“One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. 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.” “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.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 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. When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 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!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.”
Luke 5:1-11 NLT
We are invited to experience Jesus. Peter listened to Jesus’ preaching, but what really impacted him was the miracle of the fish. This experience helped him understand who Jesus was (the Lord) and who he was (a sinner). Peter was focused on his faith more than the fish; he left the fish to follow the Lord. This story, and the preceding verses, help us understand that Peter didn’t follow Jesus as a stranger. Christ had healed Peter’s mother-in-law (4:39) and had preached in Peter’s hometown for some time. The story of the fish was a turning point: Jesus was calling Peter to leave his nets and follow Him. Christ gave Peter a powerful experience: would he live for the fish (money) or the harder adventure of following Jesus?
Christ invites us to experience Him. His followers are called to lead others to Him. We don’t need to spend much time convincing people they are sinners; as they get closer to Christ, they will understand who they are in light of His glory and grace. Too often we only try to explain Jesus to others. Explanation is important, but it is no substitute for experiencing Christ. This engages our mind, heart (will), and body. To know Him more you must trust Him more. Make choices with Him and see that He is faithful and good. To help others know Him, help them experience Christ. Lovingly invite people to take a step of faith—maybe even just a little prayer—and then follow up to see how they have experienced God.
How have you experienced Jesus? Who can you gently challenge to take a step of faith this week? Make sure you follow up with them, too.
