As the sun peeked over the eastern mountains, its golden light danced across the pear-shaped Sea of Galilee.
The sea shimmered, reflecting the sun’s warm glow in a beautiful display. But for the fishermen gathered on the shore, there was no beauty to appreciate.
The sunrise crushed their hopes. They’d spent the night casting their nets, dreaming of a bountiful harvest. But dawn had broken, the night was gone, and their nets remained empty.
The usual chatter was absent. Simon, the jokester of the group, was silent. James and John, brothers known for their energy, were uncharacteristically quiet. The empty nets before them mirrored the emptiness in their hearts.
Suddenly, the deafening silence that had cloaked the shore shattered abruptly. A jangle of noise erupted from a crowd of people just arriving.
The fishermen, startled to see so many faces at this hour, exchanged confused glances. A silent question hung heavy in the air: “Who on earth are all these people?”
No one seemed to have any answers so they continued their monotonous, grueling task of washing nets.
Peter lingered a moment longer than the rest of the crew, gazing at the crowd that had gathered on the shore. He could make out the shape of a young man. He seemed to be the leader of the crowd.
Realization hit him when he finally saw the young man’s face. He was Jesus of Nazareth; the carpenter’s son. John the Baptist has spoken about him. “That Jesus is quite something”, Peter muttered to himself, then went back to washing nets.
Meanwhile, Jesus was searching for a platform He could teach the people out of. As He looked around He found two platforms, two boats, belonging to the fishermen on the shore.
So, He stepped into Simon Peter’s boat. Peter saw Jesus get in and quickly abandoned his nets and crew, hurrying over to see what Jesus was doing.
On getting there, Jesus offered a friendly smile to Simon and asked him to push out a little into the water. Simon didn’t argue, he just shrugged and did what Jesus requested.
After Jesus finished teaching, you might have expected him to say something like, “Thanks for the boat, Simon. I’m off now.” But that wasn’t His plan. Instead, he turned to Simon Peter and said, “Now, go out to where it is deeper and let down your nets for a great catch!”
This story blew me away! Jesus knew what troubled Simon, even though Simon never spoke a word of it. Simon thought he was helping Jesus by lending his boat. Little did he know, he was about to receive some divine help himself!
Jesus picking Simon’s boat wasn’t random. It was an intentional way to bless him. Thank goodness Simon was willing to lend it. But here’s where I am going: the seeming weirdness of Jesus’ instruction to Simon.
Imagine this: These experienced fishermen on the Sea of Galilee knew that nighttime was the best time to catch fish because the fish swam closer to the surface in search of food. Plus, Jesus wasn’t even a fisherman by trade, he was a carpenter’s son.
So, it’s not strange to have wondered: “What did Jesus know about fishing? Why would he tell expert fishermen, who’d spent their lives on the water, to cast their nets in the middle of the day? It seems illogical, right?”
Imagine how tired Simon Peter and the other fishermen were. They’d spent a lot of time washing their nets, a tough job in itself. Then, Jesus told them to head back out and cast their nets again. It seemed pointless – they hadn’t caught a thing all night!
But Peter trusted Jesus. He didn’t argue or brag about his fishing experience. He simply said, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the net.”
This is what makes Peter’s response so inspiring. He listened to Jesus’ instructions. And guess what happened? They caught so many fish that their nets started to tear and the boats were almost sinking from the weight!
Back in the day, fishermen had a set of rules for catching fish in the Sea of Galilee. They only fished at night, with specific methods and in certain spots.
But in God’s kingdom, there are no such rules! No time limits, no boundaries, no “this is the way we’ve always done it” mindset. I think that’s exciting!
Sometimes, God gives us instructions that seem weird or crazy even. They might go against everything we think we know. But here’s the thing: that’s often where the biggest blessings are found!
So today, I want to encourage you to listen. Listen to what Jesus is telling you. Surrender to His wisdom. It might not be what you expect, but that’s where you will find your own “great catch” waiting!
Written by Osham Ndubisi
Osham volunteers with the Content Team at Sycamore Church.
(Blogposts are creative expressions generously provided for Sycamore Church. The ideas and thoughts do not necessarily represent the position of Sycamore Church)
