Passing me by

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, l – Left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. – Luke 5:1

Two boats. Two. Jesus comes up to the water and sees two boats. Fishing crews from both boats were cleaning their nets after an all-night fishing expedition with no results. Probably frustrated crews. No catch means no money. This guy Jesus rolls up. It’s early in his ministry so they may not have heard much about him. Jesus looks at one of the crews and asks him to push out from the shore for a make-shift stage. Jesus would teach the people from the boat, the people would stay on the shore. I can see the guys from the 2nd boat smirk. “Glad this guy didn’t ask us. We are tired and want to go home.”

I can picture the crews. Those on Jesus’ boat were probably tired. Maybe they didn’t want to be bothered with maintaining a floating stage after a 12 hour shift of fishing. For some reason, they do it. Maybe somewhere in the middle of anchoring the boat in just the right place, they stop. They have never heard teaching like this. Maybe rigging the floating stage was not so bad after all.

I can see the crew on the shore. Pretty happy that they can clean their nets and be done for the day. Maybe they were glad he did not choose their boat. That is, until Jesus instructed the crew of the boat he was in to let down their nets. When they did, they got more fish than they could handle. The crew on the shore had to be steaming. I’m pretty sure they would ask a question we all wrestle with, “Why didn’t you choose us?”

I get frustrated sometimes and wonder why God chooses to use other people and to bless other people while passing me. Maybe I am too busy cleaning my net. I have things to do, tasks to complete. I put my head down hoping that he doesn’t see me and ask me to do something as small as pushing out from the shore. Problem is, if I don’t do the small things, I will never be trusted with the big catch.

God, help me to listen well and to obey immediately. If you ask me to push out from the shore of myself after a long day of work, I will do it. If you choose to use someone else while I sit and watch it all unfold from the shore, I will trust your judgement. Thanks for the reminder that it is not about my plans.

[tags]life journaling, Luke 5, Jesus, God, Church, devotions[/tags]