Perseverence
Scripture Reading — Luke 5:1-11
“Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
— Luke 5:5
Sometimes our response to a request depends on who is asking.
Simon had worked hard all night without catching anything, so going out again and expecting a different result would not have been a likely plan for success.
By the time Jesus asked, Simon’s boat was moored and the nets had been washed. It was time to call it quits. So it is easy to imagine Simon brushing Jesus’ request aside. What could a builder’s son possibly tell a fisherman about fishing?
But this was Jesus asking. Jesus had been teaching people from the boat while Simon was cleaning his nets. Perhaps Simon had heard something that made him pay attention.
So when Jesus asked him to put out into deep water and “let down the nets for a catch,” Simon said, “Because you say so, I will.”
As the year comes to an end, it can be easy to feel as if we’ve worked hard all night without catching anything. For all our efforts we still struggle with the same problems and temptations. Our children give us the same worries, and our neighbors seem no more open to Jesus than when we first befriended them. Even so, we keep on putting out our nets. Jesus has asked us to, and sometimes it all depends on who is asking.
Lord, may we not grow weary in serving you. May we persevere, trusting that you will keep working through us for your sake. Amen.
About the author — Norman Visser
Norman Visser has served as a pastor of churches in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and South Dakota. He states that while he is “not known for waiting patiently,” he is “working on it.” Norman and his wife, Marcia, have three children.
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