The Fellowship

Empty nets, an overwhelming catch, and a call to leave it all behind.

As Jesus was traveling around Galilee, he found himself walking by the lake with throngs of people all around him. On the lake, he saw some fishermen, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. They had had enough for the night and were cleaning their nets after catching nothing. To avoid the crowds, Jesus stepped into Simon’s boat and started to teach. When he was finished, he told Simon to take the boat out again to catch some fish. Now, one thing Simon was well-renowned for was his lack of social graces. Simon agreed to do this, although I am not sure how willing he was, given that he was tired, downbeat, and a little feisty. Nevertheless, out they went again, this time catching so many fish that the nets broke. Can you imagine being cold, tired, and fatigued, only to be given hope and then having it wrenched away from you again? A few fish, no problem, but after a long night, this was a lot to deal with. I can only imagine the language Simon was using at this time.

Life with Jesus was a rollercoaster for these guys. Simon called over his partners, and they filled their nets with so many fish that their boats were in danger of sinking. Simon knew at this point that he was in the presence of someone far greater than himself. He told the “Lord” to depart because he was sinful. Two things we can take from this. The first is that miracles don’t make disciples. It was Simon’s mother-in-law who had been healed in his house. Simon had seen miracles in abundance. The second is that things can change in a moment with God, and he is the only constant. After getting back to the beach, Jesus told Simon and the others that he was going to make them fishers of men, and each of them left all they had just caught.

From having nothing, they had it all. Then they lost it again, before having enough for themselves and their partners. Then, after a bumper payday, they decided to give everything up to follow Jesus. They left it all, nets, boats, and even their fish. As Job said (Job 1:21), “the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away,” but let’s look at the trade-off: Jesus said, “Leave all this and come with me.”