Success

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

SUCCESS

Luke 5:4-7

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."  5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

NIV

Although this is just a portion of the whole story here with Jesus and Simon and we are going to see how it all ends next, it would be good for us to see a truth here first. Simon had been fishing all night and as we saw was sitting in his boat mending his nets when Jesus comes along followed by a crowd and begins to teach them. Then because of the crowd and the little room left on the beach, he gets into Simon’s boat and asks him to put out a little from the shore. The scene as described by some who have researched, this area seems to be a cove or bay like setting with calm waters to that it would make a rather nice amphitheater like scene, with the people gathered around the small bay and Jesus in the middle on a small fishing boat. Although Simon was not yet a follower of Jesus, he certainly has had some encounters with him, especially having Jesus in his home and healing his mother-in-law. So when Jesus asked his to put out a little from shore, he stopped mending nets and put out. He had no other choice now, but to listen to all that Jesus was teaching the crowd. Then when Jesus tells him to put out in to the deep and let down the nets for a catch, Simon first has to tell him he had been doing just that all night without any success. Nevertheless, Simon complies and the largest catch of a lifetime happens. The point to all this is plain to see. We can work our fingers to the bone in our humanity or human efforts even doing that which we have trained for and come up empty. Sure we might make a great income, but unless we are doing what Jesus asks of us, we are still coming up empty. All that we have is empty unless Jesus is giving us the success. We need to learn to do whatever Jesus tells us to do, even though we have not had good results doing the same thing in the past. Surely Simon had caught fish other nights, he was a fisherman and if he had never caught any fish ever, he would not own a couple of boats, have partners and kept on fishing. Was his empty nets that night the master plan of God, so Jesus could show him what power over all things he had, so Simon would now follow him? This was Simon’s personal experience with Jesus, having him prove himself to him. There could be no other outcome then what will happen. It would seem Jesus makes it real, he comes to us and proves he is who he is, at least he did with Simon. Could we expect any less? Yes Jesus told Thomas and the others that because they saw they believed but that those who do not see and believe are blessed. That still does not mean Jesus doesn't prove his power in our lives. He makes our life have worth. We have a success because of Jesus that we could never have alone without him.