Jesus calls disciples

When I was 18 years old, I enlisted to serve in the US Navy. My parents, particularly my father, were quite proud of me. I remember leaving, going through MEPS (the military entrance processing station) and flying from Southern California to Great Lakes, Ill., where I would spend nine weeks at a little vacation spot called “boot camp.” I know it wasn’t a vacation spot, but a lot of my fellow recruits thought I was treating it this way! It was tough and it was hot since I was there in August. But I would regularly refer to it as “summer camp with push-ups.” I was more likely to get in trouble for smiling too much than for my shoes not being shiny enough.

One day, I was sitting with several of the other recruits, and they asked me, “how come you are always so cheerful?” I started asking them – “where are you going after boot camp?” Many were going away to various places around the world and would be separated from the life they knew for at least four years. This was, for them, a complete commitment. But I was a reservist. You see, whatever happened – however bad things got – I was going home in a few short weeks! A person’s perspective is completely different when something is only temporary, even if it is something difficult.

We have seen, through our study of Luke, that he is showing Theophilus who Jesus is, making certain that he follows the right Christ. To follow Christ means to be his disciple. A disciple is one whose whole life is centered around the one they follow. This would have been easy to illustrate for Theophilus. You see, Jesus had lots of people who were intrigued with his teachings and his miracles, but his disciples were comparatively few. Plenty of people would follow Jesus around when he was healing those in their town or village and most everyone would come out to hear him if he was in their synagogue or their region. And while Jesus threw the net of the gospel out to all, his intention was to catch disciples, not mildly curious onlookers.

In Luke 5:1-11 we see Jesus calling Peter. His response to Jesus is instructional to us. Jesus calls his disciples to abandon everything and follow him. Peter was the first disciple that Jesus called. He is the disciple that Jesus focuses on both in his profession of Christ and also the denial of Christ. Peter will prove to be full of faith for a moment when he steps out to walk on water and that same faith will wane as he looks at the wind and the waves around him. Peter will preach the Pentecost sermon in Acts and serve as a leader, along with the other Apostles, of the New Testament church.

Jesus borrows Peter’s boat then we read of how Jesus challenges Peter’s doubt and finally how he calls Peter to discipleship. Jesus borrowed the boat so he could teach the crowds more readily. But he was teaching Peter as well. Once he was done teaching, Jesus said to Peter, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4) Peter’s response is immediate, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!”

Peter was a seasoned fisherman, and he thought Jesus was clueless when it came to such things. Peter learned otherwise, for they took in an enormous catch. It was clear that Jesus was no mere man, for Peter fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ Jesus responded, compassionately, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

The Gospel of Luke will follow the life of Jesus all the way to his death and resurrection. Acts will pick up from there, showing how the early church develops. Since Luke wrote both this Gospel and the account given in Acts, we are not surprised to see that there are parallels. It will be on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit will come upon the Apostles and Peter will preach the very first sermon. The catch of souls that day was 3,000! Peter becomes what Jesus called him to be – a fisher of men. They did not simply experience a conversion that day and get back to their business as usual. Like Peter’s experience, theirs was a total life commitment. Jesus calls the church to make disciples.

Pastor Everett Henes, the pastor of the Hillsdale Orthodox Presbyterian Church, can be reached at pastorhenes@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Opinion