By Brenda Cannon Henley
Ahhh, Peter, the loudmouth, the out front one, the oft spokesperson for the disciples, the leader, and the one to get into major trouble while serving the Lord – We can learn from him. He, perhaps, was an unlikely candidate for Christian service, but his life should serve as an example of forgiveness to those of us who would follow in his footsteps. Not much is written about Peter before he met the Lord Jesus. We do know from historical and Biblical accounts that his name was Simeon (often shortened to Simon) bar Jona and that is Aramaic for “the son of Jonah.” He was a fisherman by trade and evidently born in Bethsaida-Julias on the north coast of the Sea of Galilee. This town’s name means “house of the fisherman” lay just east of the Jordan River and was outside the province of Galilee. It was under the rule of Herod Philip, a son and successor to Herod the Great. The town had a mixture of Jewish and Greek citizenry and was considered wealthy in its day.

Peter’s brother, Andrew, was also a fisherman and in all likelihood, the men traded with both Jews and Greeks. By the time Peter met Jesus, he had moved a few miles west of his place of birth to Capernaum. Other fishermen mentioned in Scripture were the brothers James and John, the sons of Zebedee. It is believed that the brothers had heard the preaching ministry of the unusual John the Baptist whose theme was judgment and repentance.

Peter’s meeting Jesus is described in several places in Scripture and as a young Christian, I learned that Peter’s brother, Andrew, about whom we know little, was responsible for bringing his louder and more outspoken brother to the Savior. Andrew was often depicted as a soul winner or witness of Christ. John’s gospel describes this meeting. Jesus said to Peter, “You shall be called ‘Cephas’ (John 1:42) meaning ‘rock.’ The Greek word for ‘rock’ is ‘Petros.’ The gospel accounts of both Matthew and Mark simple tell us that Peter and Andrew met Jesus by the Sea of Galilee where Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Many lessons and sermons down through the ages have been written, filmed, and preached from this one passage. Mark 1:18 teaches that after hearing the call of Christ, “both men left their nets and followed Him.”

It is, however, the account of the meeting in Luke’s gospel that gives the most dramatic account of Peter’s call to service. This account lets us know that the fishermen were plying their trade and had a fruitless night of fishing. Jesus was teaching on the lakeside while the men were cleaning their nets. Jesus asked if He might use Peter’s boat to put out a bit from shore so more people could hear and see him easily, and Peter complied. After Jesus had spoken, He told Peter and other fishermen to go out further into deeper water and let down their nets again. Peter, being outspoken, reminded the Lord that the experienced fishermen had worked all night and caught nothing. (Luke 5:5). Peter reconsidered, and said, “At Your word, I will let down the nets.” Immediately the nets were filled to overflowing with the weight of a huge catch of fresh fish. Peter realized a much greater power than he had known and fell down and worshiped this the Christ. (Luke 5:8).

We can learn so much from this one story from the life of the fisherman who would help to change the world. “At Your word,” is perhaps the key to the entire passage. When Peter realized that at the word of Jesus Christ, things happened that he could not explain in his human mind and body, He began to realize that he was dealing with Divinity. When Jesus’ word tells us something today, we can believe it without fail. We can trust it to eternity and beyond. We can rely on what He says. It will happen.

If we, like the Apostle Peter, have met the Christ, are we busy telling others about Him and what He can offer to heal, help, and give hope in this weary world? I promise you, dear readers, that everyone you meet in your office, in school, in the shops and markets, or in your homes, is dealing with a problem or hurt of some kind. We may never know what that need is, but we can rest assured, it is there. The brightest smiles and the biggest laughs are often covering the most broken of hearts and the neediest of lives. Let’s vow to be aware of the needs of others and to at least attempt to point them to Jesus.
[1-18-2016]

Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at (409) 781-8788, at
[email protected], or by using the contact form below.

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