They Willingly Left it all Behind

Luke 5:1-11

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, 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.

Daily Reflection:

Today we find Jesus sitting in Simon's fishing boat, teaching a crowd. His voice carries over the water to the masses along the shore. After he finishes, he asks Simon Peter to take him fishing. Peter reluctantly does so…letting Jesus know that they had not caught a SINGLE fish ALL night. Moments later, they pull in such a load they have to call James and John to help. They just won the fishing lottery! Cha-ching! Cha-ching! If it were me, I would be tabulating exactly how much this haul was worth! Instead, Simon Peter falls down at Jesus's feet, confessing his sin, acknowledging who provided the fish. In that moment, Jesus calls this crew to be fishers of men and they leave everything and follow him. These fishermen just left those fish. They left a fortune behind without blinking an eye to follow Jesus.

This is a convicting one, my friends. Following Jesus far outweighed the money they could have made on those fish. Following Jesus was not a question in their mind. If he was offering them the opportunity to be his disciples, they were fully on board. I am not sure if I would be quite so certain. If my work took off and then Jesus asked me to do something else, I honestly think it might be hard to obey. I wish I could sit down with Peter, Andrew, James, and John and ask them to tell me about that day and how they knew to leave it all. Daily Prayer:

Lord Jesus, give us faith and devotion like your disciples had. Loosen our grip on the things of this world so that we may hold tightly to you instead.

Digging Deeper:

How do you connect to Simon and the fishermen in this story? Why do you think they were so willing to leave the fish behind? What does that say about Jesus?

This post is an excerpt from my new book Along with Jesus: An Easter Devotional. Grab your copy here to journey along with Jesus in the book of Luke this Lenten season as we anticipate Easter Sunday!

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