Launch into the Deep

Launch into the Deep. This statement caught my attention. I pondered much about it because I find it quite paradoxical.

    I reflected upon the Bible passage found on the book of Luke 5:1-11. It is the story wherein Jesus chose His first set of disciples. From this story, I got to know what “Launch into the Deep” really means. The first three verses say, “One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around Him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.”

   One question that crossed my mind when I read those verses was, “Why did Jesus choose to stay on Peter’s boat and preached His word?” There are few points that I would like to share with you about it. One, it’s simply because God knows EVERYTHING about them; everything about us. According to Luke 12:7, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Second, it’s because Jesus had a plan for Simon and his fellows. Jesus gave Peter a heads up when he asked him to put out the boat a little from the shore, for the reason that He would launch them into deep waters in the latter part of the passage. Just like them. God has a plan for each of us. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. His plan for them was to launch them into the deep, to call them into the ministry of discipleship.

  Who were Simon Peter and his fellowmen that Jesus chose them to be his disciples? They were not ministers and preachers in nature. Instead, they were mere fishermen.  But one truth has been revealed to me by this passage. Jesus QUALIFIES the UNQUALIFIED. Gathering of disciples was usual thing during that time. But the kind Jesus gathered, that was unusual. Fishermen, tax collectors, revolutionaries, and just main old sinners. Jesus launched them on a journey with God, a walk in which God begins to work in their lives. It only proves that, WE DO NOT NEED TO BE PERFECT TO COME TO GOD. RATHER, WE NEED TO TRUST GOD and LET HIM DO HIS GRACIOUS WORK IN TRANSFORMING OUR LIVES. He encourages those who know in their hearts that they need God and only Jesus has the power to forgive sins. In my very own experience, I felt that truth about God’s abounding grace and love when I received Christ as my Lord and personal Savior, when I was just 14 years old. At that age, I have lots of shortcomings and I committed a lot of mistakes that displeased Him, my parents, my friends, my loved ones, and even others. But all those things did not matter to Him; He looked past all of my shortcomings and imperfections. So now, with confidence I can truly say that I am living a joyful and worthwhile life, serving and worshiping only Him. 

    Verses 4-6 talks about the challenge of Jesus to Peter. The Bible says, “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. ”Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.” Another thing that I have learned from these verses was, Simon SHOWED OBEDIENCE AT ITS FINEST. Imagine, a carpenter’s son taught a fisherman how to catch fish! And what was Peter’s response? Verse 5 says, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Despite their arduous efforts, they failed. Despite the fact that Jesus’ instruction to Peter was against his professional judgment as fisherman, Peter obeyed and he put the net into the deep waters. This is one great example of FAITH and OBEDIENCE at its finest. Though there are things in our lives that we can’t understand, we still recognize God and we choose to follow His very own will for our lives. That is one great manifestation of STRONG FAITH and INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP with GOD.

In verse 8, it says there that, SIMON WAS HUMBLED. “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Friends have you experienced that kind of feeling when you find God so big, gracious, and amusing that you got intimidated by His presence? The moment when you realized just how great God is and how filthy sinner you are and you felt that you are so undeserving? I submit to you brothers and sisters, that experiencing and encountering God’s power is not a reason to draw back from Him, but an opportunity to approach Him in the right basis, in faith, and dependence. Just like Simon, James, and John.

   Going back to verse 8, Simon Peter represents all disciples. His humility and awareness of his sin did not make him less qualified in the eyes of Jesus. It did not disqualify him from the service; in fact, they are prerequisites for service—HUMILITY AND REPENTANCE. Brothers and sisters, let me submit this reflection to you: God does not call those who think they can help God do His work. God does not need nor want servants who think they are doing God a favor. Jesus calls those who know they need to be humbled before His power and presence. Just like Simon Peter and his fellow men.

    Verse 10 reveals the truth about God—GOD IS A GOD THAT TRANSFORMS LIVES. Verse 10 says, “Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” The size of the catch tells Simon Peter and his companions that this event has not been an accident. The greatest moment in their fishing career caused them to stop and ponder on what God was doing. Jesus has taken Peter’s humble faith and scared him to death with God’s presence. But in the uncertainty that often surrounds faith comes the divine honoring of its presence and a calm voice that says, “Don’t be afraid”. Grace is active. Peter, James, and John learned that God would take the faith of humble fishermen and asked them to join Him in catching after people for the Lord. From, being mere fishermen, Jesus transformed them into fishers of men

    The last verse of this passage tells us the act of LAUNCHING INTO THE DEEP. It says, “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” I was struck by this verse because I experienced the same thing: Leaving what you have and followed Jesus. Almost everyone knows about my humbling experience from my previous work, few years back. I was compelled to leave the school—FOR GOOD, in exchange for a 4-day youth event of KUE National and that was Summer Youth Camp. I chose what I thought was important and that was to serve Him and be a fisher of men. True enough, it has not been taken away from me.

     That overwhelming experience of mine paved the way into an intimate relationship with God. I may lost a job, but I got a life—a life with Him. He had launched me into the deep—a deep and no other kind of love could ever compare. Going into the deep is always something that is unfamiliar, sometimes illogical. It requires faith, obedience, and repentance, to the extent of going out of your own comfort zones, letting Him to make us more of Him and less of ourselves.

      Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you, let us all LAUNCH INTO THE DEEP.