Miracle Catch? Luke 5:1-11

I can't remember a time in my life when I did not love fishing. Probably because my grandfather was a great fisherman and I wanted to be like him. Who knows for sure, but I do know that since I was old enough to throw a line and hook into a mud puddle, I have loved fishing.

So in 1982 when I had the opportunity to fish in the Sea of Galilee, I did, even though I was told by the locals that at that time of the year the fish will not bite on a baited hook. I believed them, but I always think that even if other people aren't catching fish, I can. So I had to give it a try. But sure enough, the fish wouldn't even look at my offering. The only way to catch fish in the Sea of Galilee (actually it is a very large and deep lake) during times like this is by net. Any even then, the fish can only be caught at night. You see, the fish come up from the deep waters at night to feed near the surface. But the first rays of sunlight send them back down into the deep until it is dark again. This is the back ground for Luke 5:1-11.

This story is familiar to most people. Jesus had called the twelve disciples to follow Him. And they did, to a certain extent, but they had not yet committed to leave everything behind and follow Christ unreservedly. Jesus is teaching a multitude of people and He uses Simon Peter's boat to get some distance between Himself and the crowd. Afterward, He challenges Peter to go out to "the deep water and let down your nets for a catch". Simon Peter reluctantly agrees to go. He knows that Jesus is a wonderful teacher from God, but Peter knows fishing and the Sea of Galilee like few others. When he ventures out and lets down his nets, he catches so many fish that his nets begin to break. In fact, he catches so many fish that the haul fills two boats and the boats actually begin to sink. Peter falls down at Christ's feet and says, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"

Peter realizes in this moment that He was just a finite, sinful man, and that Jesus was the God of the universe who could cause fish to do things they just never do.There were a lot of miracles that Peter might have had doubts about. But Jesus knew exactly what to do to convince Peter that He was the Son of God and could do the supernatural. After this, "they left everything and followed Him."

As a fisherman, this story helped convince me that Jesus is the greatest fisherman ever, and that I could trust Him with my life and future. If he called me, like Peter, to be "catching men" He would help me to do it, and the harvest would be great. Not because of my abilities, but because He is Lord!