Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!

 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

Yesterday we read that, after preaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, 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.  The Lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee.  My study bible says it's 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.   Sitting was the tradition position for teachers.

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  My study bible cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who sees the spiritual meaning of the command to launch out into the deep as an invitation to give one's life over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God.

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.   Note how Simon Peter's action is obedience to the word of Christ.  My study bible comments that the Lord draws people to Himself by things that are familiar to them.   The Lord drew the Magi with a star (Matthew 2:2), He would draw tax collectors by a tax collector (5:29), and here Christ draws the fishermen with fish (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

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!"   My study bible tells us that Peter's cry in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus (contrast 8:37).  It is rather that Peter has been suddenly cast in the light of Christ -- with the effect that holy people such as he become keenly aware of their own unworthiness  (compare Isaiah 6:5, Revelation 1:17).

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.  My study bible notes that this great catch of fish is an image of the apostles bringing mankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  It also fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.   Let us be aware, also, that these men who forsook all and followed Him were all  disciples of John the Baptist, who directed them to Christ (see John 1:35-42, in which the unnamed disciple is John Zebedee, author of the Gospel which bears his name).

Luke gives the setting for today's reading as the Lake of Gennesaret, otherwise known as the Sea of Galilee.  Some give a definition for Gennesaret as coming from the Hebrew for "garden of the Prince."  The entire region was known for its tremendous fertility -- both in terms of agricultural produce and its abundance of fish.  This setting of the Prince's Garden gives us a feel for the theological truth hidden in the story.  Christ is the true Prince, the Son of God, as opposed to the "prince of this world" -- or any other prince or ruler of this world.  As such, illustrated in today's story, it is He who truly sets the world right, brings its healing, helps our world in ways in which only He as Creator is able to bring about fulfillment of potentials and possibilities, the fertility hidden in creation and known only to Creator.  The abundance of the catch of fish, taking these fishermen so completely by surprise, and stunning Peter into confession before Christ, is possible via the wisdom and knowledge presented by faith in Christ.  To launch out into the deep is to wander into depths with which we are not familiar, at the command of Christ.  It is to take a risk, that great risk of faith, which sends us out into depths we don't yet know how to negotiate, into which we can't easily peer or see beyond a certain level with we're already experienced, and into the darkness of what is hidden from us.  We risk all kinds of things; perhaps that others might laugh at us, or shun us, or think we're crazy.  We might have to stand up to somebody, or maybe we'll be called to get wise to ourselves.  Whatever it is, we engage with life:  the real and true life and struggle of faith.  It is in those times when, for the sake of our faith, we simply let go and trust -- and venture out into the waters to which we're sent.  Faith, in the root of the word in the Greek of the Gospels, means trust, and we should never forget that it always involves trust.  We need to discern where we put that trust and in Whom we put that trust.  But when a prayerful life yields a command, a depth of openness to God such as Peter displays clearly here, and a word that is given in truth, then we follow in faith and in trust.  We may not know quite where we are going, and the outcome may be something entirely different from what we expect, but that is the life of expansion, abundance, and deep waters that Christ holds for us.  And in this is real discipleship, particularly when we think we are unworthy of, and unprepared for the journey, but we are nevertheless called.  Let us consider faith, uncertainty, and risk -- and what it means to truly open ourselves to His light and wisdom beyond our understanding.