On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Luke 5:1-2
Picture the scene: Jesus stood on the shore with his back to the water. A crowd had gathered and was anxious to hear what He had to say. Many were pressing in—eager to hear the Word of God. Then Jesus noticed a couple of boats near the lake.
Peter was there with his business partners, James and John. They were not in the crowd pressing in to hear the Word of God. They were off to the side, washing their nets. Jesus was speaking the Word, but these men appear preoccupied with something else.
Maybe you are on the edge today. You go to church, and the service is going on around you, but you are not especially engaged. You are fiddling with your phone— your mind is on other things.
You see a pastor in front speaking from the Bible, and while other people seem eager to hear what he has to say, you are on the edge, not expecting anything significant to happen to you. Well, Peter was in a similar position.
Why was Peter on the edge of the crowd? He already knew Jesus. His brother Andrew heard John the Baptist say, “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:36). Andrew told his brother Peter, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41).
Peter had heard Jesus speak the Word of God before. There had been a time when Peter listened intently, but somehow, the Word of God had become dull to him. What was compelling to others was no longer compelling to him.
Can you identify with a person who is on the fringe of the church? Has the Word of God become dull to you?
Written by Colin Smith
Read by Sue McLeish
