Coming Face-to-Face with the Kingdom of God

Luke 5:1-11

Jesus Calls His First Disciples 

 5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. ² He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³ 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.

⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

⁵ 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.”

⁶ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷ So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” ¹¹ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. 

Reflection

This story was early in the ministry of Jesus. At this point he was just starting to gain followers and word was spreading about his teaching and ability to perform amazing miracles. As Jesus walks along the Lake of Gennesaret, people were most likely following him to catch a glimpse of this Jesus guy everyone was talking about.

Most likely knowing what the crowds where there for, Jesus gets into one of the boats that is docked on the shore, pulls the boat to the edge of the lake, and sits down to teach the crowds.

At this point of the story, Peter, James, and John are cleaning their nets after a long day of fishing to turn and find that Jesus as used their boat as a first-century pulpit. Not saying anything according to the text, they just turn, stand, and listen to Jesus teach.

After the sermon, Jesus turns to Peter (aka Simon) and asks him a simple request of any fisherman, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

Peter agrees to take out their boats and lower their nets into the water, despite their full day of fishing with catching no fish.

As Peter and his partners pull up the nets they can hardly bring up the nets because they are so full of fish. On top of that, once they get the fish into the boat, it is so full that the boat starts to sink in the water.

The future disciples have seen what everyone was hoping to see, a miracle!

Miracles play a special role in the ministry of Jesus. Not only do they help to make Jesus famous, but also they show a special reality that Jesus brings with him in his ministry called the Kingdom of God in the gospel of Luke.

At this point in the story, the nation of Israel has been waiting for the Kingdom of God to come to earth since the time of Abraham. The Kingdom of God is believed to be a time where God will dwell with his people on Earth in a special way. This indwelling of the Kingdom with the people of God brings with it healing, takes away pain, overcomes evil, and makes miracles an everyday occurrence. In Jesus’s ministry, a little glimpse of heaven is seen on Earth.

It is the reality of Heaven coming to Earth shown in the miracle of Jesus brings Peter to confess, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

Weekly in worship at church, through reading the Bible, and being in community with others we see and hear the same good news about the miracle of the Kingdom of God, yet are we moved as Peter was? If not, why not?

Two weeks ago, Pastor Tom was preaching in the 11am service and said something that really stood out to me. He said, “God is calling you. If you respond by just saying, ‘eh.’ Then it is your fault, not God’s.”

When Peter is confronted with the reality of the Kingdom of God, his whole life changes. He literally leaves his job and everything behind to follow Jesus, to be his disciple and learn from him. There is no reason that Jesus would not want the same level of commitment from us  when we are confronted with the reality of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is calling all of us to give up the things that keep us from following him. So…what is God calling you to give up? 

Questions

1.     Why were there crowds following Jesus? What had they heard about him at this point of his ministry?

2.     When Jesus asks Peter to get back in the boat and try to fish again, how does Peter respond?

3.     Once Peter comes face to face with the reality of the Kingdom of God, how does he respond?

4.     How have you seen or heard of the reality of the Kingdom of God at church, in a community Bible study, or when reading scripture? Tell the group about it.

5.     How have you been changed by coming face-to-face with the reality of the Kingdom of God?

6.     Spend some time reflecting, what is God ask you to give up today?

7.     Pray for each other.