Daily Devotions
I have to laugh at this story. Jesus is going fishing in a boat—but the fish He is trying to catch are standing on the shore, listening to Him! These are people who badly need to hear the Good News of God—and Jesus knows that if He doesn’t get some water between Him and them, they will probably crowd Him right off the shore! Therefore the boat. That was a sensible idea!
I doubt that Simon thought Jesus’ next idea about catching ordinary fish was very sensible, though. But of course Jesus is right. The boats are so full of fish they start sinking, and Simon is terrified at the power of God. He kneels down right in the flopping fish to beg Jesus to back off from him—”for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
But Jesus won’t do it. He has already caught Simon, and He intends to keep him. So He comforts him, saying, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they get to shore, all four of them leave their boats-and the huge catch of fish, which probably supported their families for a long time—and go after Jesus as His disciples, the first of His own great catch.
But not the last. For Jesus takes the fish He catches—the human beings He teaches and baptizes and turns into disciples—and He uses them to catch more people, and more and more, with the nets of the Gospel. You and I are among the people Jesus has caught. And we know that being caught by Jesus doesn’t mean dying; because here, it is Jesus our Fisherman who did the suffering and dying for us. We have the benefit—everlasting life with our Lord and Savior, who rose from the dead, never to die again.
WE PRAY: Thank You, Lord, for catching me! Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you like going fishing? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think Jesus compares His work to going fishing?
3. What are the “nets” Jesus used to catch you with? (How did you become a Christian?)