Nets

The night had been long. Simon felt bone-weary as he cleaned his fishing nets. There on the shore, surrounded by a large crowd, was Jesus. This man had already healed many. He taught with such authority; He had even driven out a demon who called Him “the Holy One of God.” Simon was wondering what Jesus would do next, when Jesus stepped into Simon’s boat and looked at him in a way that made Simon feel seen and known. Jesus asked Simon to move his boat to the shallows. Shrugging, Simon complied, and Jesus sat down and continued teaching from the boat. When Jesus finished speaking to the people, He turned to Simon and said, “Put out into deep water, and let the nets down for a catch.” Feeling like he needed to clean the wax out of his ears, Simon shook his head in bewilderment. No one fished during the day. He said, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Simon signaled his partners, James and John, and together they lowered their nets into the water. After a moment, James yelled, “John, Simon, look!” They peered over the side of the boat and gasped. “There’s already a bunch of fish in the nets!” The boat began to tip at the sheer number of fish flowing into the nets, their bodies shimmering in the morning sunlight. John signaled more of their partners in a separate boat for help. The muscles in Simon’s arms strained as he gripped the net with all his strength. “The boats are sinking—there’s just so many fish!” James threw his head back and laughed in wonder. Simon looked at Jesus and fell at His feet. Surely this Jesus was more than just a man. • Savannah Coleman • This story is how one author imagines Luke 5:1-8. Why do you think Simon did what Jesus asked? • What did Simon say when he fell at Jesus’s feet, and why do you think he said that? What did Jesus say in response? (Luke 5:8-10) • Who is Jesus? Simon (later renamed Peter) followed Jesus, and God revealed His true identity to him. Simon Peter was the first of the disciples to say that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-18). To find out more about who Jesus is, check out our “Know Jesus” page. So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. Luke 5:11 (NIV)