John 21: 6 "He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”
On a lakeshore in Northern Israel stood two men; two experts in their respective fields.
One, a fisherman who could mend a net with his eyes shut, who could stand in his vessel on choppy waters without losing balance, who knew the feeding times of the many shoals hidden beneath the surface, whose calloused hands spoke of years of experience.
The other, a Rabbi of some repute in recent days. A man who knew the Torah inside out, who held crowds in the palm of his hand with his stories, who spoke forth the teachings from God with conviction and challenge, and with such wisdom that had never before been heard.
One knew how to school his students, the other how to source a school of fish.
The preacher turned to the fisherman and gave his request. He would like to preach from the boat, if the fisherman would be so obliged as to put it out a little into the water. No problem. Simon, the fisherman, was happy to let the Rabbi use his boat as a platform. It was the least he could do for such an impressive teacher of the things of God.
And so, the teacher taught, the preacher preached, the speaker spoke. This was his forte after all! But then come those fateful words which were the means of turning Peter’s world upside down:
“And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon…”
Had he kept speaking to the crowds, there would never have arisen any tension. But all of a sudden, he stopped addressing the multitude and had the audacity to speak to his host directly. That may not have meant much in terms of general conversation, it was more the content that mattered. He opened his mouth, gifted as it was in proclaiming the teaching of God, and spoke forth an astounding statement:
“Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch”.
I imagine Peter may have tried to hide a snort of incredulity. Here was the preacher, giving directions about fishing to the fisherman himself! Alright Jesus, you stick to the speaking, I’ll stick to the fishing. It will work better that way.
Then proceeds one of the most cringeworthy statements in Scripture. No less because many of us can identify with it.
“And Simon answered…”
That was his first mistake. Instead of just acting, he answered. So would I, had it been me. To think that the Rabbi knew more about fishing than the experienced fisherman who had grown up on the water? Please. Give advice about holiness, or practical matters of living, or how to love God better… but don’t give advice on my area of expertise. I know what I’m doing.
And such was his answer. In short, Jesus, I know what I’m doing, and your advice is redundant as I’ve already tried.
Of course, he does what he could have done with a shut mouth, and obeys, because the man from God says so. Obedience is great. But obedient with silence is better, and results in less embarrassing moments in the long run.
What happens next is that Peter finds out exactly who the master of fishing really is. Jesus is not just Lord of the “holy” parts of life. He is Lord over it all. Not just because he rules over it, in some disinterested way, but because he actually knows more about it than the most experienced people in that field. Jesus is Master of every activity, because he knows best. Peter’s second response is better, and having his eyes open to this view of Christ lays him on his knees, unable to stand the presence of one who can show him up for the fool that he is, unable to bear this perfect man to be in his boat. He is meant to be the experienced one, but he was experienced and yet a sinner.
Jesus was setting up Simon and his companions for a call into fishing for men. A business that, on the face of it, may have seemed more akin to Jesus’ role than their own. Yet in arranging this experience, Jesus was showing Simon that he is indeed Master of the nets. Whether fishing on the lake of Gennesaret, or in the houses of Roman Centurions, it was never a case that Peter was the master of the situation. Jesus is the one who is the master of every area. Simon Peter’s job was to be quiet, and to learn that Jesus was the one who knows more about fishing than the best fisherman, indeed, who knows more about every occupation than the experts. Therefore, the only correct response is to be humbled at our lack of knowledge, and to listen to what this master has to say. I imagine that new mindset made it a lot easier for these seasoned fishermen to leave everything and start a new life as fishers of men.
At the moment we are learning this lesson in this first season on the field. We have come from years of experience in jobs, ministry, speaking our native tongue, living life in Ireland, etc., to being incapable of any of the above. It is a humbling experience to learn to write in childish letters again. It pains us when “ministry opportunities” pass us by because our tongues are too slow to work. It is embarrassing to be unable to do the most basic tasks that a functioning human being should be capable of.
Yet the reality is that where once we thought we were masters and are now babies, we were really always so far behind the Master of the Nets. Our need in our “experience” was to listen to him, rather than spout our opinions, or even worse, act upon them. I loathe the fact that so much of what I think is a “spiritually correct” course of action is merely my own outlook on a matter. And whether it is correct or not is irrelevant. Simon Peter had caught fish before. He had done it right. But he needed to shut up and listen to the one who knew infinitely better how to fish. Jesus’ commands broke into his everyday life, even in the areas where he thought he knew best. So it is for us all.
In this season I am learning to shut up, be quiet, be still and listen to the Master’s voice. I’ve been forced into it. After all, my mouth is mute at the moment, my hands incapable of functioning in this environment. It is my prayer that I may use this time to learn the lesson from that scene in Galilee, that if there be any hope of being a fisher of men, I must listen to the Master.
It will not be proficiency in language, nor skill in navigating the bazar, nor writing Christian literature in this new script, that will accomplish anything. The Master of the Nets is master of every aspect of life, from the classroom to the laboratory, the sports field to the office desk. When we realise that, we will be humbled enough to trust him with whatever he tells us to do. And hopefully we’ll do it with a mouth wisely shut…
Article by Dónal in Life Lessons, Mission
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