Perspective Changer
Several years ago there was a great Michael Douglas movie called The American President. In this movie Michael Douglas plays a widowed President who becomes interested in a female lobbyist on Capital Hill. Their first meeting is embarrassing situation where he walks up behind her as she is insulting his Presidential Leadership. He makes light of it because of his attraction to her, but obviously she is very embarrassed and apologetic. Later he decides to call her up and ask her out, but when he does she thinks he is friend of hers making fun of her earlier faux paw. So like any good friend she plays along with some more brash comments and then proceeds to hang up on him. He then calls again and asks her to hang up the phone, call the White House and ask to speak to the President. Greatly terrified that she has insulted the President twice in one day she calls back and proceeds to offer an long, formal, and humble apology for her behavior.
I always loved the interchange between these two characters partly because of the cool, calm, and collected way Michael Douglas handled the situation, but also because it is a testament to how differently we as humans respond to various people and roles. When she thought he was absent or just some guy she new she spoke self-confidently, honestly, and without regard for his person or position. However, as soon as she met him “face-to-face” her tone, words, and respect completely changed.
This past Sunday as we were studying the Gospel of Luke in our class we came across a similar situation.
Luke 5:4-9
When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken;
When Jesus first instructed Simon to put down his nets Simon’s response is not surprising.
Simon was professional fisherman with a whole fleet of ships and other men working with/for him. They had been fishing hard all night with nothing to show for it, and now it was clock-out time. They were already cleaning up their nets and headed home when this guy asked to use his boat in the first place. Now this Jewish Rabbi/Carpenter was trying to tell him how to fish?
Still Peter tried to show some respect by calling Him Master, or in other words Teacher/Rabbi. See in this day Rabbis were kind of like rockstars in the Jewish culture. Not that they necessarily had giant egos, tattoos, trendy hair/clothing, and expensive cars/homes, but who knows maybe some did. No it was more that this role of a Jewish Rabbi was the greatest honor and dream of Jewish males. Only the best of the best were selected to train and become Rabbis.
So Peter essentially responds, “Great Teacher I am almost certain this is futile, but since you are a Rabbi and all I will indulge your request.”
So Peter goes fishing again and finds a miraculous catch of fish. So many in fact he has to quickly get the other boats in his fleet out to help bring them all in.
Then we see a distinct change in Peter’s perspective. Notice how he talk to Jesus now.
Luke 5:8
But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
No more of this condensing Master talk. Embarrassed and humbled he falls at Jesus’s feet and admits his own sinful and unworthy state. Being the expert fisherman that he was he immediately recognized this as a miracle, and in turn recognized Christ’s great deity.
That is what happens at the true conversion of a Christian. There comes a point in one’s life where they come face to face with the majesty and deity of Jesus Christ which in turn exposes their great pride and sinful state. At that point one of two responses is possible. A. the person pridefully rebels further away from Christ the Pharisees did later in Matthew Chapter 5, or B. the person humbly falls at the feet of Christ to admit their need for rescue.
The true revelation of Christ by the Holy Spirit is a perspective changer. It exposes us for who we really are, but more importantly it reveals the the only true hope that we have is in Christ Jesus and His gracious gift of redemption and rescue. Peter experienced it. Have you?
If so your life will be one of complete surrender just like Peter’s was:
Luke 5:11
When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.
–Wholly Surrender!