Isaiah 6:1-8 / 1 Cor 15:1-11 / Luke 5:1-11
No matter how clever or intelligent we are, there will be always be some things that we have no knowledge about.
And often, the cleverer we are, the more proud we are likely to be, and we may even act like we know everything.
And when we think that we are smarter or cleverer than others, then we may not be that open or receptive to other people's ideas or suggestions.
And especially when we are stuck with our own ideas and thinking, then we have become like a wall, and we know what it feels like to talk to a wall.
What really annoys and irritates us is when someone tells us how to do our work. And if that someone has no idea of what we are doing, then we are likely to choose a sharp and pointed response for that person.
In the gospel, Jesus was at the lakeside of Gennesaret, and He got into one of the fishing boats so that He could teach the crowds that had gathered to listen to Him.
When Jesus had finished teaching, He told Peter to put out into deep water and pay out the nets for a catch.
Peter replied that they had worked hard all night and caught nothing, but nonetheless, he will do as Jesus told him to.
That was a polite reply from Peter, but there was also a tone of underlying protest as he said that he had worked hard all night and caught nothing.
And he would have quietly scoffed at the fact that a preacher would tell a fisherman how to catch fish. That was like crossing the line.
But Peter did as Jesus told him, maybe because the crowd was watching, and there was nothing to gain from arguing or protesting. At least Peter was smart enough to know that.
And with that astounding huge catch of fish, Peter was brought to his knees.
Addressing Jesus as “Lord”, Peter realize that there are things in this world that are beyond logic and reason.
He may know all about fishing, but that does not mean that the fishes are going to listen to him and do what he wants.
Peter was humbled and kneeling before Jesus, he acknowledged that he was a sinner, and that also implied that he had thought that what Jesus said to him earlier was absurd. But now he knew he was wrong.
The gospel passage teaches us that as much as we are endowed with intelligence and knowledge, that doesn't mean that we would know everything, or that we can decipher the ways of God.
But what God wants of us is actually quite clear and that is to be humble, to be obedient and to be faithful to Him, and to love and respect others.
No matter how clever or intelligent we are, people do not care about what we know until they know that we care about them.
And may we use our intelligence and knowledge to speak to others in a way that they would love to listen to us.
And may we also listen to others in a way that they would love to speak to us.