And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. (John 21:6)
After his resurrection, Jesus gave audience to the apostles a third time by the Sea of Tiberias. On this occasion, Peter and some other apostles had fished all night but came up empty. As day broke, they heard a voice from the shore telling them to cast their nets once again, but this time to the right side of the boat. Was this He, the risen Christ? No doubt, for their nets were miraculously filled.
So it is in life and ministry. To succeed we must cast our nets before Jesus. Peter learned this lesson painfully well. Not long before, on that chilly and dark night, he followed Jesus as He was led to His mock trial and execution. In the courtyard of the High Priest, Peter cowardly and brashly denied Jesus three times, as Jesus prophesied he would. When Peter realised the awful thing he had done, he wept bitterly in repentance. He had fallen on the rock of human failure; his courage and strength had utterly failed him.
It’s an odd thing how God uses broken vessels. We tend to discard them, deeming them to be unusable. But not God! It’s the very men and women who are broken that God uses the most. When Peter was self-sufficient, his heart was filled with pride. But when his pride was shattered he awoke to his terrific need, which lead him to depend on the power of the risen Christ. Peter had to cast his brokenness and fragility before God. It is such a net, one emptied of self-sufficiency, that the Spirit is able to abundantly fill.
Although Peter failed by denying his Lord, he would succeed now by fully relying upon Him. And so he did! Peter became a mighty man of faith, who walked fearlessly with Christ, even unto a martyr’s death. Multitudes were won to God’s kingdom through his ministry. The difference? In the first, he depended upon self to succeed and he crashed. In the latter, his trust was placed fully in God, not in himself. Peter found victory as his faulty engine of self-dependency was replaced by the Spirit’s all sufficiency. The result was a net brimming with God’s love and grace, which overflowed to many.
What should we do then, with our failure and brokenness? It’s simple! Give it to Jesus. By faith, cast your empty net before Him. And He will more than fill it.
Image used by permission of SermonView
