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 teaching 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, Gennesaret being the name of a fertile plain and town nearby.  The name may derive from "garden," and mean "prince's garden," attributed to the fertility of both the agricultural land and the fishing in the lake.  

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.  My study Bible reminds us that sitting was the traditional Jewish position for a teacher.  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."  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. Ambrose of Milan, who sees the spiritual meaning of this command ("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.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  Christ draws people to Himself by things with which they are already familiar.  My study Bible gives the examples of the Magi who were drawn to Him by a star (Matthew 2:2), and the tax collectors drawn to Him by a tax collector appointed as disciple (Luke 5:29), so 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, my study Bible says (contrast Luke 8:37).  Peter is suddenly cast in the light of Christ; he responds in a way common to holy people.  That is, a perception which makes them 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. This great catch of fish is an image of the apostles bringing humankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, my study Bible tells us.  It also fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.  An Orthodox hymn of Pentecost proclaims to Him, "Through the fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."

 

While astonishment in others has led to rejection (see Christ's visit to the town where He was brought up, Nazareth, in this reading), here the sheer astonishment of these fishermen produces an entirely different response.  We can also see the strong comparison between the townspeople of Nazareth, Jesus' former neighbors, and St. Peter.  His neighbors were resentful at His "gracious words" and also that He spoke with authority.  When He reminded His neighbors from Nazareth that Elisha and Elijah were sent to foreigners by God to do miraculous works, they were outraged enough to seek to kill Him.  But here, let us note Peter's seemingly automatic response to holiness:  his recognition that he is a sinful man, and cannot measure up to the divine presence before him.  These are completely different responses, characterized by humility (and the self-awareness that goes with it) in Peter and the lack of it in the townspeople.  Ironically, Jesus was telling the people of Nazareth that He would not produce miracles and signs on demand, implying that faith is the ingredient necessary for such events.  Here we can see the faithful response of the fishermen, the immediate recognition of holiness by Peter.  In some sense, the light of Christ shone in Peter's perception both to illuminate His holiness and also Peter's sinfulness (or perhaps we should say "less than holiness" for this is a statement of comparison to the perfection of Christ).  St. Peter often illustrates for us what it is to be an imperfect human being, but one with a great capacity for faith, and for change in light of the illumination of Christ.  He is the one who initially rebukes Christ after he hears that Jesus will be crucified, but at the same time, he's the one who confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (see Matthew 16:13-23).  But the same humility we experience in St. Peter in today's reading is also present at Christ's rebuke in that passage in Matthew 16, for although he's told in front of the others, "Get behind Me, Satan!" by his Lord, Peter nonetheless continues as a devoted disciple among the Twelve.  Let us consider this great man, whose flaws are on display in the Gospels, and whose greatness comes through nevertheless.  For he is a great example to us all.