REDEFINING SUCCESS
Opening Prayer
Lord, help me to have courage and faith as I seek to serve You.
Read Luke 5:1–11
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] 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.
Footnotes:
a Luke 5:1 That is, the Sea of Galilee
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Do memories of past failures frustrate your faith journey? Ask Jesus to shift your focus to the possibilities, potential and plans he has for you.When the story opens, the people are focused on listening to God’s word (1), while the fishermen are focused on their fishing nets (2). The nets represent their “business,” and business has not been good that day (5a).
When it came to fishing, Simon was very experienced. Yet in the presence of Jesus, he recognized that all his experience was worth nothing in comparison to Jesus’ power and authority. He also recognized his own sin (8). The magnificent catch that caused the boats to sink (7) also made Simon sink to his knees, echoing Isaiah’s cry, “I am a man of unclean lips… and my eyes have seen the King…” (Isa. 6:5). Simon is then redirected and commissioned.
When the story ends, the fishermen’s focus is not their net-breaking catch of fish, but only Jesus (11). “Success” has been redefined. No more will they capture alive fish that will soon die; now they will reach out to men and women who are “dead” but who will come gloriously alive in Jesus. At Pentecost, Peter brings in a great “catch” of three thousand (Acts 2:41)!
Apply
How has your life changed since your life-changing encounter with Jesus?
Closing prayer
Lord, may I be used by You to bring others to a saving knowledge of Christ.
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