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 

 

On Saturday, we read that after preaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus arose from there 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.  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.   The Lake of Gennesaret is also known as the Sea of Galilee, which indeed is truly a very large lake.  Possibly this name is used here in the context of the story as Gennesaret was a name that holds the meaning of a type of garden (possibly meaning "princely gardens").  The entire region was understood as extremely fertile agriculturally, as well as for its abundance of fish, germane to today's reading.  Note that the text tells us that Jesus sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  Sitting was the traditional position for an authoritative  Jewish teacher.  My study Bible remarks that some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  

 

 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.  Jesus tells Simon to launch out into the deep.  My study cites St. Ambrose as seeing the spiritual meaning of this command as an invitation to give one's life over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God.  It adds that the Lord draws people to Himself through things that are familiar to them.  It says that as He drew the Magi with a star (Matthew 2:2), and as He would draw tax collectors by a tax collector (Luke 5:29), here He draws the fishermen with fish (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23). 

 

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"   Peter's cry in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus (contrast Luke 8:37), but an astonishing recognition of Christ's holiness.  My study Bible comments that being suddenly cast in the light of Christ, holy people such as Peter 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 says that the great catch of fish is an image of the apostles bringing humankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Moreover, it fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.  In the festal hymn of Pentecost, the Orthodox sing, "Through the fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."  Note that the text says that they forsook all and followed Him.  They respond with full hearts; they are all in.

 

Jesus "brings in" these first disciples through the extraordinary catch of fish in the place He told them to put down their nets.  It is enough for Simon Peter to understand Christ's holiness, and indeed to call Him "Lord."  John's Gospel tells us that these first disciples were earlier introduced to Christ through the preaching of John the Baptist (John 1:35-42).   So we may assume that although this is the first encounter mentioned in Luke's Gospel (after the healing of Peter's mother-in-law in Saturday's reading),  Peter, James, and John already knew who Jesus was and had certainly heard His preaching.  But when this extraordinary catch of fish happens for them, it reveals to Peter a deep truth he was somehow prepared to accept.  It is not some sort of "proof" that compels him to faith, or simply dazzles him with astonishment.  It serves as a sign of truth which prompted something in him that was already seeking, and prepared to be kindled by faith.  We can learn from his response what it is to truly respond to a revelation, a sign of something present, and to recognize that presence through the kindling of honest faith.  His astonished response, so typical of this earnest if not always prudent apostle, gives us the truth of what type of man he is, and what is in his heart.  He feels his whole self revealed to Christ, even as Christ is -- through his capacity for faith -- revealed to him.  This kind of "naked" revelation of his soul in the light of Christ is what prompts his response to Jesus.  It is Peter's own awareness of his sinfulness, his imperfection, that he becomes aware of.   Peter's absolute honesty and recognition of himself in that light becomes a testimony to his capacity for faith, another revelation of what kind of man he is, and why he becomes the apostle we know.  These three -- Peter, James, and John -- will become Christ's closest inner circle, the ones with the faith He most relies upon throughout His ministry.  When Jesus goes up on the Mount of Transfiguration, it is Peter, James, and John whom He takes with Him (Luke 9:28-36).  When He prays before His Passion in the garden of Gethsemane, it is Peter, James, and John upon whom He calls to stay with Him and pray (Matthew 26:35-46).  None of these disciples does everything perfectly when asked by Jesus on these occasions (there is a lot of sleep involved when things are overwhelming for them).  It is during the time in Gethsemane when Jesus tells Simon (Peter), "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).  But it is from encounters such as the one in today's reading that we understand Jesus calls those whose spirit is willing, and knows who they are, for they respond with something deep inside of themselves that is the root of faith.  Let us keep in mind that He will give Simon the name Peter ("Rock"), for the rock of faith upon which the Church will be built, expressed in Peter's confession (Matthew 16:13-20).  For now, let us understand that the recognition with which Simon responds to Christ in today's reading is a sign of that capacity for faith, a deep response that grasps at the true meaning in the abundance of faith.  For He calls those upon whom He seeks to rely for the growth of that faith, and discipleship, and we may well also become fishers of men like they do.