Simon Peter had not known Jesus very long, but he had been in His presence enough to know there was something very special about Him. Jesus was such a dynamic teacher and leader that Peter was captivated by the charismatic Nazarene. When Jesus requested to use his boat as a pulpit to preach to the multitudes, Peter was delighted. He pushed out just a few feet from the dock and felt very honored to sit right beside Jesus as He taught.
When the lesson was over and the crowds dispersed, Jesus asked Peter to push out into the deeper water so they could do some fishing. Peter was a professional fisherman, and Jesus was a carpenter by trade. So Peter tried to be patient and not condescending when he explained, “There aren’t any fish in these waters right now. We’ve fished here all last night and weren’t able to catch anything. Besides, this isn’t a good time of day to fish.”
But then Peter reluctantly added, “Jesus, if you say so, we’ll try again,” expecting to prove his point. Perhaps Peter winked at his companions, who acknowledged that while Jesus was an excellent teacher, He seemed very naïve about the fishing business.
But when the nets were cast, they nearly broke because of the number of fish they instantly hauled in. “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…”(Luke 5:8-9).
Isn’t it interesting that the first reaction to the deity of Jesus was an immediate feeling of unworthiness and sinfulness? The prophet Isaiah reacted the same way when he saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted. “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5)
The Apostle Paul reacted that way, too. Paul was one of the most spiritual men who ever lived, yet he called himself the worst of sinners and a wretched man. Paul didn’t boast about his goodness. He boasted only about the cross of Christ.
Years ago, I read about a traveling salesman who drove by a familiar farm and noticed that a painter had just finished whitewashing an old barn that sat in a prominent spot near the road. The salesman was impressed with how clean and fresh the barn appeared. “That guy has really improved the appearance of his property,” the salesman thought to himself as he continued down the road.
Two days later, the salesman made the return trip just after five inches of fresh-fallen snow had completely covered the ground. When he drove past the whitewashed barn, he couldn’t get over how gray and unattractive it appeared against the pure whiteness of the snow in the background.
When people say, “I’m a pretty good person,” or, “I think I’ll go to heaven because I’ve lived a pretty good life,” it is a telltale sign that they haven’t been in the Holy presence of Christ lately. They are comparing themselves to the barnyard of this world and feel smugly superior. Actually, the closer we get to the Lord, the more sinful and unworthy we feel.
Sometimes unbelievers object to the Christian message, saying it produces guilt and condemnation. Yet far from being depressing, the admission of unworthiness produces joy. We define the reality—we are sinners, and Christ has died for sinners. We receive God’s grace—we are loved and forgiven despite our sin. We then exist authentically—we don’t have to pretend anymore. And we can admit our transgressions, confess our weaknesses, and delight that God saves and accepts us as we are.
Peter’s first reaction to Christ’s supernatural presence was, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” But Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Don’t be afraid; from now on, you will fish for people” (Luke 5:10b). Peter was accepted and enlisted into Jesus’ inner circle of disciples, and that was the greatest feeling in the world.
No wonder Peter later wrote, “And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. To Him be the power forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11).
