Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

Question:

“Was Peter wrong in going a-fishing, and did he not draw others into it? What is the lesson?”

Answer:

It is plain that Peter’s going a-fishing was not in keeping with the commission given to him by our Lord in the previous chapter, “As my Father hath sent me, so send I you.” No doubt it was Peter’s suggestion which disclosed a similar weakness in six more of them, in that Peter afforded a vent for the exposure of their weakness, so far is he chargeable with their offence. What a great matter a little fire kindles! But he who applies the torch, is of course the one chiefly to be censured. The lesson I gather from it is, that no amount of acquaintance with Jesus, such as the disciples had; or no amount of intelligence without His personal keeping, or the power of the Holy Ghost (which these seven were not enjoying at the time), will preserve one on the line, or divert one from earthly interests, in some form or other.