It’s a familiar story in Luke 5. Peter and his companions have been fishing a-l-l night and come up empty. They’re tired. They had expectations that weren’t met, so they’re disappointed and discouraged as well. They just want to wash their nets and head home (v. 2). You can feel their fatigue.
Jesus is also there and He’s teaching the crowds who have gathered to hear Him. He climbs into Peter’s boat and asks him to put out a bit from the shore. Peter complies. After He is finished teaching, the One who was trained as a carpenter (or was it a builder?)—the One who probably had a good night’s rest—tells Peter, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (v. 4).
It’s all too much for Peter. You can hear it in his voice, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets” (v. 5). Sounds a touch condescending, don’t you think?
Fast forward to the nets becoming so full of fish that they begin to break (v. 6). Another boat rushes to their assistance, and soon the two boats are filled so full of fish that they begin to sink. Peter sees all this and falls to his knees in front of Jesus, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”
This answers any questions about a patronizing reply. Peter has been exposed and nobody needs tell him—he is all too aware of it. As Jackson Browne wrote and Gregg Allman sang in the song These Days, “Please don’t confront me with my failures—I’m aware of them.” That’s Peter’s song, too. Jesus is much more than he thought and Peter is not just humbled by the difference, but deeply ashamed. (Is there one of us hasn’t felt this way at some point in their walk with the Lord?)
But here’s where the story takes its biggest turn.
In a move that surpasses the miracle He just performed, Jesus refuses to honor Peter’s request. It’s not even a matter worthy of discussion or debate. Regardless of what Peter wants in the moment, Christ isn’t going away. And this is what we love about Jesus! We love how He refuses to pile on. We love how when everyone has given up on us (including us), He is still there. We love how He believes in us long after we’ve stopped believing in ourselves.
Instead of going away, Jesus commissions Peter and his companions, telling them, “From now on” they will be fishing for men.
He sees us as we are, yes, but He also sees us for what we could be through Him. And isn’t that exactly what we need in a Lord and Savior?
Here’s an idea. Why don’t we stop looking at ourselves so much and start looking at Him?
From now on.
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 