I am a Jesus pusher!!! Another phase of Jesus’ call is focus. The disciples encountered Him in Judea. They believed He was the Messiah. Jesus called them again in Galilee while they were fishing. He would form them into something new. Evidently they continued to fish and share in His ministry in Galilee. One day down by the Sea of Galilee the crowds pressed Jesus. Peter and the other disciples had fished all night and caught nothing. As they were cleaning their nets Jesus encouraged them to go fishing again. They resisted, but Jesus insisted. As they responded they caught so many fish their net was breaking (Luke 5:1-11). They called for another boat; both boats were filled with fish until they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8). This was a crucial time in Peter’s life and in the other disciples as well. It is an absolute step in the call of God upon our lives. It is inevitable that as one response to the presence of Jesus “self-revelation” will take place. It was not that Peter had committed some sinful act and Jesus caught him in the midst of it. He had been responding to Jesus in faith. At various times he followed and experienced moments of excitement in his faith. It is here his focus on himself becomes very apparent. This issue will not be settled in this encounter. But it has started. The revelation of self-centered focus will come again and again until Peter is broken. Is it any different with us? I am a Jesus pusher!!!