Rabbi Spectacular

"When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, 'Push out into the deep water. Let down your nets for some fish.' Simon said to Him, 'Teacher, we have worked all night and we have caught nothing. But because You told me to, I will let the net down.'" Luke 5:4-5

It is common to analyze this scene as Jesus being rather pompous. He comes in with a color of inexperience and instructs a veteran of the sea. The common criticism would be that a carpenter is giving orders to an experienced fisherman. Simon Peter, having obeyed faithfully, comes off as a humble servant, ready to serve the Lord. 

Rabbis in these times were, however, looked highly upon with reverence. Rabbis represented intelligence, social status, stability and even courtesy. Jesus, having started preaching, has now become more so a rabbi than a carpenter. For a fisherman of the times, it would have been rather easy to obey, as Jesus was now "higher" within the social ladder. The subsequent miracle and the following of Jesus would have been an easier decision to make for Peter, as Jesus seemed more promising for success in the future come. 

Though this changes very little in the main message of the Bible, I like this analysis more so than the previous. It lowers the bar in coming towards Jesus for us. We neither have to be humble nor dedicated to follow Jesus. We can simply be following the social norm or we can even be following for the fame and the money. Nonetheless, Jesus shall prevail in the salvation of our souls.