SCRIPTURE READING:  Luke 5:1-11

“The truth is we don’t need to orchestrate the right environment IN ORDER for Jesus to show up.”

Peter was a fisherman – it’s what he did. He wasn’t a wealthy man but he earned a living and played an important role within the society of his day. He was a hardworking, outspoken, simply educated man with a gruff exterior and strong passions. Peter wasn’t necessarily a religious person but he knew and respected the faith of his ancestors.  The truth was he didn’t impress easily and was especially turned off by those who were full of themselves and that happened to include many of the pompous religious leaders of his time.

Needless to say, Peter wasn’t ready for what he discovered when he came face to face with the humble, not-your-average Rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth. Peter’s ‘come to Jesus’ moment happened, not in the synagogue, but on the seashore while he was at work. That first encounter was much more intentional on Jesus’ part than what Peter could have expected.  It was going to impact his life forever.

You see, Jesus met Peter on his turf (mending nets), utilized what he had available (a boat), and then proceeded to rock his world by exchanging all that Peter thought he knew for something extraordinary. Jesus told the experienced fisherman when and how to fish and in doing so gave him a sneak preview into a life and a relationship that would change everything.

Think of the contrast that Peter had. The religious leaders of the day were so far removed from him. He couldn’t think like them, talk like them or relate to them in any way. Yet they represented God to him – or at least were supposed to. Then Jesus comes along. He was interested in his boat and his fish and then in his future. He spoke with authority but then looked him in the eye and said I want you to follow me. Who would you have followed?

Sometimes I think we tend to look for Jesus in the wrong places. We look for structure and form and even tradition. The truth is we don’t need to orchestrate the right environment for Jesus to show up. We need to look for Him right where we are – interested in who we are – and ready to use what we have for his purposes. That's where faith begins.