GIVING WHILE LIVING

READ: Luke 5:1-11

ANSWER THIS: What’s one thing you’ve been putting off for a long time?

THE BREAKDOWN

Jesus’ fame has obviously spread, as large crowds are now following him to hear his message. Standing on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (a large lake in Israel, that still exists to this day), Jesus feels the crowd pressing in around him.

Imagine being first in line for a sold-out concert, waiting for the gates to open, when the crowd starts to push toward you, and there’s nowhere to go. It can be pretty unnerving. Jesus is experiencing something similar.

He doesn’t seem too concerned, though. Looking over his shoulder, he notices a couple of boats and some fishermen cleaning their nets. Boldly, he steps into one of the boats, and asks the owner, a fisherman named Simon, to push it out into the water, where he could safely preach to the crowd. Simon agrees, even though he’s had a discouraging night.

For Simon, fishing wasn’t a sport. It was a livelihood. Catching absolutely nothing was devastating, as it meant no money to be earned, and no food for his family. So, when Jesus asks him to go out further and drop his nets, he must have been annoyed. There were no fish out there, or he would have caught them the night before.

Still, once more out of respect, Simon consents to Jesus’ request.

What happened next was so miraculous, that after they hauled in a huge catch of fish, Simon tells Jesus he isn’t worthy to be in his presence. He then leaves his boat, nets, and fish behind to follow Jesus, as do the other fishermen.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

In our success-oriented culture, it’s rare to hear about people who walk away from their fortune for a greater cause. But, it does happen.

In his thirties, Chuck Feeney started a business that became a global success and earned him $8 billion (that’s “billion” with a “b”). After twenty years of running the business, he and his wife met with their attorney and signed over their fortune to a foundation. The foundation’s sole objective was to give away everything the Feeney's owned before they died.

Asked why they did that, Feeney said, “It was the right thing to do. Giving while living is a lot more fun than waiting till you’re dead.”

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR ME?

Are you putting off a decision to follow Jesus? Are you telling yourself, “I’ll follow him, but not now.”? Discover the joy of doing something now, rather than putting it off until later.

PRAYER

“Lord, I know you offer something far greater right now than anything I’ve already experienced, or want to experience. Give me the desire and courage to follow you now, wherever you might lead.”