Deep Waters

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon.

Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:1-11)

How many of us exist in the “shallows” of our lives?  We feel safe and secure because the water is not over our heads meaning we are satisfied with our childhood religious educations and child-like understandings of our faith in Jesus Christ.  We are afraid of “putting out into deep water” to understand the meaning of Scripture and how the Word can make us brave and willing to take risks for Jesus. 

Because we are afraid, many of our children copy us and won’t even go near the water where scary things lurk such as those people who have no belief in God and live their lives with no moral compass and hope.  Still, we all have boats, and we all have nets to be employed for the good of our Church. 

We simply must seek deep waters and lower our nets.  We will not sink.  Moreover, with an adult-like understanding of our faith, we can convince our children to get into our boats and find the adventure that comes when Jesus steers us and astonishes us with the depth of his love and life-lessons, such as loving our enemies.

Simon Peter fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Peter is not someone we should copy.   Rather we should say, “Lord, although we are sinful, you still caught us in your nets and brought us to the surface.  Never depart from us.  We want you by our sides and always.”

Deacon David Pierce