Luke 5:8 Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.”
On an unfulfilled morning, Simon Peter was washing his nets next to his empty boat. Empty boats mean empty pockets after a futile empty night of fishing. They had toiled all night and caught nothing as the fish in the Lake of Gennesaret had gone into hiding! Jesus sat on this empty boat and preached a power packed sermon. Then the Carpenter Jesus commanded the experienced fisherman Peter to go back into the same empty lake for a catch. I believe the sermon that Peter heard from the Carpenter must have captivated the heart of the fisherman. With no resistance Peter obeyed the command of Jesus and caught a big catch until the nets began to break and the boat began to sink.
When we experience a miracle, we will want more of the Miracle Maker. However, strangely we see Peter begging Jesus to leave him. Jews believed that if they see the face of God, they will die. The Lord said to Moses, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20). Hence the bad boy Peter was petrified that he would die as he was sinful, dirty and aberrant. Jesus didn’t leave him in the defaulted dump but took Peter with Him to transform him into the rudimentary rock on which the church is built.
Jesus turns a rut into a rock:
1. Insolent: Jesus personified passionate love, compassion and mercy in His message, miracles and matrix however we see Peter who promoted himself to be the PA of Jesus, insolent, insensitive and imprudent to the will of God. He daringly tried to stop Jesus from going to the cross to redeem humanity. Matthew 16:23 “Get behind me satan”, “For your thoughts are not of the things of God, but the things of men”. Peter was brash, brazen and boisterous.
2. Impulsive: Peter had a very high mental metabolism. He answered impulsively, was agitated impetuously and acted swiftly. He was quick to jump into the water when he saw Jesus walking on the sea. He rushed to confirm that he will not betray Jesus at the last supper and hastened to cut the ear of the servant of the High Priest at the garden of Gethsemane. Peter was rash, reckless and rough.
3. Incognito: Just a few hours after the pledge at the dinner table Peter betrayed Jesus three times. The third time he started swearing and cursing that he did not even know his iconic Hero Jesus. The fanciful follower Peter was the fallible, frail freak.
Jesus did not give up on the bad boy Peter who was brash, brazen, rash, reckless, fallible and frail. A special word was sent to Peter through Mary Magdalene after the resurrection of Jesus “But go, tell his disciples and Peter” (Mark 16:7a). Jesus did not change the portfolio of Peter because of his pitfalls or demote him because of his failures. He reinstated him as the rock on which the early church was built. If there was hope for the bad boy Peter, there is hope for you and me.
Matthew 16:18a And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I can relate to the liar, scoffer and betrayer Peter. Thank you for the hope that I have in you that I will be accepted when I come to you with remorse, regret and repentance. Amen
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