Peter: More than a Bass Master
4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." 5Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." 6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Luke 5:1-11
I want to be clear on this: I don't watch fishing shows. But if I did, I'd notice that there are two kinds of fishing hosts. The first kind is super boring. Nobody wants to watch this kind of fishing show. The host is completely dull.
There is another kind of fishing host, however, the kind who makes fishing exciting. It's this kind of host who makes reading a depth finder exciting. What is it about this kind of person that makes them fun to watch? It's their passion.
I think Jesus' disciple Peter would definitely have been the second kind of fishing host. Why? Because Peter was a passionate man. Can you imagine the scene: Simon (he wasn't named Peter yet) was fishing all night, and had caught no fish. Then this traveling teacher came along and wanted to teach from the boat then to do some fishing. He went along with Jesus, probably telling him, “Now over here by these trees is a good fishing hole!” Jesus had something else in mind, however, and put out into deep water and ended up with a huge catch. Peter was quick to speak. Whatever was on his mind, Peter said. That's a hallmark of a passionate person; not necessarily thinking through what they say. Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man. Do you think that's really what he meant? No, but he had to say something.
Much like when Jesus took him and a couple of other friends up onto a mountain and while they were there, Jesus was transfigured before them, and Moses and Elijah showed up, and Peter, astonished, started spouting “let's build three booths here, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one from Elijah. He didn't think, he just spoke.
Peter was passionate. He was also a verbal processor, an extrovert who was uncomfortable with silence. He had to say something. SO he blurted out whatever was on his mind. Even if he didn't know it was on his mind yet.
Peter is the kind of guy who gets in trouble a lot. Maybe you know someone like him. He is always talking, usually out of turn. Maybe it's something inappropriate, or maybe it's just at the wrong time. I know what that's like: I have this friend who has a friend who has said some really insensitive things, meaning them as a joke. Once I, I mean, my friend, was joking with someone about the fancy car he was driving (it was a Toyota). I, my friend asked him who he had to kill to get that fancy car. I didn't know that it had been his late mother's car. Yeah, that was ugly. Yeah, my mouth got me in trouble. And I know that Peter's did, too.
Why?
Because he was passionate and he said whatever came to his mind.
But that passionate mouth wasn't limited to gaffes. I don't want you to miss this: it can be easy to dismiss someone just because he or she says the wrong things. It can be easy to pay no heed to the loudmouth or to the one who speaks most quickly. But Peter's passion didn't only go to his mouth: it went clear to the heart.
When Jesus asked his disciples who people said he was, they replied that some thought he was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. But when He asked them who they said He was, Peter piped up: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). He got it.
Passion isn't always good. Peter often said the wrong things at the wrong time. I'm sure Jesus sometimes wondered “And I chose this guy... why?”
Let's look at another time when Peter's passion shows itself. At the Last Supper, Peter famously announces to Jesus that “I will lay down my life for you” (John 13:36). Indeed, in the Garden, as the mob had just shown up to arrest Jesus (in John 18:10), we read that Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Jesus told Peter to put his sword away. This wasn't Jesus' kind of revolution. But Peter was passionate. He was willing to do whatever it took. Including violence.
You see, sometimes passion can be misguided. Someone can be passionately... wrong.
In Matthew 14:25-31, we find a fantastic story. Jesus' disciples were in a boat, trying to go across the sea against the wind. Let's look at that together. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples say him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It's a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them, “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.” “Lord, if it is you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Here's the thing: sometimes passion can get you so far, but it doesn't finish the job. Peter's passion took him out of the boat – going on beyond what anyone could possibly think of doing. Nobody can walk on water. But Peter did. However, passion only took him out of the boat, but fear made him sink.
Peter saw that there was some opposition. Strong opposition. He realized: Whoa! I can't do this! This is impossible! People just can't...
How often does this happen? Someone gets a great idea about something fantastic, something supernatural that God could do, and they step out of the boat. But what happens next? We see the wind. We see that there is opposition and we panic. We look around at the natural world and say “This can't happen!” We look around and realize that nobody else is out there with us.
And we sink.
Because passion all by itself is not enough.
The cool thing is that Jesus took passionate Peter and made him the Rock. After Peter declared that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus told him (Matthew 16:18), “You are Peter (which translates: Rock), and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
Peter's natural passion made him a natural bass master. He was that exciting kind of fisherman. He was the guy who talked and you just shook your head and said, “I guess that's what's going to come out of his mouth today.” But Jesus had something else in mind for him; he would be the Rock.
That's not what Peter looked like when he was sinking in the sea. That's not what Peter looked like when he was cutting Malchus' ear off. That's not what Peter looked like when he was denying that he even knew Jesus at all.
But let's look at Peter a little while later. The same Peter who had taken up the sword to fight for Jesus, endured prison on Jesus' behalf. And in Foxe's Book of Martyrs, we read that the Roman Emperor Nero sought to have Peter put to death. Some believers heard of this and begged Peter to flee from Rome. As he began to leave the city, it is said that Peter met Jesus. As Peter worshiped Jesus, he asked the Lord, “Where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “I have come again to be crucified.” At this point, Peter returned to the city and was crucified upside-down, by his own choice, because he perceived himself unworthy to be crucified in the same form and manner as Jesus was.
Peter, the passionate one who was so often buffeted by the wind, ended up being the Rock. He stood firm in his faith even to death.
What does this mean for us? First, I believe that it means we need to have some passion. Some of us live passionless lives, especially our spiritual lives. But we can't and won't have any passion for Jesus Christ if we don't know him intimately. So I ask you, where is your passion? Where does your passion intersect with Jesus' passion? Where does your heart intersect with God's heart? God will go from there with you. He found Peter in his fishing boat, his place of passion, and made him into a fisher of men. He can do the same with you. This goes hand in hand with this: misplaced passion is not good enough. I'm talking about those of us who can cheer our heads off at a sporting event but “church isn't the time or place for emotions.” Did you know that the American sign language sign for Methodist is two hands rubbing together – as a sign for the fervor that early Methodists had?
Know this: God can and will use passionate people. God uses impulsive people. Mouthy people. Step-out-in-faith people. God can use you. But God isn't finished with you. This past week at Annual Conference, Kara Russell gave a speech from the stage. Now this might not mean anything to you because none of you know Kara. Kara has been raising money over the past five years for a Children's Hospital, and she came to donate the money. You see, this particular children's hospital is in Haiti and $10 will care for a child, and Kara felt called to participate. So at Conference, she gave the $1023.47 she had raised over the past five years. You might not think this is very impressive until you know this: Kara Russell is nine years old. She started raising money when she was four. She said this to us: I am just a kid and I did this; you're grown-ups. How much more can you do?
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