July 10

“Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” —LUKE 5:10-11

On a day when Jesus was teaching a crowd of people at the water’s edge, He got into Simon Peter’s boat so he could speak a little distance from shore. After he had finished speaking, he asked Simon Peter to take his boat out into the deep and let down his nets. Simon responded, “Master, we’ve worked hard all day and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5). 

Simon was with his brother, Andrew, and out on the water were their partners, James and John, also brothers. Simon and Andrew’s catch was so great their nets began to break, and they had to call James and John to help them out. Both boats were so heavy with fish, they began to sink. It was right after this Jesus called all four to follow Him. He had given them the best catch they ever had, and then presented them with a choice; either take advantage of this enormous catch and make some good money, or leave everything behind to follow Me. They chose the latter.

Often when we have to make a significant choice of obedience to the will of God, we are presented with very attractive alternatives. The role of the will of God amongst attractive alternatives is a good test of discipleship. Ultimately, Jesus called twelve disciples whom He set apart from the rest of His followers as apostles, and the concentration of His ministry was with these twelve. They were a mixed group of very ordinary men; all of whom had their weaknesses, not the least of which was when they had deserted Jesus the night of His arrest. They were hardly material for turning the world upside down with the Gospel, yet though they were ordinary people Jesus had commissioned them to do the extraordinary. 

The invitation of Jesus was, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” He did not challenge His disciples with foolproof methods they would learn, but took the responsibility upon Himself to make them ‘fishers of men’. The source of their strength was not in themselves, but in Christ who was empowering them. The secret in ordinary people doing extraordinary things is found in their relationship to Jesus Christ.  “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). To understand this lifts the pressure of performance and enables us to rest in Christ’s sufficiency. In all He has called us to do, He is the ‘extra’ in the ordinary that makes the ‘extraordinary’.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for being the enabler for all You call me to do. Keep me mindful to rest in your sufficiency and not my own. 

TO REFLECT UPON: Am I dependent on Christ’s sufficiency for what He has called me to do?