Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink.  When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

- Luke 5:1-11

In yesterday's reading, we read that Jesus arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.


So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  In our recent readings, we've been told that Jesus' Galilean ministry is quite popular, right from the beginning (even though He isn't recognized in His hometown of Nazareth).  In yesterday's reading, we read about Jesus staying in the home of Peter, after having preached in the synagogue at Capernaum.  Here, He's out standing by the "Lake of Gennesaret" which is also known as the Sea of Galilee.  So He remains in Peter's hometown here, but those who come to hear Him preach are growing in numbers, and the crowd presses around Him.  So, Luke's Gospel has taken us from Jesus' preaching in the synagogue, to the inside of Peter's home, and now next to the lake, where men are fishing.  My study bible points out that the Lake of Gennesaret, or Sea of Galilee, is about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide. 

Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  This is a new innovation in His preaching, and it accommodates the crowds that now come to hear Him preach; it also prevents Him from being crushed by the crowds which are now numerous, the "multitudes."

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."   Here is a direct command from Christ.  My study bible tells us:  "Simon Peter does not know that Jesus' request to launch out into the deep will mean a radical change of life for him."

But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  My study bible points out here that "Peter both called Jesus Master and did whatever his Master asked him to do. Allegiance and obedience go together."

And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats so that they began to sink.  When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"   For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; . . .   My study bible says that "Peter kneels and confesses Jesus as Lord, showing a profound awareness both of the divinity of Christ and of his own human sinfulness."  Clearly the great catch of fish is astonishing, and takes Peter into a realization of what - or Who - is before him.  His heartfelt response is immediate.

. . . and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  As is so often the case in the Gospels, we note that Peter speaks not only for Himself, but also for the other disciples.  My study bible tells us here:  The first disciples, partners in fishing, were to become partners also in the work of mission and evangelism in the early Church."   When Luke tells us they "forsook all" we know that Peter has a home and family, that these three, Simon and his partners James and John Zebedee, are all working men who leave their ordinary lives and work to become disciples of Christ.  John Zebedee is the disciple who will give us one Gospel, several Epistles, and the Revelation.

The abundance of fish is surely symbolic of the multitudes who come to Christ, and who will come to Christ -- even through the work of evangelization of the disciples.  It is symbolic of the great abundance of the kingdom of God.  When we think about what St. Paul will call the "great cloud of witnesses" we have to really think about what it means to be a part of the Body of Christ, the Church.  This isn't just about what parish I go to, what church I belong to, what tradition I follow, but it's really about the whole entire multitude of this Body that extends not only throughout our world but throughout time, past, present and future.  It extends beyond our world into the place where we know this "great cloud of witnesses" dwells, into the past to claim the ancestors who are righteous as Christ's Resurrection extends to all beings who ever lived.  Time and space are not barriers to the Divine.  In the sense in which there are multitudes of fish awaiting the "good news" there is an unlimited abundance of that which awaits this kingdom, of those who also may be included in its Body.  But it starts in one place, one point in time among one group of these fishermen here on the shores of the sea of Galilee.  How are we to understand this, and its "limits" which really have no end, and are, essentially, beyond our capacity to grasp?  Since Christ's true nature is divine, there are no limits on this body.  And therefore when we, too, participate in Christ, when we pray as we ought and the Spirit prays in us -- or as John's First Epistle (also part of today's lectionary reading) tells us, "if we ask anything according to His will He hears us" (1 John 5:14) -- we really can't set limits on where this will lead.  So, my study bible tells us when it says that Peter doesn't know that his obedience to Jesus' command will lead to a radical change of life.  And this is where we go when we begin to participate in this life of Christ.  It's not our limits and understanding that apply anymore.  We don't know where it leads, and we can't put limits on it.  We can't set down our standards and understanding in a worldly sense, but we can and will be led and taught and learn and grow in our understanding.  All we need is the faith that says I'm willing to know, to learn, to grow beyond what I think I know already.