When he 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." When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. - Luke 5:4-6Peter and his professional fishing partners had been fishing all night with no luck. Honestly, I've been fishing quite a few times and I've never experienced the exhileration of when "they're really bitin'"...so I know how they feel. Unlike me, these guys knew what they were doing. This was their job. They knew this sea like the backs of their hands. They knew the hot spots and the honey holes. They did everything right that night. The fish "just weren't bitin'."
So along comes Jesus, the carpenter/traveling rabbi, who pops in and takes command of operations. If I was Peter, I would have been thinking, "Who does this carpenter think he is?! I've been out here all night long and, from what I can tell, it's just a bad fishing day." The other funny part is that Jesus told them to throw their nets in the deep water. Real fishermen knew that you only throw your nets into the shallow waters. What was this guy thinking?! Despite their reservations they obey what the carpenter says to do and they get overwhelmed with the results. Lesson learned. I can do things my own way, from my own limited (albeit knowledgable) perspective. But if I'm not being obedient to the Carpenter, it is utterly futile. How many times have I pridefully continued to do it my way, ignoring Jesus' advice, and totally missed the big catch He had waiting for me?! But I know what I'm doing, right!?
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