Simon’s Boat

A couple years ago I was visiting my parents’ home in Florida, and I saw this painting of my mom’s that has captivated me ever since. I returned to the idea of the painting so regularly after my visit that I asked her to recreate it for me. Since her kindness and skill are equalled, she did so and it’s precious to me. Yet truth be told, the fact that my mom painted it is the second most valuable thing about it for me.

The painting, a lone empty boat on a still gray seascape, calls me regularly to deeper faith. Every time I look at it, it reminds me of a boat abandoned by two brothers just over 2,000 years ago. We read about these men in pieces of the Gospels. The first we hear of these brothers chronologically is in John 1:35-42, Luke 5:1-11, and Matthew 4:18-22. They are Andrew and Simon-Peter, two brothers that answered the call of a teacher from Nazareth when he said, “follow me.” We have that in common.

The telling from John’s perspective let’s us know that Andrew was the first of the brothers to encounter Jesus through an introduction from John the Baptist. What I love about this part of the story is the simple declaration from John to Andrew. As Jesus is walking by them, John states plainly what he knows to be true, “Look, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:38). Andrew and another disciple get up and head toward Jesus as a result. Jesus notices them following and asks, “What do you want?”

And here is the invitation that gets me every time. Andrew and the other with him ask Jesus where he’s staying — implying they want spend time with him to get to know him better, to see and test what John has told them. Jesus replies, “Come and see.”

Now, before I get to tell you more about that lonely boat, before I get to share with you in this moment or another what God has done for me, we have to start right here. This invitation to Andrew is the same to you and I today. Jesus is still asking us to “come and see.” You don’t have to have your mind made up to spend time deciding who you think he is. Andrew didn’t. He went to learn more. For Andrew, the investigation’s conclusion was achieved in less than a half a day. I’m going to say that again, his entire life was changed in less than half a day. “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother, Simon, and tell him, 'We have found the Messiah’” (John 1:41).

We don’t know the exact timeline from this moment to events that lead to the abandoned boat I’m going to get to, but it’s not nearly as important as what we do know. We know Andrew tells Simon about Jesus. We know they have an opportunity to meet him. We know Andrew is sure of who he thinks Jesus is.

Now here’s my favorite part of this story. Luke 5:1-11 and Matthew 4:18-22 both tell it, though the more detailed specifics in Luke make it my favorite version. It’s some time after Andrew’s encounter, and Jesus is teaching a crowd of people on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Simon and Andrew, along with some other fishermen are there washing their nets after an unfruitful night out at sea. Jesus asks Simon to borrow his boat so he can preach to the crowd using the natural sound amplification of the water. “So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there,” (Luke 5:3).

When Jesus is finished preaching, he invites Simon to go back out on the water and cast his nets again. Simon’s response is this: “Master, we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again,” (Luke 5:5).

Now Simon could have had all sorts of other responses. He could have said, “I just cleaned my nets and I don’t want to do it again.” He could have said, “I know a lot more about fishing than a carpenter from Nazareth does.” He could have said, “I’m tired from fishing all night and catching nothing; and your preaching probably scared all the fish away.” He could have said any of these and been justified. But he doesn’t.

Simon instead calls Jesus, “Master.” In the original text this is the ancient Greek word “epistata,” and is akin to “commander,” “leader,” or even “boss.” Simon approaches Jesus with respect, but in doing so still gives also his reasons for doubt. “We worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing.” I love this about Simon’s response. He comes before Jesus honestly, and he brings his doubt right along with him for the boat ride. Despite having really excellent reasons not to, Simon comes to the deep water, and drops his nets to see what Jesus will do. “Come and see,” Jesus invites us again.

“When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink,” (Luke 5:6,7).

I love picturing this scene. I imagine Jesus in the boat in a late morning sun, laughing with joy, as the men, all astonished, a little panicked, and completely soaking wet, heave in nets more full than they’ve ever seen before. I imagine their shock turning to awe as they turn to see Jesus with a newness of clarity and wonder. Simon’s “come and see” moment becomes his “came and saw” testimony as he falls on his knees before Jesus.

“When Simon-Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,” (Luke 5:9).

Something shifts mightily within Simon. He sees the disparity between himself and Jesus in striking focus. But Jesus didn’t come for Simon (or us) to be left in despair by this realization. He came to give us new life in him through mercy and grace.

“Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:10,11).

Jesus invites Simon to set aside his fear, and instead be his friend and follower. The spiritual disparity between Simon and Jesus is a true distance, but one that is traversed by Jesus’ love instead of left separated in Simon’s fear.

Jesus invites Simon to leave behind everything and follow him, and he does. This seems to mean that he and Andrew leave the miraculous catch of fish behind in the process, as well as the money it would have yielded. The miracle ends up being not nearly as important to them as the one who performed it. They know there is something greater that awaits them in Jesus.

So, this brings us back to that painting of an empty boat that now sits on the mantle in my living room. I’ve named it Simon’s Boat. It’s a reminder to me of the place Simon sat with his doubt in presence of Jesus on the horizon of a miracle. Maybe you're here; hold on, it’s coming. It’s also reminder to me of the times God has called me to come and see what he’s doing, and to trust he’ll make a way. He’s never failed me yet. And it’s also a reminder that I am going to have to leave some things behind if I truly want to follow Jesus. And I want this more than I have ever wanted anything before.

Wherever you are in your walk with Jesus, I hope there is an encouragement and a challenge in this story for you. If you’ve never considered Jesus, I invite you simply to come and see. Bring your doubt along for the boat ride, and ask him to reveal himself to you. What do you have to lose?

If you’ve decided to follow Jesus, I’m thankful we’re family, and I mean that. But please, dear brother or sister, don’t stay in the boat of your old life when a new one awaits you on the shore. Stuff those nets full of all the junk you can — guilt, shame, fear, doubt, addiction, self-centeredness, all of it, then put it out to sea. Don’t search for miracles alone in an old boat, when you could have the miracle-maker as your guide and friend on the shore. Jesus wants to lead you to freedom. Following him means we have to get out of the boat.