Luke 5:1-11
1 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee,[a] great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon,[b] its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. 4 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.” 5 “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.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 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. 8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on, you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
Are the cares of this world hindering you from listening to Jesus? Are situations in your life speaking louder than Jesus? We see this happen in the text. While Jesus was preaching, Simon Peter was concerned about not catching any fish. Fishing was his profession and the way he provided for his family. Although his concerns were valid, he was distracted. Thereafter, Jesus asked Peter to push the boat into the water so He could speak from where everyone could see and hear Him. As in the text, Jesus is always in the right position for us to see and hear Him. Likewise, we have to be in the right position so we can see and hear Him. Let’s look at the spiritual shift that takes place in the story.
In order for a shift to happen in us, there must be a shift in our minds. See Jesus was a carpenter and not a fisherman. Simon Peter was saying, “Jesus, we have been at this all night and have caught nothing”. What Simon Peter didn’t understand at first was that Jesus knows the fish and they listen to Him. If Jesus says get in the net, the fish will get in the net. They will simply just obey. After Simon Peter had gone back and forth with Jesus for a while, he obeyed. Doesn’t that sound like some of us?
Next, there has to be a shift in our hearts. As the fish listened to Jesus and jumped into the nets of Simon Peter, Simon Peter had to call his partners to help him because his boat began to sink. Notice that Simon Peter’s friends had no problem helping him. They knew that the abundance of fish meant an abundant financial blessing. However, Simon Peter was not selfish. He did not try to keep it all to himself.
When Jesus blesses us, He blesses us to be a blessing. After Simon Peter saw the benefits to obeying Jesus, his heart changed. He didn’t point out anyone else’s sins. He fell to his knees and said, “Jesus I am not worthy”. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on, you’ll be fishing for men” .
The shift in Simon Peter resulted in life-changing action. He realized what had taken place in his life and became a fisher of men so he could help change the others.
We can learn from Simon Peter. In order for a shift to happen in us, our mind, who we are, will change first. Then, our heart, what we are, will change. Lastly, our actions, what we do, will change. Then, God can use us just like He used Simon Peter to share His blessings and bring Him glory because of the change or the shift that happens in us.
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