Gospel work is tough but . . .

Jesus faced a tough decision. The crowds were flocking to experience his healing power. He was inundated with masses of people and he couldn’t cope. What should he do?

42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

5:1 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. Luke 4:42 – 5:11

In Mark’s gospel we read that Jesus went out alone to pray. The context makes it clear that Jesus was praying about this problem he was facing. He knew his priority was to proclaim or teach the gospel about himself yet he was being inundated with medical care. So he made a positive decision to concentrate on teaching in the towns and villages.
It is perhaps unfortunate that the chapter division comes when it does. It appears that the account about the fishing trip is included to demonstrate how tough the business of gospel work is, but if God’s people persevere and do what God wants, there will be a massive harvest. Crowds were coming to hear Jesus teaching the word of God and there were so many people that he had to get into a boat and teach from there. ‘Proclaim’, ‘preach’, ‘teach’, and ‘speak’ are the words used to describe what was to be Jesus’ main ministry.

The prophet or preacher has a message from God to share with as many as will listen. It is the message that is central. Today there are too many pulpiteers who through strength of personality or theatrical happenings gain a strong following. The urgent focus of God’s true prophet is to pass on God’s original message in a way people can understand.
This proclamation of the word of God must remain the top priority for the church today. Throughout the New Testament this is the repeated emphasis. As Paul was approaching his own execution he wrote a final letter to Timothy and he gives him this urgent message:

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season . . . . For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.: 2 Timothy 4:2-3

God knows that teaching his message will never be popular and at times will produce no results in terms of people turning and joining God’s kingdom.

The first time Jesus had met the disciples is given in Mark 1 and Matthew 4. In both these accounts Peter and his brother Andrew were ‘casting a net into the lake’ - they were actually fishing. This first call was before he began his teaching ministry when he travelled throughout Galilee. That he already knew Simon Peter is made clear in the previous chapter when we read of Jesus teaching in Capernaum, a town at the north end of the Sea of Galilee.

“Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her.” Luke 4:38

It would appear that the four fishermen became disciples immediately after the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, but had then gone back to their homes for a while. Jesus now reappears teaching besides the Sea of Galilee which is here called the Lake of Gennesaret. Crowds were surrounding him as they were:

“. . . listening to the word of God.” Luke 5:1

The disciples had previously toiled throughout the dark night and caught nothing. Yet after he had finished speaking Jesus said to Peter, who owned the boat:

“Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4

Peter, understandably from all his experience as a fisherman, queried this suggestion:

“Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Luke 2:5

Here we have an early recognition of the clear authority that Jesus had in the disciples thinking. They were willing to obey, even when they could not understand. The benefit of doing this was soon to become apparent to them. Obedience to God always has its rewards.

“When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.” Luke 5:6

Those in the other boat who came to Peter’s aid were the other two disciples, James and John, whom Jesus had also called to be his disciples earlier, when they were preparing to go fishing. Mark tells us of this initial call,

“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake for they were fishermen. ‘Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.” Mark 1:16-20

The lesson is clear, Jesus has divine knowledge and obeying him will bring about what God desires. Peter’s response to his experience of this awesome demonstration of Jesus’ power was to look at himself and his failures. Perhaps he is referring to the reason why he had returned to his fishing. Peter fell at Jesus’ knees and said,

“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Luke 5:8

How often the first response when we begin to grasp something of the extraordinary person Jesus, is to see ourselves in comparison. We are all sinful people, we all live for ourselves instead of having God’s ambitions as our own. But note how graceful the Lord is to Peter.

“Don’t be afraid; . . .” Luke 5:10

A new recognition of the significance of Jesus always calls for a new direction in life. Hitherto Peter had been a fisherman,

“. . . , from now on you will catch men.” Luke 5:10

It was not that fishing was wrong in the slightest, it was that God had another priority. Just as Jesus had been drawn away from a very noble task, healing people in this life, to teaching people about eternal life in His Kingdom, so Peter and his friends were being recalled to assume a similar role to Jesus at that stage, that of telling people about eternal life by preaching to them the word of God.

It will not be easy for us to keep going in this same task that we have also been called to. At the end of his earthly ministry Jesus commissioned his disciples and all their successors,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

So we today have the same commission and the same power to fulfill this as those original apostles had. It was costly for them, most died fulfilling this commission but none of them would change direction as it was an eternal life with God in His Kingdom that they looked forwards to and nothing could happen to them that was not permitted by their loving heavenly Father.

BVP