Uncomfortable

So I had one of those quiet times this morning where the Scripture just makes you uncomfortable.

I was reading Luke 5 where the story of Jesus and Simon Peter really begins. Apparently, Peter had been fishing all night and hadn’t caught anything. I’m sure he was tired, hungry, and disappointed that his efforts had been in vain. And then Jesus appeared with a large crowd of people. They’re all crowding Him, trying to listen to what He’s saying. So Jesus walked over to Simon Peter and climbed in his boat. Then he told Simon Peter to back the boat off the shore a bit. I wonder what Simon was thinking while Jesus proceeded to teach the people. Did he listen as he worked on his boat? Did he sit and absorb every word? Did he get a little cranky because he was tired? Who knows.

After He finished teaching, Jesus told Simon Peter to row out to deep water and put his nets back in the water. Simon Peter tried to reason with Him, citing the night’s disappointing fishing results. But he took Jesus at His word and put in the nets. (Maybe he had a little faith because Jesus has healed his mother-in-law not too long ago.) Lo and behold, so many fish were caught that the load nearly sank two boats. (I can only imagine what Simon Peter was thinking as they rowed back to shore. “Man! We’re going to eat well tonight. I can get my wife that new clay pot she’s been wanting and finally make those expensive repairs to the boat . . .” Or something like that. And in Aramaic, of course.) He told Jesus that he was a sinful man and that he didn’t deserve to be in Jesus' presence. But Jesus said something that changed it all for Simon. He said, “Don’t be afraid. From now on, you’ll be catching people!”
 

And do you know what Simon Peter did? He and his team brought the boats to the shore, left everything, and followed Jesus. They left the financial security and stability of that huge catch of fish. They left the chance of being local celebrities for bringing in a miraculously huge catch with Jesus. They traded the predictable for the unknown.

I know it’s not a novel concept, but I was really struck this morning by the suddenness of their departure from the norm. They “left everything” and followed Christ. (I hope they let someone know about the fish or else that would have STUNK the next day!) They didn’t have to think about it; they just went. So I had to ask myself if I would have done the same thing.

That’s a tough call. I’d like to think that had I been in Simon Peter’s shoes, I would have been so drawn to Christ and the authority with which He taught and the miracles He performed that I would have dropped everything to follow Him. But I’m afraid I may have told Him I’d meet him at the fish market after I’d sold the boatload of fish He’d given me. I’m bad at spontaneity, and I like stability and security. But part of me longs for the adventure of dropping everything and following Jesus.

When you get the chance to drop everything and follow Jesus, will you?

If you’ve done that already, I'd love for you to leave us a comment and let us know what that looked like in your life.