Luke 5:1-11 (NKJV)
Four Fishermen Called as Disciples
“5 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.”
In Jesus time while He is physically in Israel, there were already ‘educated people’ with regards to The Written Law. They were the teachers of the Law; the Scribes and the Pharisees. Scribes, as the name suggests, were a group of people whose profession was of writing and, at times, interpreting the laws of the Bible. Scribes were associated with tasks that involved administration and having a thorough knowledge of the established laws, the legal language, and its interpretation, etc. Pharisees, on the other hand, were known to belong to an educated class. They were people who were included in the elite class. Pharisees were political and religious leaders who influenced the common folk. Yet another task of theirs was to impose the written laws on the people. (Ref.https://askanydifference.com/difference-between-scribes.../)
Yet, Jesus chose people to be His disciples those who had no formal education and just like everyone else, sinners! He chose them to be taught by Himself to have true understanding of the mysteries of GOD and reveal the Father to them. Matthew 11:25:-27 says, “25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
Jesus immediately taught them at their first encounter. Openly and privately, Jesus taught them personally for around three and a half years. And He did not abandoned them even after His ascension to Father in Heaven. He gave them The Holy Spirit to continue to teach and work in them. Jesus said in John 14:16-18, “16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
In that short period of three and a half years, His chosen did not fully understand all. The reasons were because of their capacity as human beings aside from the fact that GOD is too great to be absorbed. But Jesus still helped them attained their perfection. He assured them that He will continue at their phase to teach them.
Jesus promised to His chosen in John 16 : 12-15; 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”
After leaving His believers, they showed the wisdom of GOD in them. They also showed great power of healing every sickness, delivering people from evil spirits, and even raising dead to life. They surpassed the doings of the Pharisees and Scribes. They had squarely faced trials in the court and made those wise ashamed of themselves. This what St. Paul is referring to in 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31. It says, “ 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
St. Paul whom Jesus chose as the apostle to the Gentiles, was also taught and qualified by the Lord Jesus Himself. This is what St. Paul said in Galatians 1:11-17
“11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.”
For more than three years while St. Paul was in Arabia and Damascus, Jesus Himself qualified Saul. There is no impossible with GOD. Even he was a zealot and murderer of followers of Christ, St. Paul become one of the most influential figure on spreading Christianity. Paul turned from religious customs and brought people to believe that Salvation is through faith in the Messiah-Jesus Christ.
So nothing to worry. Our qualification to serve GOD does not depend on us, It depends on Jesus Christ. He will make us bear fruit, the fruit that will last as long as we chose to remain in Him.(John 15:16) Praise be to GOD, the Father, the Son. and the Holy Spirit, AMEN
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