Trusting Jesus

Scripture
 
Luke 5:1   Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God,  2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.  3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.  4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”  5 Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”  6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.  7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.  8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”  9 For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken;  10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”  11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Observation

Simon, James and John were all professional fishermen. They had been doing this for years. Jesus was a carpenter from Nazareth and fishing was not his profession and yet, he seemed to understand much about it. What’s amazing about this story is that the fishermen, who knew their profession, trusted Jesus. He told them to put down their nets, even thought they had already been fishing all night. They trust Jesus and do so, probably not sure of any response. But in trusting Jesus they suddenly have a huge haul of fish and Simon Peter is a broken man. How can this man, Jesus, have known that they could catch this many fish — right now, and in this location? Jesus has something larger in mind. He has simply gotten the attention of the fishermen by revealing his power in the midst of their own personal strength. If they could trust Jesus in a profession they knew well — maybe they could trust him in something they had never done — and that was to become fishers of men.

Application

We may say that we trust Jesus — but do we really? Just as he did with the disciples, Jesus wants to come into our ordinary lives and reveal his power. When we learn to trust him at home and at work — then we will grow and will be able to trust him for the bigger things he has in mind.

Following and trusting Jesus was always meant to be a growing experience. We are to be stretched beyond our own comfort zones. The fishermen were comfortable fishing. We are comfortable in our own world and with the things that we know we do well. Jesus brought fish to fishermen and we will discover him as we go about the ordinary daily business of our lives, if only we will trust him.

Learning to trust Jesus means that we are willing to step out of the boat of our comfort and follow him wherever he may lead.

Prayer

Lord, may I trust in you and follow your leading throughout this day. Amen.

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