Let Down Your Net
Luke 5:1-7
Consider with me Luke 5: 1-7
“One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat…”
My commentary:
Simon was responsive to the instruction of Jesus and participated by "putting the boat out a little from the shore." In order to do this, I suppose that whatever was keeping the boat in place at the shore had to first be removed (rope, anchor, etc....).
Selah (stop and think about this) …
Then they had to take the oars and physically participate in the instructions of Jesus as they moved the boat out from shore. This was not a rowboat. Don’t be fooled. These boats were big.
Selah …
The fishermen were not sitting idle with nothing to do. Emotional and mental effort was involved. Simon had to stop what he was doing (set aside his agenda of washing the nets) in order to obey the instructions.
Selah…
Obedience to the instruction of the Lord is not always convenient and the “how” may not necessarily be easy. We are often asked to align our priorities with God’s agenda. In Simon’s case, would the boat drift on the currents a bit? Would he be required to keep the boat steady. Otherwise, can you imagine? Jesus would have to keep turning around and speaking and /or the people keep moving along the shore to stay with them…Maybe they simply dropped the anchor a little further out…
I don’t know. It doesn’t say. It just says Simon obeyed.
Vs 4,
"When he [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. “Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
Simon’s agenda was set aside willingly, but now the day was partially spent and getting hotter (I suppose). I don’t imagine Jesus kept to the 20-minute preaching goal in order for people to make it to the local restaurant in time for lunch. Just guessing, of course, but I strongly believe his priorities may be a bit different than some Sunday Morning schedules we’ve experienced today. How many of us adjust our participation in a worship/ teaching service because our favorite show is coming on or we want to beat the crowd to brunch on Sunday?
When obedience seems inconvenient, redundant, or even foolish, to what we have been trying to do for a long time, (ex: ministry, emotional investment in a relationship, eating healthy, exercising). Sometimes we are just “tired” of failing or not seeing results. Simon and his crew had fished all night without results. Then they willingly submit to the request of Jesus without complaint, adjusting what they knew needed to be done regarding their livelihood that day. I don’t suppose they had many vacation days to let go of the responsibilities for very long. So, by the time (mid-day) that Jesus stopped speaking and then told them to go into the deep and try fishing again, can you imagine their exacerbation at the instruction? Not only had they already spent time all night without results, and then all morning helping Jesus, now, at the hottest part of the day (my speculation), Jesus wanted them to “try again.”
Question: when we have done all we know to do according to the instruction of the Lord without visible results, how willingly are we to obey the instruction to try, One. More. Time?
Selah…
I don't know about you, dear Reader, but there are many times I have wanted to "pick up all my marbles" and go home.
Quit.
Abandon the instruction of the Lord.
Hide.
Hibernate.
A life in obedience to the Word of Instruction is not always easy, ESPECIALLY when people are involved. Responsibilities cannot just be ignored. Some plans are hard to let go of, especially when we feel we deserve a reward, or it involves approval from those we love. So, I can 100% relate to Simon when he said, "Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything." There is a lot of emotion in that sentence. Fishing was Simon’s livelihood. It is how he put food on the table, paid the taxes, etc. I don’t believe he was wealthy. He needed EVERY catch.
Selah…
Jesus says to Simon, “Let down your net…..”
And Simon obeys.
To us it might sound like this….
- Teach that concept again…
- Give that instruction again…
- Answer that question…
- Visit that friend/relative…
- Believe the best…
- Choose the right foods…
- Go for that walk…
- One more day at work….
- Wait…
Simon was obedient... And we know that because of his declaration of faith (vs 5), the resulting harvest was different from his past experience the night before.
The scripture says,
“When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So, they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
Over the years I have come to glean these truths regarding this passage and my questions about it:
From His throne or Righteousness and Justice, that God the Father established from before the creation of the world, He continues to provide a lasting and timely increase for those who will obey despite what their eyes see before them, what their feelings and experience testifies regarding past efforts, or personal reasoning that falls short of His Knowledge and grace.
He Loves Us, His creation and He cares deeply regarding it, and although He is with us, miraculously, covenantally, and powerfully all the time…
He has a greater plan for all of humanity, to benefit future generations.
His plan, His overall focus, is not centered around us individually.
In other words, dear Reader, I’m sorry, but His plan is NOT ABOUT YOU or ME individually….
Because HE IS GOD and WE ARE NOT (thankfully), we can trust His ability to do both: be with us, provide and instruct AND also move forward with His plan for all of Creation to save, deliver and heal. Just because we cannot figure out the HOW, does not mean it isn’t possible. Just because our love cannot stretch this way, does not mean His cannot. The harvest from the seeds we plant that are good and righteous according to His Will, is there even though may not be evident.
It is GOD who provides the lasting increase. It is God who is in charge of the germination of the seeds sown in His Name. We sow as creatively as we want to see the harvest we expect, but ultimately, He is in charge of the harvest those seeds produce, not us.
He builds His Kingdom. He builds His Church. He is the architect, and He does it all from a VICTORIOUS completed perspective. And we get to participate.
Let us remember the order of things. God is the Creator, in Christ we have our being, the Holy Spirit instructs, teaches, ever-present and it is we who are the creation.
So, what am I saying?
He is worthy of our confidence. Let down the nets when The Holy Spirit instructs. Endure for the prize set before, as Paul says. Study to show yourself approved so you can recognize His Voice and know the good and perfect Will of Him who compassionately leads the House of Faith, The Church Jesus is building. And most of all, don’t give up. Don’t walk away from the last instruction given unless the Lord says to let go. Don’t burn the bridges in relationship, and don’t be distracted by a personal goal regarding them.
Blessings, dear Reader, may your day be bright with renewed possibilities and strategy. May you clearly hear the Word of God in your situation as you study and pray knowing and resting in the Truth that discipleship is a responsibility we all have, but that you are not responsible for the germination of the seed (word) you faithfully and obediently sow into lives, nor are you responsible for the resulting harvest. Know confidently that He will watch over His Word, and it will come to fruition.
Last of all, do not carry burdens that are not yours to carry.
Grace and peace to you,
Anne
