Luke 5 presents a unique insight into what it is to be open to guidance.  Guidance even from someone that is not an expert.

The air was permeated with the smells of old fish and rope.  The little ship had been out all night with Peter and his crew but with nothing to show for their efforts; not even a single straggler. They were bone tired and were washing and stretching their nets out on the beach to dry.   They were looking forward to a time of relaxation in the cool morning breeze with the gentile sun on their face.  These men were tired and just wanted to go home.  But here comes a crowd heading right for Peter and his freshly laundered nets.  There is no record of Jesus asking to use the boat but he needed a pulpit.  At risk of losing both his nets and boat Peter and his crew sat in the boat behind Jesus trying to stay awake as Jesus taught the crowd.

“When He finished teaching, He said to Simon, ‘push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch’”. (Luke 5:4).  It is with a little hint of sarcasm that Peter responds; “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow.”

Here was this itinerant teacher, without a synagogue in which to teach, telling me a full time journeyman master fisher how to fish.  The nets now well trampled had to be washed again. It did not look like Jesus was any hurry to get out of the boat. He continued to sit in the bow with a look of expectation and a smile that Peter would come to look for before any great lesson to be learned or miracle to be had.  With a rough hand over his brow to shadow his eyes from the early sun and knowing full well there were no fish to be had this time of day, Peter agreed.  He had the crowd move off the nets and placed them again in the boat and set off tired and  probably a little more than frustrated.  The instructions from Jesus were simple and not very creative.  “Go out to deeper water and throw out your net.”  It was a waste of time for the master fisherman. It went against all the experience and intuition accumulated over his career.

I don’t know where the fish were all night but everyone within a mile took a detour that morning and found the net.  Peter tried with all his strength and skill to bring the net it but it would not come because of all the fish.

Jesus did not explain it was a great miracle to show Peter some well needed lesson.  No new teaching for the fisherman.

Sometimes following Jesus is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy.  Remember the one telling you to fish is also the one who created the fish.