospel, you will witness the first green bud of this nascent relationship—Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law. “Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was very sick. She had a high fever. They asked Jesus to do something to help her. He stood very close to her and ordered the sickness to go away. The sickness left her, and she got up and began serving them”. Knowing this—that Peter and Jesus had some modicum of a prior relationship, makes understanding why an exhausted and discouraged Peter obeyed Jesus’ request to push out into deep water at all. To throw his now clean nets back out into a sea he was certain would offer up no fish. He was, after all, the experienced fisherman in this boat. Yet in Peter’s eyes, Jesus was not only master—a term used in the Greek to describe a teacher or tutor, He was more. He was kyrosis—meaning Lord. Who but God can heal and restore? The miracle of Peter’s mother-in-law having been healed was a seed just waiting to be cracked open, taking deep root in the belly of this weary fisher-man. Not only were Peter’s nets about to burst, but His tiny mustard seed of faith was also about to miraculously be turned into a mighty faith. A faith that would be used by God to see many healed. More, this fisher of men’s faith would be used to advance the Gospel unto the ends of the earth, via his dogged witness. Luke shares this Truth with us in Acts  1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Peter was one of the “you will…”

Peter obeyed the Lord. Even though he did not feel like it. Have you ever done that? Ashamedly, I know I have. “…Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets” Luke 5:5. You can almost hear the exasperation in his voice. Yet the reward for his obedience—the fulfillment of God’s plan. Remember—it is always about Jesus first. Peter’s nets are suddenly so full of fish—fish that had completely eluded this knowledgeable fisherman just hours before, that he must call his partners over to help bring in this massive catch. “And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking” –Luke 5:6-7.

This was part of God’s plan as well. Soon all three will leave everything behind to follow Jesus. A genuine encounter with Him will do that to you. It will drive you to your knees. It will cause you to forsake all others, cleaving only unto Him. “When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man”. For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed” –Luke 5:8-10. I get verse 8—I do. Many a time in my own walk with the Lord I have had this same moment. Being left dumbstruck by some awe-inspiring revelation of Christ’s Holiness. Of His being the Sovereign God of the universe! The weight of it dropping me to my knees. In an instant, literally, I knew I was standing in the presence of the King of the World. In that same instant too, I knew I was unworthy to be in the presence of Someone so Pure—filthy as I can get. I was humbled too. I had never witnessed such power before…

But now look at Jesus—God incarnate. The One who, leaving the glory and majesty of heaven behind, donned a suit made of flesh that He might be like Peter, you, me, and him, her, them too. In every way save one that is—sin. He wanted to know, firsthand, our fears, and our frailty. What drives us and frightens us, both. What our deepest need is. Just as He knew Peter’s. There is a deep mystery in this. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways”, declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” –Isaiah 55:8-9. Jesus knew fishing for creatures that lived beneath the water was just a set-up for what was to come for Peter. A mean-time thing. A placeholder for his true calling. In the matter of a few short hours perhaps, out on a boat doing something Peter did not want to be doing, God radically changed Peter. Not merely his vocation, no. God changed His life! Yet Jesus knows just how frightening it can be for us mere mortals to have our world suddenly upended. Even when it is in the best possible way! To watch the needle on our compass spin wildly. He knows how disorienting having a genuine encounter with Him can be. He knows our frame.

As we close, we will witness Jesus speak lovingly, knowingly to that place deep within us. Patiently allowing us time to gain our footing. Time for our world to stop spinning. Time to settle down that we might step sure-footedly, once again, on somewhat familiar soil. Just as He did with our brother Peter. Remember the whole His being Omniscient thing? He knows exactly what we need in the exact nanosecond we need it. “Jesus replied to Simon, “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” –Luke 5:10-11.

New friend, this same Jesus knew you would be here today. It is no accident that you are reading this. Won’t you ask Jesus into your heart today so that He might make you a fisher of men, too? “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” –Romans 10:9-10.