Daily Worship

Into the deep water

Liz Crumlish February 13, 2019 0 0
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Image credit: Pixabay

Luke 5: 4

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’

Jesus, what were you thinking?
You appear on the lakeside, get into a weary fisherman’s boat
and begin teaching the crowds who followed you.
So much for a quiet day mending nets after the night shift.
And then you have the audacity to tell these men, who know their trade and who have worked all night that they should give it another go.
You must have had some charm – or simply some nerve!
They did as you asked.
And you did know best.
Their catch was the best they’d ever had.
And they just had to share it with their partners.
No wonder, when you called them to try another kind of fishing, they left everything and followed you.
That’s the thing.
You require graft.
You don’t promise easy.
But you still attract.
Maybe because your message is not dressed up to lure but remains stark and challenging – a sharp contrast to all that claims to offer success without the sweat.
Still, today, Jesus, you appear with no false promises but, rather, with stark warnings, and those, whose eyes are not yet dimmed by cynicism, recognise the authenticity of your challenge, respond to your call and go fishing with you.