Snailbites

Cast Into the Deep

July 15, 2008 – 1:41 pm

There’s a story in the bible about a guy named Peter. The story goes like this:

Jesus is teaching loads of people out on the Sea of Galilee one day - typical fanfare for the Messiah. The crowd is standing out on the shore, while he’s standing on a boat owned by this guy Simon. Upon the completion of His teaching, Jesus tells Simon to go out and fish some more. Simon was taken aback, as they have been fishing all night and caught nothing.

See, in those times, and still even today in some places, fisherman would do their work at night, in the shallow part of the water. That’s where all the fish were. They’d swim closer to shore, then the fisherman would lower their nets, and in would swim the fish. That’s the way it worked for thousands of years.

That’s why when Jesus said to throw the nets over into the deep side, and in broad daylight for that matter, Simon must’ve looked at Him like He was crazy! He told him they’ve been fishing all night and caught nothing already. In other words, work time was over, and their nets were empty. Put a lid on it, Jesus! But for some reason, it was their destiny to believe anyway, and they casted their nets.

Lo and behold, their nets were overflowing with fish. It was a miracle. And Simon and Andrew dropped everything and followed Him.

I love this story. I love its simplicity and how easily we can relate it to our modern lives.

Today as I received the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confession, I was reminded again how much God loves me.  I pray that as I live out my daily walk with the Lord, that He will bless me with opportunities to show His love to everyone I encounter.

May God bless us all, as we continue to conquer the world with Love.