Jesus has come to the lake of Gennesaret, and was watching the fishermen. He asked Simon to take out his boat, and then asked him to go ahead and put down his net. Again. Simon’s first response is one I recognize. I can almost hear a little bit of tired whininess. But Master, we’ve been out all night! You’re a teacher, we’re fishermen. We know our trade. It was a bad night. I’m tired. Really?
Unfortunately, I can imagine this response from me to God’s call, especially if I’m tired, which I can imagine Simon was. I can absolutely see myself saying something along the lines of Simon’s first response. But unlike Simon, I don’t have the benefit of the human Jesus standing in my boat. My sense of God’s work in my life is either more ethereal, like a prompting from the Holy Spirit, or it comes through other people I encounter.
I do firmly believe that I am called to seek and serve Christ in all people, and I do believe Christ is in all people. So Jesus’ call to me can come from those other people. Or maybe those other people are being dumb, and their call or request to me is not God-inspired. That’s the tricky part – is discerning the difference. Maybe it’s like our presiding bishop, Michael Curry said, ‘If it’s not about love, it’s not about God’. Maybe if my neighbor needs something, and to help would be to love, I am to help.
But despite my hesitancy to respond, or my whiny resistance, I want to follow up with a committed YES, like Simon did. I’m glad he voiced his skepticism, and then followed Jesus anyway. And I’m glad that despite Simon’s voiced skepticism and doubt, Jesus provided for him abundantly.
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