Sometimes we receive calls at inconvenient times. Sometimes when we are eating or relaxing we receive a phone call and we are forced to get up, leave our comfortable place and go and receive our call. We know phone calls and GOD's call to us can come to us at inconvenient times. And just GOD's call can come when we least expect it, GOD's call can come where we least expect it as well - at work.
We expect to hear GOD talking to us, and calling us into service, in mission and ministry and into a deeper relationship with Him during worship. We expect GOD to talk to us in the beautiful surroundings of the sanctuary. We do not expect GOD to speak to us at work. But GOD does.
Simon, who later became named, Peter, had been fishing all night. He and his fishing partners, Andrew, James and John had worked all night fishing. They worked through the night, like many people do today. The labored through the night shift. And when morning came, and their last nets were hauled aboard their boats the had a 'net' return of zero. All night they worked. All night they tossed their nets overboard, sailed the boat in a tight circle and began hauling the nets back into the boat. It was hard work. It was back breaking. And at the end of their shift they had nothing to show for all their work. They must have felt very discouraged and defeated. They would have to return home with not fish and no food. They would have not fish to sell in the market. The people who were counting on them to provide a meal would have to go without fresh fish. When the returned to the water's edge, the men began to clean their nets, wash them and repair them. Carefully they replaced the weights and floats. With skillful fingers, they repaired the snags stitched up the rips in their nets. Then they carefully folded them and stowed them away for the next night's fishing.
As the fishermen were finishing the tedious job of their cleaning up, Jesus came by walking along the shoreline. As He approached, a crowd of people began to follow Him. Soon they were pressing in around him. At the edge of the water, Jesus got into one of the fishing boats owned by Peter and Andrew, James and John. The boats gets pushed out a little from shore and then Jesus, acting like a Rabbi, sat down and began to teach the crowd. Jesus taught and preached. His teachings I'm sure stretched on through the morning as the fishermen wondered how long this itinerant preacher was going to talk. I'm sure the fishermen, after coming off their night shift of fishing were exhausted and hungry and ready to go home. And Jesus continued to teach.
Then when Jesus was finished teaching, to told Peter, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
Peter, exhausted and probably a little frustrated went along with Jesus. He said, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything." Then Peter, maybe skeptical about what this preacher knows about fishing said, probably with a tired voice and with a slight sarcastic tone, "But, because you say so, I will let down the nets again." With the nets already cleaned and stored away, Peter did something contrary to his own experience, he got out the nets, set them up and toss them into the sea. And what a shock followed. The net filled and filled to the point that when they tried to land the nets into the boat, the boat (27 foot long x 7 1/2 feet wide) began to list with sea water spilling in. Now that's a catch. This catch was straining and breaking their nets. The catch was pulling them further and deeper and lower into the waves. The other boat came to their rescue, and that boat began to struggle under the weight of the fish. These were not tiny row boats. These were large fishing boats. And in order to have these boats to have struggle as they did, it is estimated that the weight of the catch exceeded several tons of fish. A few hours earlier the professionals caught nothing. All night they worked and had nothing to show for their labors. Now, with one drop they hauled in a huge catch! With this Peter became amazed and puzzled, frightened and scared all at the same time. As a professional fisherman, he has never seen anything like this before. And his puzzlement gave way to fear.
Recognizing Peter's fear, Jesus said, "Do not be afraid." I like that line. This has to be one of my favorite lines in the Bible, "Do not be afraid." We find this line all through the Bible. It is there to truly dispel our fears and apprehensions. Right after Jesus tells Peter, Do not be afraid;" Jesus continues without taking a breath and says, "From now on you will catch men." It is as if Jesus is telling Peter, "You trusted me for fish, now trust me for everything else." This is Peter's calling into full time ministry. Now Peter was turning and trusting Jesus for everything. We see that Peter meant it with the last line in this passage (Luke 5:11). "So they (Peter, Andrew, James & John) pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Jesus." From now on they would trust in and on Jesus for everything. Everything in life and everything in and for ministry would provided for them by Jesus. Everything they need to succeed would by provided by Jesus.
The tired fisherman heard Jesus calling them even at work. And just as they heard it then, I believe Jesus is calling people today at their place of employment. He is calling you, maybe right now to follow Him. Maybe right now, Jesus is calling you go deeper with your faith and trust Him for everything. Maybe right now, you can hear - feel - experience Jesus calling you to trust Him for all your needs. Jesus call us, not only when we least expect it, but sometimes where we least expect hearing from him, at work. Be open to GOD's leading. Keep your eyes and ears open to the new possibilities in your life. Because maybe right now, Jesus is calling you to follow Him.
