The calling of the disciples in Luke chapter 5 is touching. Simon Peter, James, and John - fishermen by trade - have been fishing all night and have failed to catch a single thing. Then Jesus comes by and tells them to “put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4), and all of a sudden, their nets are so full with fish that they are breaking, requiring the aid of their partners in the other boat, nearly sinking both. The three men are so amazed that, as soon as their boats reach land, they “left everything and followed [Jesus]” (Luke 5:11).
Touching, right? Inspiring, yes?
But here’s something that I think we sometimes miss in this story. When Simon Peter, James, and John “left everything and followed Jesus,” they didn’t just do it because someone told them it was a good idea. They didn’t drop everything they had because it was the “cool” thing to do. And they didn’t even do it because their friends were doing it, or because Jesus was necessarily a charismatic leader.
Peter, James, and John left everything and followed Jesus because they saw His power active in their lives. They saw how radically different they were when Jesus was present and was working, and they wanted more. They wanted all Jesus, all the time. From fishing all night and catching nothing, to catching so many fish that their nets were breaking, they experienced firsthand the power of God, through Jesus. They witnessed His ability to provide for their needs in a way that they themselves were unable to do. And even though they fished for a living and were likely very good at it, when Jesus was working, He used their personally developed skills in order to accomplish impossible things.
But here’s the thing. None of that would have happened, and the three fishermen’s lives would have likely remained unchanged, had they not obeyed Jesus’ command to “put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Peter retorted at first, but then said he would try. And, of course, Jesus was right about the fish.
So how is it that Jesus expects us to leave everything and follow Him? We will only truly be willing to do so when we have experienced firsthand his life-changing power of impossibility. But before that can happen, we must first obey. And before that, we must listen. And before that, we must be where Jesus is. We must draw near to Him.
And what does He promise us if we do that? “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you”(James 4:8). God wants to be near to us. He wants to work in us. He wants to supply for our needs. He wants to do the impossible through us.
He wants to break our nets when we thought there were no fish.
Will we let Him?
