Yesterday in Luke 5:1-2, we read of Jesus commandeering Peter’s boat where he could sit down and teach the people on shore.  In those days teachers usually sat down to teach.  Later, the church would think of itself as a ship or ark of salvation.  We still carry that idea in our buildings when we call the area where people sit, the Nave.

Something I only noticed this morning is that Jesus asked Peter to row out a little way from shore then he sat down to teach.  Now understand, Peter was among the fishermen washing their nets.  They had been out fishing during the night. And getting off the night shift, so to speak, Peter was likely tired and wanted to go home and get some sleep.  But Peter climbs back into the boat with Jesus and takes him out anyway.  What made him respond to Jesus request?  Was it that he knew Jesus and Jesus seems to have stayed at stayed overnight at his house (4:38)?  And we know from other experiences that Jesus had a way of inviting himself into people’s homes and then acting more like the host than the guest.  Jesus had also healed Peter’s mother-in-law and he’s grateful.  Or was he the kind of guy that who would do that sort of thing, even though he was dead tired?  Or was he responding to the urging of the Holy Spirit?

Whatever the reason he just does it.  That gets at the question, what makes us respond or not respond to Jesus requests in our life.  Why do we do things even when we may be too tired or not have enough time or think something is beyond what we can handle?  Or what leads us to say, “No, not interested?”