2009-12-07

Fishers of Men

And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. (Luk 5:4-11)


After teaching the crowds Jesus has the boat go out into the deep to catch fish. Simon Peter’s response is one of faith…looking back on what he accomplished by his own power, catching fish is an impossible task – he caught “nothing” all night. But at the “word” of Christ he lets down the nets to catch fish in spite of his previous experience in his own power.

A life of faith is a life that trusts in the word of God more than in our own experience…it trusts in the power of God more than in ourselves…and it trusts in the faithfulness of God more than in our own faithfulness.

This passage tells us that because of Peter’s stepping out in faith on the word of Christ they caught a great many fish. And then Christ turns the situation to one of real importance and tells them that they will be fishers of men.

Christ teaches us that to be fishers of men we must trust in His word and not in our cleverness. Consider how Paul came to the Corinthians…

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1Co 2:1-5)


Many do not share the Gospel of Christ with others because they don’t consider themselves wise enough, knowledgeable enough, strong enough, or brave enough to share it. But these are precisely the qualities that Paul says he lacked when coming to the Corinthians with the Gospel. The only thing he knew among them was Christ crucified. The purpose of not relying on our strengths is so that those who come to Christ will do so by the power of God, and not by the power of our persuasive words.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2Co 12:9-10)


As we are driven by faith in God’s word, let us go out and proclaim the Gospel to others and so be fishers of men. May we boast in our weaknesses that we would rely on God’s strength for bringing souls into His kingdom.

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