Going into the deep | When Jesus calls us beyond Luke 5

 “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
LUKE 5:4

Over the past month and a half it seems I cannot get away from the story of Jesus asking Simon to launch his boat into the deep. It all started 1.5 months ago when my son was in the backseat of my car as we were driving home and he was singing some made up song when suddenly he sang out “Jesus says to put your boat in the deep water” and then he continued singing about food and Lord knows what else. I remember saying okay God I hear you. Over the past month the story keeps popping up in conversations, at work. So I decided to dig into it. While the story is quite short I believe the lessons we can learn from it are great and apply to all of us.
Lets start by reading the story from Luke 5.

LUKE 5:5 
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. ² He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³ 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.
⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
⁵ 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.”
⁶ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷ 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.
⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ 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 fish for people.” ¹¹ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

JESUS SAW….Simons lack/failure from the night before and had an answer. He spoke to it by providing in a miraculous way that produced abundance beyond what the vessel Simon currently possessed could handle. I love how Jesus did not do a miracle after a great night of fishing to say I can do better. He stepped into a situation where Simon had to have been feeling defeat. I’m sure Simon was questioning why he was a fisher that night. All that work, and no return. Then Jesus steps in quite literally and makes a way where there had to have seemed like there was no way. Jesus produced impossible results. This is such a beautiful reminder to all of us that not only does Jesus see us but that he is not afraid of our failures. Instead he wants to get in the boat with us and show us a better way. It’s the (soon to be) disciples first introduction to the surrendered lifestyle Jesus has called us to walk out.

JESUS INVITES….Something I haven’t noticed anyone else mention in the study of this story is that Jesus asked not only BRAVERY of Simon to try something different. But to it was also an invitation for him to die to his PRIDE and walk in humility. Jesus had just finished preaching to the people on the shore. Chances are people were still watching Jesus. When Jesus instructed Simon to take his boat into the deep, Simon had to battle his own doubts about what this man Jesus knew about fishing.
What Jesus was asking him to do was the opposite of what he had been taught. You fish at night and in the shallow. Everyone knew that. What would others think when they went out into the deep in the heat of the day to fish?? He would look like a fool. Enter the invitation to die to pride.
Simon had to let go of what he knew in order to make room for something more. I doubt in the moment he truly understood how his obedient response would change his life. I truly believe when God invites us into more there will be things we need to let go of to make room for what He has for us. Our obedient YES can and will open doors that no man can open. Luke 5 is proof of that.

JESUS CHOSE someone who had perfected his trade and essentially turned his world upside down. Simon was an master fisherman. By instructing him to take his boat out to the deep during the day he was asking him to do the complete opposite of what his years of experience had taught him. Jesus wants to show us a new way to live that goes beyond our expertise, our years of experience, and what we know to be true. The greatest harvest Simon had seen was accomplished in a way he would have never tried. Gods kingdom truly is an upside down kingdom.

Jesus SPOKE, and life happened. Enough said 😉

JESUS CHALLENGED Simons trust in himself. Would Simon balk and say NO I know better or would he trust that maybe there was another way? This was Jesus’ precursor to his invitation to follow him. Now remember Simon has no history with Jesus to show him that by trying again it will work. This is blind faith in a stranger.

JESUS ASKED...him to try again. How many times have we tried with all our might to make something work. To dedicate all we have to something and it fails. Jesus was asking Simon to believe in the midst FAILURE.

I love this excerpt from Michelle Choes article ‘Deep Waters.’ She says
“All night Simon had labored, willing those fish into the net, and all night he had to come face to face with the fact that he could not make them come. “
As an Enneagram 3 this speaks straight to my soul. If Jesus had come to me after failing to provide for myself and and then asked to get into my boat – at a heart level He would be asking for vulnerability. To allow Jesus into the very space where I had missed the mark doing all I know to do would require vulnerability to let him in. And then, in the midst of failure to have a stranger suggest a different way to do things…well there is a real pride killer.
My efforts as good as they are could never produce the harvest Jesus has.
I need to be with HIM in order to function in my full capacity.

This story as short as it is has provided me with so much hope and encouragement that God sees, knows, hears, and has an answer. That answer though may come opposite of what I was a expecting.
Let us not forget…
Our obedient YES to God can not only change our lives but the course of history. God help us to be more like Simon who dared to believe even when he did not see how things would work out. Give us the courage to say YES.