Sometimes I think the depth of faith of the first apostles of Christ is not fully appreciated. Most times when I read the Bible, I subconsciously assume that the biblical events were divinely predetermined for our own instruction, like a scripted drama being acted out for our learning. I take it for granted assuming that because they were apostles of Christ, therefore it behoved on them to have the faith they had.

But other times I reflect on these events and I realize that these men were ordinary people of that time like myself. I try to put myself in their shoes and I know I definitely will not give up my means of livelihood to follow a ‘man’ who says he is the son of God to trek around the streets of Owerri preaching the ‘Good News’. One particular Bible passage struck me recently as an example of the extraordinary faith of the first apostles.

In the story of the calling of Peter and James & John (sons of Zebedee) (Luke 5: 1-11), the fishermen had labored all night without making any catch. In the morning hours, they had just washed up their net and was about stowing it away in preparation for the next day when Jesus asks them to cast it back into the lake. They obeyed and caught so much fish that they needed help to haul their catch into their boat. It sounds like a simple story until you ponder on it.

As usual, I like to reflect on Bible passages in context and some things struck me here. Firstly, Peter, James and John were professional fishermen, Jesus was not. They knew him as an apprentice in Papa Joseph’s carpentry shop down the road. Secondly, as professional fishermen they knew that nighttime was the best time to catch fish, that is why they went fishing at night. It was already morning hours when Jesus asked them to cast their net into the lake. Surely they knew this defied human logic. The instructor was unqualified and his instruction was wrong. They could have easily laughed him off. But they didn’t. Thirdly, after a grueling and unfruitful night, chances are that they were tired and frustrated. And finally, they had just finished cleaning their net after the night’s job, ready to stow it away for the next day’s work.

Now the cleaning of fishing nets was the most arduous task of a fishing expedition. Each fishing net measured about 400-500 yards, the circumference of a standard Olympic size football pitch. It consisted of a mesh system formed by 3 smaller nets and took at least 4 men to handle it. The net is lowered to the bottom of the lake and swept up to the surface to sieve it for fish. In the event that no fish is caught, it scrapes up debris, mud and ocean bed dirt. At the end of the fishing day, the net has to be cleaned thoroughly in preparation for the next day’s fishing. Imagine cleaning a net the size of a football pitch by hand. Imagine how many hours it will take to complete such a difficult task especially after a long, fruitless night.

It was after such a night, that a young carpenter walked up to them and asked them to cast their net into the lake again. No way! Personally I won’t do it. Especially as it was past the time for making a good catch. It is like asking a bus driver who has just driven past a popular route during rush hour and not finding any passenger to take the same route again during non-rush hour, after he had washed his car. Or a farmer who has just washed up his farm tools after a difficult day to start farming again.

Peter’s reply was simply that they had tried all night without making a catch, but if he (Jesus) said so, then no wahala. That’s the hallmark of faith for me. The trust, the obedience. It’s easy to overlook these minute details and assume that because it is saint Peter, the head of the apostles, it is expected of him to exhibit such faith. But in fact, he wasn’t even called Peter then, neither was he a saint. He was just an ordinary fisherman called Simon, on the lake Gennesareth. Like me. Like you. Shalom.