Christ's Follower

 Luke 5:1-11

In today's passage, when Peter realised who Jesus truly was, he asked Jesus to leave because Peter felt inadequate.

 

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Luke 5:8 ESV

 

This is very typical. Many people encounter God and realise how sinful they are and want to flee from God. We feel guilty when we start to know who we truly are after encountering God. Yet, it is not good to be stuck in our feelings of guilt. We need to follow Christ.

 

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

John 15:16 ESV

 

Jesus chose Peter's boat. There is no explanation why Jesus chose this boat other than he chose the boat. We may feel inadequate that Jesus has chosen us to do tasks and then make excuses about why we cannot be used by Jesus. However, Jesus knew who we are with all our faults. He still chose us despite our short comings.

 

We need to accept that Jesus chose us because he loves us. We are not chosen because of our greatness, but our weakness.

 

Jesus does something unusual. He gets into a boat uninvited and asks Peter to put out the boat.

 

and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

Luke 5:2-3 ESV

 

Peter doubts Jesus, but he still obeys Jesus.

 

And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”

Luke 5:5 ESV

 

Peter's obedience allows something to happen which Peter could never imagine. Peter not only caught fish, but he also caught so many fish that he could not contain it in one boat. His fellow fisherman had to bring another boat to hold all the fish. The same is when we obey God's word. The mercy and blessings will be so abundant that your family, friends, and neighbors will also be touched by God.

 

And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

Luke 5:6-7 ESV

 

Becoming a Christian means to allow the love of God to fill you so that you are transformed. God transforms you so that your mission will be successful. That transformation from God requires humility. Simon with sincere humility confesses his sin to Jesus. More than anything this is what we need to do when we encounter Jesus to allow a transformation in us to create a  right relationship with Jesus.

 

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Luke 5:8 ESV

To be followers of Christ like Peter, we need to encounter Christ and see our faults, but not become so overwhelmed that we flee from the truth or become paralyzed by our flaws. We need to admit to Jesus that we are sinners and have a willingness to obey even when our senses, experience and community might tell us to go a different path. Then we can follow Jesus and God will produce an abundance of blessings that we never imagined.