Put Out Into Deep Water

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water…” Luke 5:4

I liked the name “Dwell Deep” for a blog, but I was not convinced it was the right one. It did not have that ring I was looking for. I was not satisfied.

I wondered if perhaps I had some robust Bible behind it I would feel better, so one morning I took a break from my regular reading and spent some time in Luke 4 and 5, where Jesus begins his earthly ministry and calls the first disciples. There is so much here.

The context of these chapters points to the beauty, authority, and superiority of Christ. He is led into the desert and overcomes the temptations of the devil (Lk. 4:1-13). He travels to His hometown of Nazareth and is rejected completely (Lk. 4:14-30). The people He grew up with nearly throw Him off a cliff. He then goes to Capernaum, where he teaches with authority, drives out evil spirits, and heals many (Lk. 4:31-44). His authority extends over both dangerous situations and demonic spirits.

An interesting point is that twice the demons cry out, calling Jesus the Son or Holy One of God (Lk. 4:34, 41). They know who He is—and obey. Yet they are destined for hell. Even the demons have perfect orthodoxy, but it will not save them from destruction.

Coming to Luke 5, Jesus is teaching the word of God on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. The people are crowding around Him, and as He steps into a nearby fisherman’s boat, He asks Simon to “put out” a little from shore. When He had finished teaching the people from this convenient spot, He instructs Peter to “put out into deep water.”

Of course Jesus did not need deep water. He could have told Peter to let down the nets where they were, and it still would have been a miracle. Yet Jesus asks the fisherman to take a step of faith, to go deep. He asks Peter to do what does not make sense.

Jesus does not need us to work a miracle. He is not constrained or limited by our choices. He does not need us but graciously chooses to reveal Himself to us. At the same time, that comes with obedience. It starts with listening and obeying, which may lead to a miracle we may otherwise have missed.

And notice, this is not a miracle for the masses. In Luke 4, we see the crowds’ amazement at Jesus’ teaching and healing. Here in Luke 5 we see the miracle of the everyday that comes from listening and obeying in faith.

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything…” Luke 5:5a

Frankly, it does not matter how hard we work if Jesus is not with us. Proverbs praises the diligent, the committed, and the one who perseveres. At the same time, we can only do so much in our own strength. This is Peter’s first lesson in Christ-dependency, not Peter-dependency. Jesus is all-sufficient, and apart from Him we can do nothing

“But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Luke 5:5b

Not because it finally makes sense. Not because a lightbulb went off and Peter has a new idea, but because Jesus said so. Peter obeys expectantly, and when they let down the nets—not before—they catch such a large number of fish that their nets begin to break. They signal to others to help them carry the load, and even then both boats begin to sink.

When Peter sees this, in a moment he knows Jesus and knows himself: “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.” Seeing Jesus rightly sheds a floodlight on our own depravity and sin. Through listening and obeying we often have the privilege of witnessing miracles. We also see Christ more clearly and our ourselves more correctly. Peter is beginning to see what the demons knew all along, that Jesus is exactly who He says He is, the Holy One of God.

We are flawed and unworthy, while Jesus is perfect and fully worthy. Yet He puts our fears to rest and invites us to follow Him: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will catch men” (Lk. 5:10). Peter now has a new purpose, a new mission, and a new identity. As always, Jesus rearranges our priorities. In moments, Peter goes from routinely mending his nets to radically leaving everything in fully surrendered service, the proper response to the call of Christ. He goes from seeing Jesus ask to step into his boat to seeing Jesus work a miracle for him.

What This Means for Us

First, put yourself in a position through which Jesus can work. He told Peter, “Put out.” Jesus can work through anything, but Peter chose to do what didn't make sense and witnessed a miracle. He may have wondered who this carpenter thought He was, telling a man who fished for a living when the biting was good, but he did not need another reason. He answered Jesus, “Because you say so.” If for no other reason, because Jesus said so.

Second, partake of the rich blessings of Christ with others. Peter drew so much fish that he signaled to his partners to help share the load, the load of blessing. The joy and blessing of Christ is meant to be shared. This is not a load of burden but of joy we have the privilege of sharing with others.

Putting out into deep water is not easy, but it is where we see Jesus perform miracles of personal transformation, not because of anything we have done but because of His mercy.