Luke 4:38-5:16
Listen to the word of God
Your hotline to God involves two-way communication. It involves both speaking to God in prayer and listening to his words. This was the secret of Jesus’ own ministry. No one has ever had a more powerful ministry than Jesus. No one has ever had more demands on his time and energy than Jesus.
Everyone wanted his help. When they asked for Jesus’ help to heal Simon’s mother-in-law, he healed her. He laid hands on all who were brought to him and healed them. He kept on preaching the gospel (4:44). He healed the lepers. The crowds increased; ‘crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their illnesses’ (5:15).
How could he do it? What was his secret? What was the source of his power? ‘At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place’ (4:42). ‘Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed’ (5:16). You will never cope with the demands of life in the kingdom of God unless you are being recharged through your hotline to God.
The crowd was pushing in on Jesus ‘to better hear the Word of God’ (v.1, MSG). Using the boat for a pulpit Jesus taught the crowd (v.3). Hearing the word of God through Jesus transformed Peter’s life.
Peter not only caught a big catch of fish, he also caught a big vision of what God could do with his life. Three years later, he preached a sermon in which 3,000 people were converted in one day. He laid the foundations whereby 2,000 years later over two billion people profess the name of Jesus. What lessons can we learn from this acted-out parable?
The potential is vast
They had not caught any fish but there were plenty to catch. In the Sea of Galilee there were phenomenal shoals of fish that covered the sea as if it were solid for as much as an acre.
Although cleaning nets is important for fishermen, the primary purpose is to catch fish. The primary task of the church is mission. Jesus says, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch’ (v.4). There are so many people who need to hear the message about Jesus.
Nothing is impossible with Jesus
Peter’s first reaction was negative and pessimistic. He didn’t think it would work, ‘We’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything’ (v.5a). However, possibly after a long pause, he says, ‘But because you say so, I will let down the nets’ (v.5b). Jesus made what seemed impossible possible. ‘When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break’ (v.6).
It cannot be done alone but only in partnership
‘So they signalled to 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’ (v.7). Partnership is the key to mission. Disunity is so off-putting to those outside the church. Partnership and unity are very attractive.
It is a vision worth going for
Peter’s first reaction was to sense his own unworthiness: ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ (v.8). At the same time, he and the others were astonished at the catch of fish (v.9). They must have been very daunted but Jesus said, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people’ (v.10). They saw it was a vision worth going for: ‘So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him’ (v.11).
Lord, thank you that you have given me a hotline to you. Help me, like Jesus, to seek solitude with you, to withdraw to lonely places, pray and hear your words.