Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on Fri, 05/02/2010 – 14:07
Year C (2009-2010)
Bible Book: Luke / Lukas
Chapter: 5
Verse: 1 – 11

This was a day that Simon would never forget. It was not the first time he had met Jesus. According to Luke 4:38 Jesus had already been to his house. He had seen Jesus healing his mother-in-law. Maybe Jesus had even spent that night with his family.

But somehow that encounter with Jesus did not have a significant effect on Simon. While “Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee” and “great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God” (v 1, NLT), Simon was busy with his normal work – washing the nets after a night’s hard work (v 2).

However, on this day a series of events took place that changed Simon’s opinion of and relationship with Jesus. And it seems as if it happened somewhat against Simon’s will! Jesus stepped into his boat and asked him to move it a little so that he could teach the crowd from there (v 3). So Simon too had to listen to Jesus’ teachings. Then Jesus instructed Simon to go fishing (v 4). We can hear Simon’s reluctance in his answer (v 5), but he obeyed none the less.

Then two miracles happened. Against all expectations Simon caught so many fish that his boat was too small to bring the catch ashore. And Simon realised that Jesus was not “Master” (v 5), but “Lord” (v 8). He grasped something of who Jesus really was. This brought him to his knees, confessing his awe of Jesus and his own sinfulness (v 8) – his unworthiness and fear in the presence of the divine.

Simon would never forget that day – the day Jesus entered his working environment, the day Jesus stepped into his boat (his means of livelihood), the day Jesus was no longer the Teacher who had befriended his family, but the Lord who had taken hold of his life. The day he became a disciple of Jesus (v 11).

To think about or discuss: Where do we expect the presence of Jesus – only in church and worship meetings or also where people are working for their daily living? Where can we expect the presence of Jesus in the field of HIV and AIDS?

Author: N du Toit (Ds)
Language: English