Now
when He was through speaking, He said unto Simon, “Launch out into the
deep, and let down your nets for a draft.” And Simon answering said unto
Him, “Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing.
Nevertheless, at Thy word I will let down the net.” And when they had
done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net
began to break. (Luke 5:4-6, KJ21)
Our
ears hear the words. They come into our mind as bits of a sentence
somewhat structured as a recognized thought or idea. If the thought or
idea has meaning and significance, we might contemplate it longer. As we
contemplate the thought or idea, it might resonate with other beliefs
to form support for the more important values that we hold dear. At this
point we might make extra efforts to retain the thought or idea. We may
memorize the thought or idea. We may make a notation in a journal and
we may share the idea or thought with others as an important insight we
have learned about life.
Generally
statements and words about faith are often like that. We hear the
thought and as it rolls around in our mind, we begin to contemplate its
significance. When we finally realize and see the significance and
meaning in the thought or idea, we will make every effort to retain the
words.
Yet
there is a more powerful aspect to faith. For our faith to be alive,
faith must also come against the things we see and hear and it may
illogical and irrational. Faith is not just seeing and hearing things
significant to our faith but seeing and hearing things far beyond what
we can see, hear and feel. Faith shouts in the face of what we see and
feel and demands trust and obedience to do what makes no sense to our
minds. Faith shouts above our reality for us to take specific actions
and often we shout back our responses in the form of reasons, arguments
and whys and wherefores for not following in faith. New life will always
be in the listening to the call of faith and not in the resistance,
rejection or shrinking back from the action that faith demands.
Everything
in the mind of Peter resisted the request of Jesus, as nonsense. Every
muscle in Peter’s tired body rebelled at any effort to repeat any
attempts at fishing again after such a useless night of trying for a
catch. Jesus was demanding faith from Peter, from which would come a
reward beyond all reasonable expectations. Faith in Jesus was like that
for Peter and faith in Jesus is like that for us. Jesus was Peter’s
Savior and Jesus is your Savior. Listen to your Savior and trust him in
obedience. Go out to the deeper waters, requiring deeper faith. Cast out
your nets again in the sea of life and see the amazing catch … Jesus
has in store for you.
Suggested Reading … Luke 5
No comments:
Post a Comment