This encounter between our Lord Jesus and the Apostle Simon Peter is very relevant. Let us see
Luke 5: 1-11 for why.
1. And it came to pass, that as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the the lake Gennesaret,
2. And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's , and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said to Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, master we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let out the net.
6. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net broke.
7. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8.When Simon peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
11. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
My attention here is on verse 4.
4. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
In the Greek this is the same verse.
Os de epausato lalon, eipen pros ton Simona, Epanagage eis to bathos kai xalasate ta diktua umon eis agran.
The word translated " Launch" in the King James and also underlined here is the word "Epanagage" and could be translated "lead upward upon." That is, Jesus told Peter "lead upward upon into the deep". This word is composed of two Greek prepositions epi(upon) and ana(up).
There is nothing man has achieved in the past, is achieving now, or would ever achieve in the future that is not because of what God has done for man and because of what God has done also for man by the death and resurection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to say to my white brothers, my Asian brothers(yellow complexion) and my fellow blacks, especially the ones who look down on others because they are from another tribe, or those who look down on others because they are of another race, I want to say again, there is nothing man has achieved, or will ever achieve that is not because of God. I say this to my brothers of the Reddish complexion also.
The Bible says in 1 corinthians 4:7 " For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive, why dost thou glory, as if thou hast not received it?" Whoever came into this world saying I want to be a brilliant engineer, or i want to be a gifted doctor, or I want to be a creative architect? We all came into the world, and we then discover we have certain gifts. Some do not even know they have certain gifts until such an opportunity arises, when the gift comes into the fore. Sometimes, or perhaps most of the time, most people end up not discovering all the gifts they have until they pass on.
Jesus said to Simon, "Launch" out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. The word Epanagage, the Greek word translated "Launch" as it has been said here is made up of two Greek prepositions, epi(upon) and ana(up). Every achievement we can make or achieve, or will ever achieve is because of the "up" component in our lives. Simon Peter and his fellow fishermen could not catch anything, though they toiled all night. It was at the "word" of Jesus that they were able to to catch a multitude of fish. In John 3:27, the Baptist John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing, except it be given from heaven." We should never forget the God component in our lives or the "up" component in our lives. Let us even imagine, we live on an earth that has just the right amount of Oxygen mixed with other gases. Imagine that all the Oxygen vanished!
How many people know how they were born? Or, how many people know how they survived through infantcy? How many people knew how that "chance" meeting brought them into the love of their lives? How many scientists know how that "chance" idea just popped up into their minds or how they by "chance" they found a book that gave them an idea into a problem they had been trying to solve, which otherwise they would not have been able?
How many of us know why our bodies have been healthy and relatively free from sickness and disease, while those who seemed relatively stronger died in their youth and in the flower of their age? How many people know why certain things seem to happen to them and certain events seem to reoccur continually in their lives?
We should give all the glory to God, in whom we have all our being and through whom we exist. We should also learn to give thanks always to him.
