September 3 Because You Say So

Luke 5:1-6 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 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. 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.
 
I suppose one could write a very large book about Jesus’ and Peter’s relationship. We often view Peter as “the disciple who betrayed Jesus.” With our hearts prone to judgement instead of grace, we tend to forget about Peter as the disciple who most often did as Jesus commanded “because you say so”.
    Yes, Peter surely failed as we do. But most often this passionate man passed the testings the Lord Jesus gave to him. Yes, Peter had some doubts about Jesus instructing him to put the nets into deep water. Why wouldn’t he? After all, he, his brother and his cousins had been fishing all night with no results. What is the point of one more net drop?
    The point is that the Lord said so, and Peter certainly in the Holy Spirit’s power that day on the boat, believed past his doubt and into Jesus’ commands. He believed Jesus and then did the command. This teaches us how to be Jesus’ disciple: Believe Jesus’ commands, even past your doubts. Act into Jesus’ commands. Live into Jesus’ truth.
    Ultimately, Peter’s belief in Jesus would be deeper than the sea he fished. In addition to Peter’s obedience above, let’s recall this exchange between Jesus and his disciples: Matthew 16:15-17 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”  See how the Spirit gave to Peter a great faith in the Christ.
Spirit-empowered, Jesus-loving, truth-telling, Peter would follow Jesus’ commands to become a disciple-maker. Faithfully, he would preach the Christ in Jerusalem before the very same people who crucified his Lord. Obediently, he would be the first to minister to the Gentiles. To encourage the new church past their doubts, he would write two epistles and help Mark write his gospel. Sacrificially, Peter would suffer and die as his Lord. Peter’s Spirit-powered belief enabled the church to know the Christ just as he did. The early church would grow to believe in Jesus and raise up new disciples.
    So let’s put aside the summary of Peter’s life with the words, “He betrayed Christ.” And let’s, instead, remember Peter’s life-submitting faith to do what Jesus said, “Because you say so.” When someone asks you, “What do you say of Peter?” I hope you will respond with, “He struggled with Jesus’ commands at times. But he loved his Lord so much he put his doubts aside and lived into Jesus’ commands. Peter was even willing to die for Jesus. Then he did.”
   
Prayer: Empower me, Holy Spirit, to believe past my doubts and into true faith in Jesus, the Christ, the Living Son of God. In his name I pray, amen.