Peter: I am a sinner – Lk 5:8 -

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025357682

 

On the day he met Jesus, Peter at first was very sad. He had cast his net all night, but had caught none, not even a small fish. Until the day before, Peter had been quite famous as a fisherman, but it was a bad day when Peter lost face. 'What a shame! How can I get home with empty hands? How can I see my wife? I couldn't even see my mother-in-law and my children ...'

 

With his drooping shoulders, Peter got off his boat and cleaned his net on the land. But Jesus got into Peter's boat, and delivered the word of God to those gathered on beach. What might he say? Isn't it perhaps this: "Blessed are those who are poor in heart. Heaven is yours. Blessed are those who cry now. God is your Father"?

 

What might Peter think of Jesus, who delivered the words of comfort to the poor, sick, and suffering people? Might it not be this: 'How can a leisurely philosopher like you know the hearts of us common people who are struggling to feed wives and children day by day'?

 

Jesus, having finished his preaching, said to Peter, "Would you throw the net over there?" Peter, though thinking it could be a vain effort, threw the net there. But such many fish were caught that the net was about to be torn. And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, I am a sinner. Leave me, please."

 

Why did Peter feel guilty? Perhaps because he hadn't recognized Jesus, a fishing expert? (Of course Jesus was a carpenter.) Peter misunderstood Jesus. Peter seems to have thought of him as just a philosopher or a demagogue, who has no job. However, his words had authority. When he obeyed his words of nonsense, a miracle took place. If he is a man who can make such a miracle, everything he just said must be true. But his preaching said, "Those who are poor and suffering now will be the people of the kingdom of God." Suddenly, the crowd came into Peter's sight. They were rich and poor, noble and humble, man and woman, young and old. They even forgot to eat when they heard the words of truth Jesus said. They were fundamentally different from Peter.

 

That is where Peter felt guilty. He felt pathetic about his view of life, by which he was disappointed, worried and acted as if it had been the end of the world when he couldn't catch any fish. Jesus, who could work miracle if he would, could be the richest in the world. But that Jesus went around with the poor, the sick, and the discouraged, and proclaimed the truth of God over the matters of life much higher than Peter's view of life. 'How can I be sarcastic to a man living such a noble life ...!' Maybe such a regret caused him to say, "I'm a sinner!" If he had no sin, why did he confess that he was a sinner?

 

The reason why Peter said, "Lord, depart from me," is probably that he thought it would not be possible for him to be a member of Jesus' movement considering his wife, mother-in-law, and children, which is a human thought. But Jesus said to him, "Follow me. You'll be catching men." Peter obeyed this word and gave up everything, and only followed Jesus. He is a really great man.

 

There is another thing we should not overlook. Jesus gave Peter the greatest achievement in his life and got him to give up that job and to go on a new path of life. It is because he wanted Peter to work for God with greater pride in the future. For example you may have much greater pride if you became a servant of God after you had passed the bar examination when you took it only once, than if you became a servant of God after you had taken the examination 10 times and failed to pass it. The pride, "I could have done well in the world, but abandoned it, and I’m doing God's work."

 

Do you have great achievements in the world? Then, from now on you should pay more attention to the work of God, not ignoring the works in the world. God has given you a great success in the world because he wants you to do God's work harder with a great pride. You're a sinner indeed if you succeed in the world but is indifferent to the work of God. A greedy sinner!