Scripture to Read: Luke 5:10
God had Luke then record who Simon’s companions were that day, as God had Luke record in Luke 5:10, “and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.’” Though Andrew is not mentioned in Luke 5:1–11, we know Andrew was there because God had Matthew record it in Matthew 4:18–22 and God had Mark record it in Mark 1:16–20. Checking cross-references in Scripture is crucial, as God uses His Word to support His Word. God wants us to know and understand Him and His Word, so we should always be looking at other Scripture verses to get the full picture of what God is teaching us. So, James and John were also there that day and Jesus knew the plans He had for them. We need to take special note, though, of Jesus’s response to Simon. As we know, Simon referred to himself as a sinful man. Jesus, in His response, shows Simon His incredible grace. Jesus told Simon, “Do not fear,” Which in the Greek means “stop being fearful.” Jesus gave Simon words to calm his fear. Simon was in such awe of Jesus that he was afraid of Him. Jesus was reassuring Simon that he did not need to be afraid. We should always have a healthy fear of God, being in awe of Him as God. However, God desires that we fully comprehend His love for us as His children and to know He’s our Prince of Peace.
Challenge & Application
Why was Simon so afraid of Jesus and how did Jesus calm his fear?
How should we see our Lord and King, and what does a healthy fear of God look like for us as His children?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!