Simon Peter Beyond Nets & Regrets
Beyond Nets & Regrets
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,[1]
Good morning on this greatest morning – He is risen!
I am Simon Petros, a fisherman by trade, a follower of Jesus Christ by his command. This fishing net reminds me of a simple question from Jesus… “more than these?” “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
It had been years since Jesus said. “Follow me.”
Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.
4 When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.”
5–7 Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.
8–10 Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. “Master, leave. I’m a sinner and can’t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.” When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee’s sons, coworkers with Simon.
/ 10–11 Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.” They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.[2] /
There was life beyond the nets of my fishing trade. It was all that I imagined doing until I met Jesus.
But there was a day when I went back to fishing – what else could I do? I had too many regrets to ever give up the nets! Jesus had led us to Jerusalem. He had warned us about what would happen there, but who could hear about a cross and rising again and make any sense out of the impossible?
29 Peter blurted out, “Even if everyone else is ashamed of you when things fall to pieces, I won’t be.”
30 Jesus said, “Don’t be so sure. Today, this very night in fact, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
/ 31 He blustered in protest, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” All the others said the same thing.[3] /
But the Rooster Crowed
66–67 While all this was going on, Peter was down in the courtyard. One of the Chief Priest’s servant girls came in and, seeing Peter warming himself there, looked hard at him and said, “You were with the Nazarene, Jesus.”
68 He denied it: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He went out on the porch. A rooster crowed.
69–70 The girl spotted him and began telling the people standing around, “He’s one of them.” He denied it again.
After a little while, the bystanders brought it up again. “You’ve got to be one of them. You’ve got ‘Galilean’ written all over you.”
/ 71–72 Now Peter got really nervous and swore, “I never laid eyes on this man you’re talking about.” Just then the rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered how Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows twice, you’ll deny me three times.” He collapsed in tears.[4] /
But now the net was full. John said…
“It’s the Master!”
When Simon Peter realized that it was the Master, he threw on some clothes, for he was stripped for work, and dove into the sea. The other disciples came in by boat for they weren’t far from land, a hundred yards or so, pulling along the net full of fish. When they got out of the boat, they saw a fire laid, with fish and bread cooking on it.
10–11 Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.” Simon Peter joined them and pulled the net to shore—153 big fish! And even with all those fish, the net didn’t rip.
12 Jesus said, “Breakfast is ready.” Not one of the disciples dared ask, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Master.
13–14 Jesus then took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus had shown himself alive to the disciples since being raised from the dead.
Jesus confirms His identity to us with the unbelievable success of the catch and the meal of loaves and fish. We were overjoyed to be in His presence once again. So overwhelmed that I forgot what I had done.
But as we sit together eating Jesus confronts the unspoken, hidden problem among us --- failure. All the disciples had deserted Him following His arrest as fear paralyzed us and our faith waned. If the authorities could put Jesus on trial and crucify Him, imagine what they would do to us!
Worse yet, Simon Peter, the big fisherman whose impetuous words and actions had been his trademark, actually denied Christ and his association with the other disciples three times! The memories and guilt of that horrible night and my humiliating denials kicked my conscience and ate away inside me like a debilitating cancer.
In fact, that's why I found myself fishing that night. Why, it stands to reason --- after such a humiliating failure, what could be left for me to do for Jesus? Certainly, God needed champions of faith, not "sunshine soldiers" who serve only when it is relatively safe, convenient, and requiring little sacrifice. The previous three years had been filled with Jesus' wonderful fellowship, miraculous signs, and inspiring teaching. Faith seemed to gurgle up from deep within us like an artesian well. BUT --- with my terrible failure, all that was over! There was nothing left to do but return to fishing.
Not only is that where I was, but many of us present-day people of faith are there as well! My situation and the grim results of failure are repeated time and time again.
Perhaps one of the truest human experiences is not simply to fail, but to conclude that our failures are terminal. It is to succumb to the belief that our failures permanently disqualify us from wholehearted worship, firm faith, and energetic service. Frankly, it is to believe the hellish lie that because we have failed God, broken His commandments, and strayed from the pathways outlined in His Word, we are no longer truly qualified to bear His name nor fit for His service.
So --- here in a simple fisherman's meal by the sea, Jesus confronts one of the great moral problems of the ages --- shall a person guilty of spiritual failure continue to love and serve God? Perhaps He does so because all of us have failed. Thus, if moral and spiritual failure disqualify a person, then all of us will become disqualified Also, if what qualifies us for our spiritual life and service is perfect obedience, then the foundation of our relationship to God is not grace, but works! See the dilemma?
He is risen! Today we recognize in the Risen Christ the high value He puts on our love for Him as the primary motivating factor in recovering from failure. Three times he asked me about love --- mirroring the three times Peter had failed. In every one of them, Jesus commanded me to get back to the business to which he had been called in the first place --- taking care of Christ's sheep. God's grace brings us to Himself, and God's grace is the foundation of our subsequent life and faith. We serve Him because He calls us to do so, not because we have extraordinary skills (remember working all night long catching nothing?) or overcoming faith (remember all the men abandoning Him in one way or another?). We love Him, worship Him, serve Him, and daily walk with Him because in love and grace He beckons us.
If you've failed Christ, get up and get back to life with Him. If you've been guilty of disobeying His will and Word, get back to doing what you're supposed to do. If you've failed to serve Him or live for Him as you should in the past, begin this week! I learned in that heart-rending conversation with Jesus, God is the God of beginning again! "Failure is not falling down; it is remaining there where you have fallen!"
What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.[5]
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[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. 1 Pe 1:3
[2]Peterson, Eugene H.: The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, Colo. : NavPress, 2002, S. Lk 5:1-11
[3]Peterson, Eugene H.: The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, Colo. : NavPress, 2002, S. Mk 14:28-31
[4]Peterson, Eugene H.: The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, Colo. : NavPress, 2002, S. Mk 14:66-72
[5]Peterson, Eugene H.: The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, Colo. : NavPress, 2002, S. 1 Pe 1:3-5