When Jesus asked Simon Peter if He could borrow his boat, Simon was honored. Of course! It was a privilege to have Jesus preach to the crowd using Peter’s boat as a platform. Then when Jesus requested, “Push out a few feet from shore,” Simon apparently had no problem complying. That made sense. The calm waters would act as a natural amphitheater and make it easier for everyone to hear. Simon gladly followed instructions.

But after His sermon, Jesus gave a directive that made absolutely no sense to him.

“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.’” (Luke 5:4)
Simon was a professional fisherman. He thought he knew more about fishing than Jesus, who was a carpenter by trade. He had combed that area of the Sea of Galilee just a few hours earlier and knew there were no fish within a half mile. To fish there again was counterintuitive and seemed like a waste of time.
But Simon had previous exposure to Jesus. He had witnessed His miracles and concluded Jesus was no ordinary man. So when Jesus asked him to do something that made no sense, Simon responded, “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5)

Peter’s submissive statement needs to become the mantra of every Christ-follower: “Because You say so, I will.”

One of the primary indicators of whether Jesus is truly Lord of our lives occurs when the Lord asks us to do something that doesn’t make sense.
It begins with the command: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
Human nature resists: “Why? What does being immersed in water have to do with cleansing my heart of sin or empowering me to live the Christian life?” But when Jesus is Lord, we respond, “Because You say so, I will.”
Most of the Lord’s instructions do make sense to us, because “his commands are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3) But some of God’s commands are puzzling and can become occasions for objection—or even rebellion.

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
Sexual intimacy is reserved for marriage between a man and a woman. (Ephesians 5:31)
Do not divorce your wife, “…except for sexual immorality…” (Matthew 5:32)
“If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” (Matthew 5:39)
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse…” (Malachi 3:10)
“If you hold anything against anyone, forgive them…” (Mark 11:25)
“Abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.” (1 Peter 2:11)
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths…” (Ephesians 4:29)

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you.” (Matthew 18:15)

The supreme test of whether Jesus is Lord of your life is how you react to commands that don’t make sense to you. Do you conclude that you know what is best and you’ve progressed past the old ways of the Bible? Or do you swallow your pride and respond, “Because You say so, I will”? If your personal judgment takes precedence over Scripture, Jesus isn’t really Lord—you are.

In a recent article addressing progressive Christianity, Tyson Zahner raised a penetrating question, which he suggests no one has yet to answer:   “If what you feel in your heart can override what the text says, doesn’t that make Christianity infinitely malleable? In other words, how would you ever know when you’re wrong?  A worldview that makes your own heart the final authority can never truly be corrected.”

There are many people who admire Jesus and claim to follow Him—until they encounter instructions in Scripture that conflict with personal judgment or cultural expectations. At that point, they conclude their reasoning is superior. Jesus is not Lord of their lives He’s just a convenient, imaginary friend that they can call on for companionship or claim Him for credibility.

Simon Peter wisely concluded that Jesus’ command was best, and he was richly rewarded for his obedience.

“When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.” (Luke 5:6–7)

“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken… Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:8–11)

The legacy of Simon Peter began with a willingness to obey a command that didn’t make sense. He became a fisher of men and a leader in the early church because he was first a devoted follower.

“If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)