Pastor’s Corner: “Untimely Interruptions”

Luke 5:5-7 (MSG) – 5-7 Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.

Unusual Timing: Peter must have been taken of guard, and slightly annoyed by Jesus’ request. He was washing his nets on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after a long night of fishing with no results. At first, he was probably a little honored that this renowned Rabbi had asked to use his boat to speak to the large crowd from a little off the shore. But he was unprepared for Jesus next request. Jesus told Peter to go out into deeper waters and throw his nets out again to bring in a catch.  Peter was a time-tested fisherman. He knew what he was doing. Through years of experience, he was familiar with the best times of day to fish. Daylight wasn’t the right time to fish with nets in the deep. Jesus’ request went against everything he knew to be true.

I think we are often like Peter. We sometimes think we have it all figured out, according to our own experience or the world’s standards. We believe we know the timeline our lives should follow, and which choices make the most sense. But Jesus wants us to trust Him more than we trust our schedules. He calls us to deeper waters for an untimely harvest only He can provide. We like Peter, can also be taken off guard and maybe even slightly annoyed at Jesus requests and interruptions to our schedules and timelines. We may also struggle with fear of what others will think and embarrassment if we follow Jesus seemingly unusual invitations. How many times have you ignored an untimely request from Jesus? We can often miss opportunities for a harvest of wisdom, blessings, peace, rest, joy or souls for the kingdom of God.

Trust God for the Harvest. Peter agreed to Jesus’ request. He and his friends sailed out into the deep. When the men pulled the nets in, they began to tear at the heavy weight of hundreds of fish. Both fishing boats faced the threat of sinking since the harvest was miraculously enormous. Luke writes that Peter was “awestruck,” and James and John were “amazed.” These seasoned fishermen learned something new: Jesus is Lord over all time. The three men instantly followed Jesus after they landed, leaving the untimely harvest for others to enjoy. If our relationship with Jesus is lacking in awe and amazement, we might consider being more sensitive and agreeable to Jesus untimely requests and interruptions in our lives. In my experience, surrendering my schedule and understanding of what is needed or going on around me to Jesus’ seemingly untimely requests always produces a harvest that far surpasses anything I could have imagined.

We are most definitely in the middle of an unusual season and period of history. We are being reminded that we don’t have everything figured out and that our human sight is very limited. Jesus is Lord over all time and is using this season to supply a rich harvest. If you’re feeling disoriented and unprepared in this untimely season, listen for Jesus’ voice calling you to deeper faith. Open yourself up to learning something new about Jesus. Surrender your timeline, plans and dreams to Him. Trust that as you follow Him, He will bring about an amazing harvest in due time that will strengthen you and bless others.

In His Grace,

Pastor Hamilton