But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees, and said, 'Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.' Luke 5:8, NIV

 

Have you ever experienced a miraculous happening in your life? I’m sure that many of you have; you may also have learnt that sometimes the greater miracle is not so much experiencing the spectacular event, but the impact it has on your life. Simon Peter experienced such a miracle, and discovered that a divine meeting with Jesus would change his life forever as he saw His power at work in his life.

 

Simon and his team, experienced anglers, had worked hard all-night fishing on Lake Galilee, catching nothing, and were undoubtedly weary and disheartened. As they washed their nets, Jesus, who’d been crowded by people as He taught the word of God, nearby, got into Simon’s boat, and asked him to put out a little from the shore so that He could speak to the people from there.

 

I would love to know what Jesus actually taught from Simon Peter’s boat that day, because whatever He’d said had touched Simon deeply and had laid the foundation for the spiritual transformation that was to come. When we look closely at what happened that day, we see that what started off as an ordinary day resulted in two miracles!

 

When Jesus had finished teaching, He told Simon to, “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4) Inclination to try again isn’t easy when you’ve worked all night with no reward, but despite his weariness, Simon’s answer showed his unwillingness to refuse Jesus: “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5)

 

Never before had his obedience provided such a return; the catch was so great that their strained nets were beginning to break, and they had to summon their partners in the other boat to help them; even then, both boats began to sink! It was all too much for Peter to absorb.

 

The enormity of the situation overwhelmed Simon. He recognised that Jesus, who’d held him and the people spellbound that morning as He spoke of the Kingdom of God, also had power over creation, and had performed this great miracle that he knew he’d done nothing to deserve. And like Isaiah before him, when confronted by a vision of God’s holiness, Peter keenly felt his unworthiness and fell at Jesus’ knees, in worship and surrender. “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)

 

And that humble confession in the presence of God transformed him.

 

“Jesus said, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ (Luke5:10) Following Jesus became Simon’s new life; he left everything.

 

And so did his friends.

 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to the miracles in my life. May their impact on me help me to be humble and committed to You, always. Amen