Trust is the most precious currency—it never comes cheap. Once lost, it can hardly be regained. Most people build their trust in others based on their experiences. And there’s validity to this. Why should you trust a person who failed you? On the other hand, you can trust a trustworthy person, right? Trust is crucial in life.
As we grow up, we lose that initial child-like trust we are born with. Why? We make experiences, often painful ones, that teach us that you can’t trust everyone. Some people are simply not trustworthy. Some of us learn to discern people’s characters and trust only those we deem trustworthy. Others start to doubt anyone and everyone at the slightest hint of mistrust. Others still, give up faith in humanity altogether. ‘All men are liars,’ as even one psalmist stated! He said so while being alarmed (Psalm 116:11). When we get hurt or disappointed, our emotions are not the best guide to making permanent decisions or adopting a certain attitude for life. Experiences are supposed to teach us wisdom, not hate the world. We are supposed to learn discernment and trust the ones worthy of our trust. But experience is often a harsh teacher.
Trusting Jesus against the Odds—and People’s Opinions
The story we are looking at is about a painful experience, a failed business venture, if you will. Things were not going well. They were working all night and caught nothing.
‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing…’ (5:5)
There was no benefit to their labour; no return on investment. But instead of giving up and letting the bad experience and painful failure determine their future, there was an alternative way to handle it—trust Jesus and His Word. Here is the rest of the sentence:
‘…nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net’ (v 5)
Despite the negative experience, I will trust the Word of Christ and try again. It was a decision against the negative experience they just had. Did this experience stop them from trying again? Did it make them forsake their fishing business and give up? They seemed discouraged, at least at the time. After a night of much toil and no result and reward, the words of Jesus to launch out into the deep for a catch (v 4) seemed out of place. Afterall, what would a traveling teacher and son of a carpenter know about fishing?! Why should you trust a man you don’t know against your immediate experience and your professional expertise? Was it worth it to try again and end up with yet more disappointment of not catching anything? We tend to allow experience shape us in such a way that we eventually give up and won’t give even ourselves another chance. We start seeing ourselves as failures and give up hope. True, some things are just not meant for us or are simply not working. Sometimes we need to walk away from something or someone. But perseverance has often paid off! Every time I turn on the light, I’m sure glad that Thomas Edison and others never gave up on trying to invent the light bulb. Aren’t you? Sometimes it just takes that one more try. Just a little more until you make it. Are we giving up, giving in or giving all we’ve got? That’s your call!
Simon the fisherman made a decision against his immediate experience and perhaps against his better judgment—to trust the Word of Jesus and act.
‘…nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net’ (v 5)
‘Let me try one more time, despite my bad experience,’ was his attitude. ‘Perhaps this one will work out. What can we lose if we try?’ They had packed up for the day (v 2), washing their nets and accepting that that night shift didn’t pay off at all. It was ‘a bad day at work.’ It happens. There are good days and bad days—we all know this. But after a whole night of work without any result, and having almost washed their nets, perhaps with a feeling of resentment over failure, why should he gear up and try again? Why not say, ‘Jesus, would you mind if we try that tomorrow?’ It would’ve been understandable if they said, ‘We are tired, hungry, disappointed and just want to pack up and rest.’ The cynic among them might have murmured, ‘Why should we listen to a carpenter? What does he know about fishing anyway?’ Simon had a different attitude. He chose to trust Jesus’ word.
Jesus had been teaching ‘the word of God’ there nearby (v 1) and ‘the multitude pressed about Him to hear’ it. Jesus asked to use Simon’s boat to launch a little off the beach so He could speak to the people better, in cased they were about to push Him in and drown Him. Well good that He could walk on water! But He didn’t do so to show off, anyway.
‘…nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net’ (v 5)
Here’s the scenario: Jesus taught the crowds, but His real mission was to show Simon something about Himself and about trust—trust in His word. ‘But what might the crowd think if it wouldn’t work out? I’d look like a real fool, trusting a carpenter to launch out again after not catching any fish!’ Did Simon perhaps reasoned like that? Probably not; he trusted Jesus and was open to try. But perhaps most of us would’ve reasoned like that. Understandably so, right?
After obeying Jesus’ word, ‘they caught a great number of fish’ and their nets broke! Others had to help them. Their boats almost sunk from the weight of the great catch (vv 6–7). It worked! Incredible! Jesus knew exactly where they should put in their nets. Business was good! Trusting the carpenter’s son worked! Simon’s decision to trust His word and do as He said paid off. Jesus came into their world and their business situation to show them who He was—the Son of God. He can be trusted. His Word can be trusted. All of them were ‘astonished at the catch of fish’ (v 9). Who wouldn’t be? Against all odds, against his better judgement perhaps, and, more importantly, against the bad experience he had just had, Simon trusted and obey Jesus and it worked! Trusting Jesus and obeying His word works—you can trust Him. These men knew how to fish, but this must truly be a special Man. Who was He?
Sinners and the Saviour
How were they to respond to this incident and this Man? Were they to employ Him as a ‘psychic’ for their business? It seemed a lucrative investment! Greed might have been a natural response seeing that great catch. But Simon had a very different reaction: ‘he fell at Jesus’ feet’! (v 8) Why? His words tell us why: ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ Not greed, but humility gripped his heart. He felt unworthy of this holy Man’s blessing. He recognised that this Sage from Galilee was God’s Servant, certainly a prophet. Was He the expected Messiah? A little later Simone would know for certain (Matthew 16:16). Jesus revealed a glimpse of His divinity and omniscience with showing them when, and perhaps where, to launch their nets. A sense of conviction came over Simon and it brought him to a place of humility. That’s the best place to be for ‘God gives grace to the humble,’ as he would later write in one of His letters (1 Peter 5:6; cf., James 4:7). He knew he was a sinner, but Jesus called him to be His disciple (v 10). And they followed Him (v 11), as did other ‘sinners’ soon thereafter (vv 27–29). Christ came to call ‘sinners to repentance’ (v 32). He came to seek what was lost (Luke 19:10). He did so by showing them kindness and acceptance. God’s goodness lead them to repentance (cf., Romans 2:4). Jesus showed them a higher purpose in life and they embraced it. But trusting His word, Simon entered a new life and God’s purpose for his future.
You can trust Him
You can trust Him too and enter what God has prepared for you. Don’t allow your failures and negative experience to determine your present and ruin your future. God has ‘a future and a hope’ for you (Jeremiah 29:11). Trust Him.
Simon would later receive an additional name: ‘Peter’ (from Greek, Petros) the ‘rock,’ by understanding who Jesus truly was: the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:13–20). Hearing His word and obeying it makes one build one’s life in a ‘rock,’ a sure foundation for life (Matthew 7:24–25). Simone ‘Peter’ obeyed Jesus despite his negative experiences that night, and that trust and obedience changed his life forever. It set him on course to fulfil God’s destiny for him. Jesus started to show him who He was—Simon ‘Peter’ would never be the same again.
‘…nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net’ (v 5)
You can trust Him. Jesus is trustworthy. His Word will never fail.
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