Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing.” Luke 5:4 NLT
All night they worked. It was grueling, back-breaking manual labor. And despite their efforts, they had nothing to show for it except an empty boat and dirty nets.
Life isn’t predictable
In math whenever we add two positive numbers together the sum will always be greater than each addend. It would be great if life followed that logic. But it doesn’t. It’s unpredictable. We can pour our heart, soul, time and money into something and have absolutely nothing to show for it. This is what happened to the disciples.
These were fishermen well-versed in their craft, novices they weren’t. They knew the seas and how to catch fish. Yet all their knowledge, skill and hard work yielded nothing. This was one time when the addition principle didn’t add up.
Cue Jesus
Then Jesus steps into the boat. What once was a fishing vessel is now a stage where Jesus can teach the masses. But His ministry isn’t over when He’s done speaking. He’s also a healer, restorer and redeemer. And He’s standing in a fishing boat that doesn’t reek of fish. So He tells Simon Peter to go back and fish again (Luke 5:4).
Can you imagine what Simon was feeling? Bad enough the empty boat served as a reminder of the loss, but why go back to a spot where they caught nothing? What was the purpose of that? It makes more sense to go somewhere new. An area they hadn’t just fished. But going back to the place that held nothing but blood, sweat and unmet expectations, why would anyone want to go through that heartache again?
Embracing failure
Simon Peter doesn’t hide his frustration. Neither does he blame it on circumstances or other people, instead, he embraces the failure. “‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing’”( Luke 5:4 NLT). Despite everything they did, they came up empty-handed. A humbling admission. It’s definitely not easy admitting when plans go awry, especially when we’ve done everything in our power to make it successful. However, Simon doesn’t sugarcoat his failure. He was honest, they tried and failed. But then he adds: “‘But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.’” (Luke 5:5 NLT) He was willing to go back because Jesus asked him to.
This time when he casts the net, he catches so many fish he has to ask for reinforcements to haul it all in. (Luke 5:6-7)
Allowing Jesus into our empty boat
It’s not easy to go back to an area where we’ve experienced heartbreak. Going back means reliving those negative emotions. Not a fun experience to go through, again. It’s generally harder the second time around. Yet it’s in these areas that God’s power shines so brightly. Failures, disappointments and setbacks have the potential to become strengths. If we allow Jesus to heal them, He can turn empty boats into triumph stories.