“Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
Here’s what hits me: There was nothing wrong with the boat.
Luke 5 tells us how Peter, James, and John left their boats and made a significant switch in their career directions. Thank goodness they didn’t waste all that money on a Bachelor in Fisher Arts program just to end up following around a basically homeless guy who seemed to consistently run out of fish, then eventually die proclaiming that guy’s name.
Peter, James, and John were all just doing their daily routine. Nowhere in the Bible does it mention that John ran home and cried every day because he was so unhappy, or that James was looking at classifieds for other opportunities, or that Peter was feeling unfulfilled and thinking about pursuing a career in performance art.
There was nothing wrong with fishing.
Jesus shanghaied Simon Peter’s boat and used it as a podium. Then when Jesus told good old Pete to put down the nets, he explained that the fish just weren’t coming that day, but that he would do it just because Jesus said so. Jesus’ message from the boat must have been pretty convincing. Then, their nets filled up so much that the nets started to break, so Peter called over James and John’s boat to help out, and then they BOTH were so full they started to sink.
See? Their boats were perfectly fine... that is, until God showed a plan that couldn’t stay within the confines of their vessels. Still, He used Simon’s rinky dink boat to preach, then to perform one of His early miracles.
But Peter did what so many of us do when we glimpse the way God can work through us. He reacted in self-doubt by falling to his knees and saying, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” And Jesus didn’t tell him to go and clean himself up so he could start service. He didn’t say he’d better get his sandals to seminary and take a shower and make sure his life was tidy and clean and then they’d meet up and lean in and reach out (and whatever else Christians do) later. He said, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” Jesus recognized that Peter was just afraid of stepping into the unknown, just like he would later be afraid to walk on the water. He made this new path relatable to the skill set He knew Peter had.
So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him. And later on, I’m sure they found it a little ironic that they ran out of fish. Especially when they were the guys that caught the fish in the first place! But God used that for a miracle, too.
Okay, so maybe there’s nothing wrong with my boat. But it looks like more work can be done onshore.