In Luke 5:1-11, the account is given of Jesus teaching multitudes of people on the shores of Galilee. At one point, He stepped into a boat belonging to Peter and continued His teaching. When finished, the Lord turned to Peter and said, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Peter’s response to Jesus was, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” These men were highly trained and very capable fisherman; after all, their livelihood depended on it. However, amazing things happened that night when Jesus was with them in the boat. Consider a few ways their lives were enriched:
Jesus enriched their physical lives
In Luke 5:6-7, the Bible says that they caught so many fish their nets began to break. They had to signal for their partners in another boat and there were so many fish that the two boats began to sink. Lifetime fishermen were ‘astonished’ at the catch of fish which they had taken (5:9). This was the catch of a lifetime. Jesus is not going to come get into a boat in our physical lives today, nor does He ever promise us physical riches beyond belief. He does however, make a promise that if we will seek first His kingdom all physical blessings will be added (Matthew 6:33). He promises that God will take care of our needs. When Jesus is in our lives, priorities will be right and while we may not be rich by the standards of the world – we will be very rich with all that is needed!
Jesus enriched their spiritual lives
Before reaching shore, Peter looked to Jesus and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” Upon reaching shore, can you imagine the worship that was taking place? The catch that night was really not about fish at all – Jesus was making a way for them to think beyond the physical to reach their hearts and bless them spiritually. Friends, may we never take the physical blessings provided by the Lord and not be enriched spiritually! May our focus and priorities never be on the riches of life, but in the rich spiritual blessings provided in the Lord (Ephesians 1:3).
Through their enrichment, Jesus enriched the lives of countless others
No, it really was never about physical fish at all. In the end, Jesus said to Peter, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men. So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him,” (Luke 5:10-11). Though rich, for our sakes Jesus became poor that we through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus showed grace to Peter and his partners that night. More than that, Jesus has extended the grace that brings salvation to all men (Titus 2:11). We continue to be made rich through Jesus because of Peter and the other apostles and their words and examples provided to us in Scripture. May we find our riches in Jesus and be willing to launch out into the deep to help others find their riches in Him too!
-Adam Orr
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