#DailyDevotion Let Us Confess With Simon We Are Sinful
Luke 5:1-11 One day Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee, and the people were crowding Him as they were listening to God’s Word. 2He saw two boats on the shore of the sea. The fishermen had stepped out of them and were washing their nets. 3So Jesus got into one of the boats (it belonged to Simon) and asked him to go out a little way from the shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4When He had stopped speaking, He told Simon, “Take the boat out where the water is deep, and let down your nets for a catch.” 5“Master,” Simon answered, “we’ve worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if You say so, I’ll let down the nets.” 6When the men had done this, they caught a very large number of fish, and their nets started to tear. 7So they waved to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came, and now they filled both boats so that they started to sink, 8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees. “Leave me, Lord,” he said. “I’m a sinful man.” 9He and all who were with him were amazed to see the fish they had caught, 10and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you’re going to catch men.” 11So when they had brought the boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Him.
First we should note the LORD, our God and Savior, Jesus Christ wants people to know his will, to know him, and to know him as Savior. So he takes time to teach people these things. He could have left us about floundering like blind men leading the blind but he doesn’t. I find it interesting Jesus’ hutzpah to ask Simon to use his boat and even to push it out a bit. Simon, being a man of a lot of hutzpah himself I think admires this in Jesus and acquiesces. Now what did Jesus teach the people? Well Luke doesn’t tell us here. But I think we can be safe to say he taught similar content as in the Sermon on the Mount and later the Sermon on the Plain. The content of those sermons breaks the hardness of the heart in most people. So it doesn’t surprise me when Jesus asks Simon to set out for the deep for a catch of fish, while he doesn’t think it will do any good, he acquiesces.
Now we all know the account. Peter catches so many fish (at a time of day he isn’t expecting to catch any) his boat starts to sink and he has to call his partners to come and help. Both boats start to sink. It is in this moment Simon Peter realizes he is in the presence of holiness. He falls at Jesus’ knees and tells him to depart for he is a sinful man. Jesus in his great mercy tells Peter to not be afraid. It’s like when Isaiah sees the LORD and the seraph is sent with a coal that touches his lips and is told his sin is taken away. Then, in Jesus’ absolution of “Don’t be afraid” Peter is called to follow Jesus and catch men.
We too, at the beginning of our services when we hear the name of God invoked realized our sinfulness. God is with us. We are in the presence of the Holy One. So what do we do? We confess our sins. Jesus speaks through the mouth of the pastor, “Your sin are forgiven you.” We may have yelled, screamed and other things getting out the door to go to Church. We may have put on a good face that we got it all together. When we come into his presence we realize we don’t have it all together. Jesus knows this. We confess this. Jesus absolves us and bids to continue following him.
Gracious God and Father, you sent your Son Jesus to teach us your will and give us knowledge of you. His teaching and knowledge show us our sins and our need for a Savior and you provided that in Jesus. Give us ears that hear and hearts that believe these things so we may love you and do your will. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.