Courage of submission

Luke 5:1-7 Courage of submission
A fisherman Peter worked hard all night. But he caught nothing. He was washing the nets with voidness and tiredness. Then Jesus said to him, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Rationally speaking, Peter could not accept the word of Jesus because Jesus' word was not reasonable. Think. Peter was a fisherman. He knew how to catch fish especially in the sea of Galilee. But Jesus' job was not a fisherman but a carpenter. It is nonsense that a carpenter Jesus tells a fisherman Peter how to catch fish.
But Peter realized the limitation of his ability because he caught nothing even though he tried to catch fish by his own ways. So he submitted his IQ, his experience, his thinking and his reason to Jesus. It is not easy for Peter to submit his experience and his ability to Jesus because Jesus was not an experienced fisherman but a young carpenter. Peter's submission means that he is not the man of ability.
Brothers and sisters, people who have good experience, good education and ability don't want to be taught by others but to teach and dominate others. Some of them hate to submit themselves to others. That is why they do not want to come to God. They think if they come to God, their self-esteem and pride are hurt by God.
Unfortunately there are some people even in the church who insist on their own ways, their own experience, their own ability. And they try to make God obey themselves. But think. The purpose of coming to God is to accept God's way and God's thought. If they insist on their own experience, their own decision, they cannot meet God, and they will not be used by God. If they want to be used by God, they have to submit themselves to God.
But the common people do not like the word 'submission'. They think 'to be submitted' is the act of cowards. But I want you to know that submission to God and to the truth is real courage, real blessing, real honor and beautiful faith. But a lot of people do not like to submit themselves to God but to money, to earthly honor, to earthly pleasure, and to earthly teaching. And they think that submitting themselves to God is the act of foolishness and weakness.
But the faithful persons like to submit themselves to God. They like to obey God. As you know, our belief in God has to start from obedience. The belief without submission to God is not belief but the act of destructing God, and the act of making themselves enemies against God. If they have high position in the church, they have to submit themselves more to God.
Today, Peter submitted himself to Jesus even though Jesus is not a fisherman but a carpenter. Some may think Peter is not a confident man but a spineless man. But Peter experienced catching a lot of fish with submission to Jesus. Submission created a miracle. If Peter did not submit himself to the word of Jesus, if Peter believed only his way and his experience, he could not catch such a large number of fish, and the miracle did not happen, and his boat would be empty, and he had to go home with empty hands.
Brothers and sisters, think. It is not easy for people to submit themselves to the poor carpenter Jesus. They say, "Jesus is not a Korean. He is not our grandfather. He is only the foundation of a religious sect. He is one of philosophers like Socrates." So they think submitting themselves to Jesus is foolishness and the act of hurting their pride.
Furthermore it is very difficult for them to come to the church in this foreign land and to donate money and to hurt their pride with submission to Jesus. Donating money is easier than denying himself. But church needs the submissive persons. If they do not submit themselves to Jesus, their faith does not grow any more.
Therefore we have to follow Peter's attitude. He was very tired. But he submitted himself to Jesus. If Peter did not submit himself to Jesus, he could not catch such a large number of fish, and he could not become the disciple of Jesus. His failure made him submit himself to Jesus easily and rapidly. And the hardship made him receive a big blessing.
But I want you to submit yourselves to Jesus and receive blessings without hardship, without failure. Think of yourselves. Are you submissive to God ? I want you to answer, "Yes, I am. I want to submit myself to God. I want to obey God. Lord, tell me. I will obey your words like Peter." I pray that your boat will be full of blessing like Peter's. Amen !