Have you ever been in a place where you knew you didn’t belong? Maybe you found yourself on a bus or a train that was going in the wrong direction. Maybe you were among a group of people who were speaking a different language. Maybe you took a class where, on the very first day, you had no idea what the teacher was talking about.

In this passage, Simon Peter has just witnessed the miracle of the abundance of fish. Immediately before that, he had heard Jesus teaching and had experienced the power of his spirit firsthand.

It was through these events that Peter caught a glimpse of his real self. His unworthiness to be close to someone like Jesus struck him like a bolt of lightning. As Peter was in the habit of doing, he immediately gave voice to his feelings. We can almost hear him shout using our modern language. “Get off my boat, Jesus! You should not be close to me!”

Jesus understands and sees what Peter is seeing. A sinful man, totally unworthy of grace. But instead of dismissing Peter, he seems to say, “Here is somebody I can work with.” He invites Peter and his companions to be his disciples, and they accept immediately.

Can we, like Peter, see our own unworthiness, our own inadequacies, our own sinfulness? If we can, we provide Christ the perfect opportunity to say. “Follow me. I have something for your to do.”

Our Father, give us those moments of insight to see ourselves fully and to follow your commands and do your will. Amen.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.