Fishing all night, fully exhausted more so as thier night long toil and Labour come to naught. Empty with no fish on hand yet cleaning up thier nets Jesus blow in a refreshing changes. Sitting in thier boat flapping rhymatically with the tides words of God calms the crowd bringing peace and blessings in plenty.
To Simon and friends James and John, sons of Zebedee: “Pull deeper to the sea and cast your nets down for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked hard all night long catching Nothing. But as you say so, I will let down the nets.” And lo! What a net breaking catches it has been! Thier partners joined them. Both boats are filled with so full of fishes, they looks like sinking.
Only God can do it. Simon Peter recognize it well. On his knees and to JESUS, “Go away from me, Lord! I am a sinful man!”
God is HOLY. When one sees God, one sees one’s own sinfulness and shortcomings.
God is also LOVE. JESUS said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” Seeing God ring in net breaking rewards and blessings! Yet leaving all asides, Simon Peter, James and John, sons of Jebedee follows JESUS! For they know that in working for Jesus and in catching men for HIM the net breaking fishes will comes along!
Peter sees it rightly declaring to JESUS: “You are the Christ, the Messiah!” But then, the very next moment Jesus rebuked him, “Satan! Go away from me.” God’s purposes in JESUS is to died at the Cross for us SINNER to have life. Peter wanted to prevent Jesus from going through the pains of death and from his mission, hence the scolding.
On the night of trials, three times Peter denied Jesus. The Rooster crows and Peter break down. All he can do is cried. Remembering Jesus word for words! Oh, what has becomes of me!
What went wrong then? Jesus is crucified at the Cross. Peter and friends are off back to fishing in the sea. Toiling and labouring hard all night but with no catches. Empty net, empty boat and an empty mind. Nothing seems to work fine! From the shore Jesus call out “Throw your nets on the other sides of the boat.” They did and what a catches it has been. John said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” And off goes Peter wrapping his clothes around and walking towards the Lord. The others followed pulling the nets full of fishes.
And in the shore is JESUS with bread and fishes and fire burning. “Bring some of the fishes you just caught.” Peter pull the net with full of fishes. A hundred and fifty three big fishes yet the net did not break! JESUS then call out to them and said “Come and eat.” None came for they all know it was the Lord. So JESUS went over and gave them the bread as well as the fishes.
This was the third times JESUS has appeared to his disciples after his death at the Cross. Seeing and knowing and living in Christ, net full of fishes is the PROMISES! Let Christ lives in you. Your net will not tears. The fishes will neither leave you. Catching men is your commission: Tending to your needs is God’s headaches. Leaves the worries to him! He will take care and He will do it well beyond your expectations and ways beyond your imaginations!
JESUS asked Peter as well as all of us not only once but again and again. “Do you love me.” If so then, “take care of my lambs!” Peter look BACK to his past and responded “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!”
“Follow me!”
Well friends! JESUS CHRIST knows everything. Call to him and see for yourself where you stand. Are you catching men or are you still in the sea catching fish! Not a net breaking fishes but a net full of fishes is God’s PROMISES if we tend to what we are called into being FISHERS OF MEN!
Jesus Calls the first disciples. Luke 5:1-11. Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples and Jesus and Peter. John 21:1-19.