Giving Up
Sunday, February 4th, 2007Luke 5:1-11: The Calling of the First Disciples
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
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. So they signaled 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.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
As Jennifer and I listened to the Gospel Reading this Sunday morning, we both thought of it in a new way:
These fishermen were men who worked hard to accomplish their goals, but often times their lives were still difficult and their futures still uncertain. After a long, frustrating night, Jesus tells them to try one last time - and when they do, they are rewarded with success beyond what they could possibly imagine.
The story doesn’t end there, though.
Their reaction is to realize that Jesus was the source of their earthly success, that their fulfillment was in him, not in what they could ever do for themselves, and they left the fish on the beach. Jesus had shown that he had power to give them what they needed most, but instead of clinging to the stuff he had given them, they clung to the Giver.
Jennifer and I see that in our lives. Jennifer was given admission to medical school and the intellectual ability to finish, even despite her medical difficulties, if she had so desired. I’ve had a short but successful career in computer science. We recognize that both of these things are fulfillment of long-held dreams, but we are turning and following the Fulfiller. I’ll take an uncertain future with a faithful God who has already given me satisfaction and purpose over any life I plan for myself - even if that means I have to leave everything on the beach.
