Peter is perhaps one of the most well-known of the disciples. We certainly hear a lot about him in the gospel accounts as well as in the book of Acts. He is, in many ways, the de facto leader of the group. Some theorize that Peter was the oldest of the disciples, giving him a sort of natural authority. Even without this, however, we see him making decisions for the group and taking that position.
No matter what was going on, Peter always had something to say. He always had some idea, some answer, some suggestion. Not that he was always right. In fact, he is also well known for being famously wrong when he rebuked Jesus for saying that He was going to die, not to mention when he denied even knowing Jesus - three times - just as Jesus had predicted.
What is interesting about Peter‘s life in the gospels is that it is bookmarked by two very similar events.
When Jesus first finds Simon Peter, usually only called Peter, he and his brother had just come back from fishing. They were likely seasoned fishermen, career fishermen, not just out for fun or as a hobby. It is even more likely, given the time and the culture, that their father had also been a fisherman and they'd been practically raised out on the boat. Yet the story, told in Luke 5:1-11, notes that on this particular night, they hadn't caught any fish.
Jesus uses Peter's boat to preach to the crowd. Then He tells Peter to cast out his net. Peter objects, we've been trying all night and haven't caught anything. But he obeys, anyway, even though he has doubts. And they catch a ton of fish. It was clear to Peter and his companions that something out of the ordinary had happened. Something only God could do. Peter falls at Jesus' feet, and Jesus tells him, from now on, you will be a fisherman of men.
Much later, John tells us another story about Peter (found in John 21:15-19). After his denial of Jesus, after hearing the women’s testimony that Jesus' tomb was empty and checking it for himself, after the upper room encounter,... where do we find Peter? On the lake, fishing.
What was he doing on that lake?
I think Peter felt more than a little lost. Things had unraveled and not gone the way he had expected. He had no idea what was happening. He was ashamed of his behavior and unsure where that left him. So, he went back to what he knew. He went back to his life before Christ.
Only Jesus doesn't let him go. Jesus shows up on the shore, and He calls out to them in the boat, haven’t you caught anything? It had been another unfruitful night. Throw your net on the other side, He suggests from the shore.
It should’ve sounded very familiar to Peter. I imagine him at this point squinting as he looks over the waters, asking himself, do I recognize that voice? The men in the boat with him throw the net on the other side, and once more, there is a miraculous catch of fish.
Realizing it is Jesus, Peter is so excited that he jumps off the boat, not even willing to wait for it to cross the 100 yards to shore. He swims to Jesus. When he climbs out of the water, soaking wet, this time I imagine the others on the boat shaking their heads at his impulsivity. Peter doesn't care about anything or anyone else. He once again falls at the feet of Jesus.
It is important to note that, even though the fisherman had just caught a fortune's worth of fish, Jesus didn’t ask for their fish. He already has some cooking on a fire, and He invites them to breakfast with Him. I love that. It just goes to show how God provides.
There, on the sandy shore, eating the fish that Jesus gave them as well as bread, perhaps calling back the last supper they had shared with him, Jesus asks Peter, Peter, do you love me? In fact, he asks Peter the same question three times. Once for each time that Peter had denied Him. When Peter answers affirmatively, Jesus tells him variations of, feed my sheep and tend to my lambs. In other words, take care of my people. It is a repeat of what He had told Peter to do in the beginning: you are no longer a fisher of fish; you are a fisher of men. This is a powerful moment of restoration.
I think there are so many different lessons that we could take from this story.
First, if you have been casting your net and finding it empty, ask yourself if you’ve been trying to fish without Jesus. That's a metaphor, obviously. Maybe for you it’s a relationship, or maybe a business, or maybe your child. Maybe it’s evangelism or running a Bible study or trying to sway people away from Christian nationalism. We need Jesus to be in everything we do, because it is Jesus who brings the fish to the net.
Second, even if you have wandered away from God, gone back to the life you had before Him, or made mistakes that you’re ashamed of, you have never wandered too far away to be restored. Today might be the day to go back to Jesus.
Finally, Jesus asks Simon Peter, do you love me, and when Simon says yes, He tells Peter to go love people in very real and practical ways. We love people because of our love for God. We have love for others because of the love God has for us. The two are intertwined. Connected. Both are necessary.
Which one of these points resonates most with you? After all, through the Great Commission, God called all of us to be disciples. We are all called to go to the world, to love our neighbors, and to show them what Jesus is really about.
How can you live that out today?
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