Rough Fishermen

Luke 5:1-11

:2And He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them, and were washing the nets.
:3And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land.
Jesus had people pressing around Him, teaching them by the lake Gennesaret but He still noticed that Peter and his partners were through fishing for the day, they were done.

After He finished speaking to the multitudes, He told Peter to go into deep water and let the nets down.
Peter let Jesus know they had been working hard all night and hadn’t caught a thing.

In reading in Bible History.com about fishing and fishermen it clearly tells about the hard work that fishing in those times was. It was strenuous; they had to pull the nets, dive into the water to draw the net and haul the net on board the boat or drag to the shore; They were hardy and fearless yet had to have the patience with the weather and patience to try again when there was no catch.
These men were crude in manner, rough in speech and harsh in the treatment of others.
Not exactly the diplomatic type.

Peter had let Jesus know they had been working hard all night. Yet he obeyed Jesus because Jesus asked him to…“at your bidding (word)…”
When the Lord speaks to us it is always with purpose. Many times he requires us to simply obey without question.

Verse 8 says that when Peter saw the catch it took two boats to hold and then because there were so many fish the boats began to sink.

Peter responded by falling down at Jesus’ feet, saying "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"

What was he thinking? Maybe though he obeyed he realized the doubt that had been in his heart OR he had a deeper revelation of who Jesus was at that moment. This miracle was very personal to Simon, John, and James. They knew their trade and probably could not even have dreamed of such a catch as this. Surely they had never seen or heard of anyone draw a catch like this in all their years of hearing the great fishing stories told by their fathers and elders.
They had to know that they alone could never have made this happen; only God Himself could do this. Jesus is God!

They were all “seized with amazement” and then Jesus said to them “Do not fear from now on you will be fishers of men.” Fear in this context can mean “of those struck with amazement”. They were totally amazed!

He told them they would be fishers of men. These rough tough men were accustomed to fishing, not people. But they followed Him.

Father God, You are truly amazing the way You transform the believer’s heart to be what it needs to be to serve You. Whatever changes You make it is in conformity to the image of Jesus to work the purposes one is created for. No matter what we are at the point of salvation, an intimate walk with our Savior will transform the hardest heart! And in this we find hope!