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 Jesus arose from the synagogue (where He had cast out an unclean demon) 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.  My study Bible explains that the Lake of Gennesaret is also known as the Sea of Galilee.  It is a very large lake:  about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide.  Sitting was the traditional position for a teacher.  

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 commands St. Peter (Simon):  "Launch out into the deep."  My study Bible points out that St. Ambrose sees the spiritual meaning in this command as an invitation to give one's life over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God.   Moreover, this great number of fish -- so big that their net was breaking -- illustrates the principle that God draws people to Himself by things that are familiar to them.  My study Bible comments that, as He drew the Magi with a star (Matthew 2:2), and would draw tax collectors by a tax collector (Matthew 5:29), here Christ 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!"  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. My study Bible tells us that Simon Peter's cry in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus (contrast this with Luke 8:37).  On the contrary, when 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).  

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 this great catch of fish is an image of the apostles bringing humankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and that it fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.   In the Orthodox festal hymn of Pentecost, it is sung to Christ, "Through the fishermen, You drew the world into Your net." 

Clearly there was already familiarity between Jesus and St. Peter and his family; after all, we just read of Christ's healing of St. Peter's mother-in-law (see Saturday's reading, above).   Through John's Gospel, we know that Saints Peter, John, and James Zebedee were first followers of St. John the Baptist, who brought them to Christ.  But perhaps the most important and striking feature of today's reading is just what my study Bible commented:  that "God draws people to Himself by things that are familiar to them."  Surely that great catch of fish counts as one of the signs of Christ, that the Kingdom is present with Him.  This the fishermen most surely can understand, and it would make an indelible impression.  No doubt it sealed the decision to follow Christ as full-time participants in His ministry.  We can also look at this picture symbolically.  That great catch of fish is like an astonishing, overwhelming promise.  If Christ can do this, is it not a kind of promise of what abundance He can bring into their lives?  Devoting themselves to Christ will bring an impossible-to-calculate abundance of fruits, of "fish" so to speak, in those faithful believers that will follow the disciples and come after them in time.  And so the abundance of fish is indeed a promise about the spiritual fruitfulness of their lives, and how they wish to devote them in the future.  When St. Peter is overwhelmed by what he perceives truly to be Christ's great holiness, Jesus tells him, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  This is truly a promise indeed, and one made for the glory of God.  Would that we all could receive such a grand promise for our futures in Christ.  

 

 

 

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.

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 of Jesus' healing ministry. He healed Peter's mother-in-law. That reading described the busy events of a day of healing, exorcism and ministry, and Jesus' attempts to find some time alone - we assume - to pray. Finally, when the crowd followed Him and asked Him to stay, he demurred, saying, ""I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."

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. My study bible notes here: "The Lake of Gennesaret, also known as the Sea of Galilee, is about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide." What I notice is how the text leads from one passage to another. In Saturday's reading, Jesus declared His mission: He must preach the kingdom of God, and He must do so in many cities. In today's reading, we find Him fulfilling His mission, moving on and preaching to great crowds. We note that He finds any means available to do this, whatever will work. A boat is something without permanent roots to just one spot, that goes from here to there, where it needs to be. Jesus goes where He needs to be and does - improvises if necessary - whatever He needs to do to fulfill His mission of preaching the kingdom of God.

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." A note reads, "Simon Peter does not know that Jesus' request to launch out into the deep will mean a radical change of life for him." The depth of the water can be compared to the depths within ourselves. How deep will we go with Christ as the guide? How much will we be challenged? To what depth?

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. My study bible says, "Peter both called Jesus Master and did whatever his Master asked him to do. Allegiance and obedience go together." The abundance of this harvest is overwhelming in the picture. Working by themselves all night, they caught nothing. But when they followed Christ's words, and lowered their nets down into the deep as instructed, the catch is too much for them and their equipment. Their nets are breaking, even the other boat is filled to the extent that they both begin to sink. Jesus' improvisation for preaching in the boat off the shore gathers multitudes. His instructions to the fishermen gathers an abundance for which no preparation is adequate.

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. My study bible notes here: "Peter kneels and confesses Jesus as Lord, showing a profound awareness both of the divinity of Christ and of his own human sinfulness." Peter's response to this "sign" is a response to divinity. His own awe makes him - at the same time (as my study bible notes) - acutely aware of himself, and his own reality.

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. A note here reads: "The first disciples, partners in fishing, were to become partners also in the work of mission and evangelism in the early Church."

It's interesting to me to note that the minute Peter confesses his own sins, it's as if Jesus doesn't care at all about that. What Jesus cares about is Peter's confession, in a sense, of faith. This may not read the same as the passages in which Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ in a more formally recognized way (see commentaries on the passages in Matthew, Mark and John - and we will read another in Luke chapter 9), but nevertheless this is indeed a confession that Jesus is Lord. All it takes is this recognition in Peter, and despite the confession of his sinful condition, Jesus makes Simon his disciple. It's not that confession has nothing to do with it - far from it. In fact, Peter's mind is working the way it does in spiritual transformation as a great example to us all: the awareness of spiritual reality and our own reality are inseparable. Prayer life works to put us into contact with God so that we recognize where we need to change. These things work hand in hand; in a sense they work "organically" in us (to use a popular word). We break down prayer and union into different practices so that we understand them: confession, transformation, giving things "up" or "over" to God, a willingness to cooperate or invite in the work of the Holy Spirit. But, in reality, spiritual life works as a cooperative whole and transits through our lifetimes. I believe that this experience of this process is one that works in us naturally as we go through the stages of our lives and of our prayer life. To follow instructions, and trust, to dip those nets down deep into our deepest (and most hidden) places, is to work together in spiritual life with our Creator. This is often called "synergy" - the combined cooperative efforts of human being and Spirit by which we are saved, and through which we produce a harvest of abundance, and are given life, more abundantly. If ever there were a metaphor for the abundance of fish in the sea, that is one. There is so much in this passage that we can call upon and take a hard look at as metaphor for what happens in our lives in this practice. But the abundance of the catch is the great vivid picture that we have. Working with God, there is no telling where we will go and what we will do. We don't need to be perfect, we just need to be open to the process and let it happen, and follow: and trust, in faith.

The last poignant sentence sums up something else of great importance. So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. The past life is over; they will go on to do other things than what they have trained for. It will be a life of improvisation, and learning, and growing and transformation and sacrifice. They forsook all and followed Him. But where they go, the harvest will be an abundance no one can anticipate. To this time, we still cannot estimate the numbers of their catch. Remember this model; you may not find what you know or think you know on this journey - but be prepared for surprises, and change, far beyond our expectations. And remember Jesus' words, "Do not be afraid."