Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan

 

 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. 

 

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

 

- Matthew 4:18-25 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.  And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, / And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death / Light has dawned." From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  

 

 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  It's important to note that these first disciples had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist (John 1:29-42), and so were prepared to accept Christ immediately.  Although illiterate and unlearned in religion, my study Bible comments, these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all. 

 

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.  My study Bible asks us to note that the crowds do not swarm Jesus when He commands repentance (see verse 17, the final verse in yesterday's reading, above), but only when He begins to heal and work miracles.  This fact, it says, shows that the people misunderstand the true nature of Christ's Kingdom.  It also shows His concession made, in the words of Theophylact, "to give credibility to what He teaches" among the fickle multitudes.

 

 It's interesting that my study Bible points out the draw of the crowds with Jesus.  First of all, we recall that John the Baptist was a very powerful preacher in his own time, and drew crowds to himself.  He was widely considered a holy man.  He performed no miracle, but taught the people to prepare for the coming of the Messiah, for "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (see Matthew 3:1-6).  In that passage, we read, "Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins."  What would make people do that?  It seems that clearly it is the anticipation of the Messiah, and the promise of receiving the Messiah through repentance, which is something that draws the people in their anticipation of the good things a messianic age would bring to Israel.  Around the time of Jesus, we know that there were several people who claimed to be the Messiah. Three of them, Theudas, Judas of Galilee, and another known as Simon Magus are mentioned in the Book of Acts (Acts 5:34-42; 8:9-10).  Because of the particular place in history in which Israel found itself at this time, the desired expectations of the Messiah ran very high; this included the overthrow of the Romans and the establishment of a political Israel, restored to its fortunes under a king like David.  But there were other prophesies about the Messiah and his time that included the establishment of justice, a prophetic identity, and miraculous occurrences and spiritual signs, such as the restoration of sight to the blind (see Isaiah 35:4-6).  So, while miraculous occurrences will still draw people's interest in our time, we can easily imagine how the cherished desire for the appearance of the Messiah would create such a draw in Jesus' healings.  Indeed, in all of their contests and challenges to Jesus, one consistent thing demanded by the religious authorities will be for proofs of His identity through spectacular signs that would convince them.  If we just put ourselves in the place of the people of that time and place, we might also begin to understand Jesus and His ministry a little bit better.  He comes as He would come into the world, even as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, but as an answer to people's prayers, expectations and anticipations, as a Redeemer come for all, and One who would need to establish the understanding of a Kingdom that is not of this world, and all that means in the Christian context.  That's not an easy task, and yet Jesus is on a path to "fulfill all righteousness," and to fulfill the Scriptures.  But because of the kind of expectations He's up against, His ministry will have to engage the people in a particular way, including keeping the messianic secret until it's time to be revealed.  Let us learn to follow Him, as will His first disciples.

 

 

 

 

I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!

 

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."

 

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  

 

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His  teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that the questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. 

 

- Mark 1:14-28 

 

 Yesterday we began reading the Gospel of St. Mark, which starts with the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel." My study Bible comments that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant -- to prepare people for Christ -- had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  Once Christ came into the world, the time of preparation was now fulfilled.  My study Bible explains that to repent is to do a total "about-face."  In Greek, this word literally means "change one's mind."  It's a radical change of one's spirit, mind, though, and heart -- a total reorientation to life centered in Christ.  

 

 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  These first disciples had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and so were prepared to immediately accept Christ and follow Him.  It is impossible to overestimate the high regard the people had for John the Baptist, and his leading of his disciples to Christ (see John 1:35-42).  Although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land," as my study Bible describes them, will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.  

 

 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His  teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that the questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.  My study Bible comments that the word immediately appears almost forty times in St. Mark's Gospel.  Nearly all of these uses of the word "immediately" occur prior to Christ's entrance into Jerusalem.  It says that the sense of urgency and purpose as Christ journey to Jerusalem to fulfill His mission of redeeming the world helps make St. Mark's account not only the shortest, but also the most direct of all the four Gospels.  Notice how Jesus gets right down to the work of His ministry; once He endures the temptation in the wilderness, and is baptized wherein there was the theophany of the manifestation of Father, Son, and Spirit, He begins to choose His disciples, and then immediately on the Sabbath entered the synagogue and taught.  According to St. Ambrose of Milan, Jesus begins preaching and healing on the Sabbath to show that "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."  This new doctrine that makes the people marvel and wonder is the authority with which Christ preaches, heals, and casts out demons.  My study Bible contrasts this with the prophets of old and the teachers of His time, who taught in the third person ("the Lord says").  Christ teaches and acts of Himself, in the first person, commanding the spirits to be quiet and come out.  Here is observed Christ desire to remain hidden, not to disclose His identity as Messiah.  My study Bible says this was foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  Several reasons are given here for this secrecy.  They include the growing hostility of the religious leaders to Jesus; the people's misunderstanding and expectation of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader; and Christ's desire to evoke genuine faith which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  

 

We observe that the unclean spirit knows exactly who Christ is.  He recognizes Him as the Holy One of God, saying,  "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  Not only do the unclean spirits know Jesus of Nazareth, they know His identity as the Holy One of God.  It's strange to think that the demons themselves don't really deny Christ at all, even though they are part of the force that opposes Him.  They know full well who He is, and they fear His power to destroy them.  Moreover, there is only one Holy One of God, and that is the Son who is incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth.  Unlike human beings who scoff at faith, who claim to be unbelievers, or who simply doubt anything about the story of Jesus, the demons know very well who He is and certainly believe the truth about Him as presented in the Gospels.  From our perspective as human beings, we might wonder at this.  It's not the common understanding of what it means to be irreligious.  But the human rebellion against God comes in other forms than that of these unclean spirits who belong to another realm in which they clearly recognize Christ.  Our version of rebellion against God, and expressions of hatred and fear of Christ, come in other forms.  They come in the forms in which we participate in the activities and "energies," if you will, of those who hate Christ, and who hate the truth of Christ.  These may take the form of petty cruelties, deliberate malice and evil, harsh treatment of others who are undeserving of it.  It takes the form of disruption in a Church when power plays become all that matter to those who think they own this jewel that Christ has left us, because they don't understand spiritual truth and its nature at all.  It comes in the form of manipulation, lies, and trickery for personal gain in many forms and venues.  Together with St. John, as written in the Revelation, we may add that it includes "whoever loves and makes a lie" (Revelation 22:15).  For our early Christian forbears, such was the work of the Antichrist, and those who participate in such forms of denial of Christ participate in the spirit of the Antichrist (1 John 2:18).  So while we may not see such sights every day as the one described here, while we might not be able to identify an "unclean spirit," we can still understand what it is to participate in the energies of the spirit that opposes Christ and fears His reign and power.  Let us keep a close watch on our own hearts during this Lent, and seek to stop if we, too, find the temptations to participate in such works.  For our best hope is instead to work the works of God (John 6:28-29).

 

 

 

 

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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men

 

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel." 

 

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his  brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

- Mark 1:14–28

 

Yesterday we read St. Mark's beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God:  As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' "  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.   Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  My study bible comments here that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant -- to prepare the people for Christ -- had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  When Christ had come, the time of preparation was fulfilled.   It adds that to repent is to do a total "about-face."  The word for "repent" in Greek (μετανοια/metanoia) means literally to "change one's mind."  Repentance, my study bible says, is a radical change of one's spirit, mind, thought, and heart -- a complete reorientation to a life centered in Christ.  

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  We should keep in mind that the first disciples of Christ had already been disciples of John the Baptist, and so were prepared to immediately leave their nets and follow Christ when called (see John 1:29-42).   My study bible comments that although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.  Let us note also the relationships that already tie these men together:  two sets of brothers, all fishermen, working in the same area and already known to one another.

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.    My study bible informs us that the word immediately occurs nearly forty times in Mark's Gospel -- and nearly all of them before Christ's entrance into Jerusalem.   The text gives us a sense of urgency and purpose (just as we were told in yesterday's reading that the Holy Spirit "drove" -- or, in the Greek, literally "threw" -- Jesus into the wilderness to face the temptations of Satan.  This is the way that Christ journeys toward Jerusalem in Mark's Gospel, with a determined sense of mission at this proper time of fulfillment in order to redeem the world.  My study bible says that Mark's Gospel not only the shortest but also the most direct of the four Gospels.  

Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.  And here is "immediately" a confrontation as Jesus enters into and begins teaching in the synagogue.  The unclean spirits know who He is.  Their declaration also reveals His identity as Son, but at an improper time and not in His fulfillment of mission.  Hence, He commands, "Be quiet . . . !"  What amazes the people is Christ's authority, not only as He commands the unclean spirits, but also in the way He teaches, and "not as the scribes" (see above).   

Jesus, in some sense given through the way Mark's Gospel is written, "charges" into His mission now that it is the right time.  As my study bible comments, the setting begins as Jesus knows that John is in prison, and He comes preaching, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  He begins to choose His men, the disciples (and of course, His ministry will also include women), who "immediately" begin to follow Him.  From there He "immediately" begins to preach in the synagogue, and something else happens "immediately" when He does.  Not only does He teach with authority, but He also commands with authority.  Moreover, just as with the temptation or testing in the wilderness by Satan, it is revealed to us quite clearly that behind the scenes there is a war going on, and so this mission into which Jesus enters with such seeming alacrity and purposefulness is like a military battle.  His authority is like that of a military leader, he commands the opposing troops to silence and departure, and He amazes those who are there to see and to hear it.  Later on, His former neighbors will marvel how this can be the Jesus they know whose family they know.  But the revelations begin at the "beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God," and they will keep on coming.  Those which come in the wrong way and at the wrong time He commands to silence.  Perhaps one of the most important things the text reminds us to understand is that, regardless of how we understand Christ's message of peace and the deep love of God toward which He calls us all, there is a battle into which He enters as central figure.  He will call Himself the "stronger man" who comes to seize the goods held by a strong man:  "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils."  And this same Jesus, who speaks to us in the Beatitudes by preaching that the meek shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5), adds of Himself as the stronger man, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters" (see Luke 11:21-23).  He has entered into the world as Liberator, the One who sets us free.  But He sets us free with His word; He sets us free with His truth:  "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32).  When Jesus enters into the wilderness in His time of testing before His public ministry, it is to confront the ruler of this world, Satan.  It is Satan who is the strong man, from whom Jesus comes as Liberator to release us.  But we each play a role in this spiritual battle, and that is the purpose and meaning of our faith.  That is the mission He begins in this Gospel, and it is the one into which He invites each of us to be also His disciples.  Today the mission is still the same, and we are called to be workers for the harvest, even if we remain few.  Let us consider Jesus' primary mission, for He is our true chief commander, and we are invited in to join Him in His true authority, even with those who called to become fishers of men.

 

 

 

 

Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch

 

 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 Jesus left the synagogue in Capernaum 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.  The lake is about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide.  This name may possibly be used here for the Sea of Galilee as it is suggestive of the fruitfulness of this region (its original name taken from the name for a fruit tree), both the fertility of the plain adjacent and the fishing.

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, my study bible explains, 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."   My study bible cites St. Ambrose's commentary here, in which he sees 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.

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 comments that the Lord draws people to Himself by things that are familiar to them.  As He drew the Magi with a star (Matthew 2:2), and tax collectors by a tax collector (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.  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 tells us that Peter's cry in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus (contrast this with 8:37).  But, instead, as Peter is suddenly cast in the light of Christ, he responds as do many holy people when they become keenly aware of their own unworthiness (compare to Isaiah 6:5, Revelation 1:17).  This great catch of fish is an image of the apostles bringing humankind into the knowledge of Christ, fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.  I the Orthodox Church, the festal hymn of Pentecost proclaims, "Through the fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."

This marvelous, surprising image of this great catch of fish catches our eye -- as no doubt it was understood that it would.  We can see the reactions of these fishermen.  No one is more astounded than they.  The word in the Gospel is astonished.  This is their home territory, it's where they have fished all of their lives, and yet on the word of Christ a catch of fish arrives that is so great it is breaking their nets.  The number of fish is so tremendous that they fill their boats to the point at which they begin to sink.  This is the powerful image of the Gospel that makes grown men astonished, stunned, amazed to the point of stupefaction.  Peter is so overwhelmed that he responds with a holy awe by simply having glimpsed an understanding of Christ:  "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"   Certainly there is in this image of the great catch of fish splitting the nets of the fishermen a sign of tremendous abundance.  The familiar phrase "all the fish in the sea" comes to mind.   We know that the sign of a fish will become an early symbol for Christians:  the ancient Greek word for fish, ιχθυς/ixthys will become an acronym for "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior" (Ἰησοῦς Χριστός Θεοῦ Yἱός Σωτήρ).  Jesus forever ties together the metaphor of fish to the world full of human beings who must hear the gospel message when He says to these fishermen, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."   This word in Greek for "men" also means generically mankind, human beings.  So astonishing in their minds is this catch of fish that the fishermen leave their boats and nets and business behind, becoming disciples of Christ.  John's Gospel explains to us that several of them had already been disciples of John the Baptist, and so were familiar with Jesus from the beginning.  But here is where they are truly called, and this great sign gives Peter a visceral experience that he stands before a man whose holiness he cannot fully estimate.  And that, too, is part of the surprising nature of our faith and its component of mystery to be experienced.  For that sort of glimpse comes in a way as surprising as this extraordinary catch of fish on a day when there were no fish to be found.  It is sudden, experiential, a glimpse like a flash.  The brief moment of any experience of holiness or the divine is a taste of something whose depth we cannot measure and do not know.  In the entire treasury of the Church with her saints and Scripture and all of theology there remains an overwhelming unknown of mystery about God.  Whatever we do know of God has only come through revelation; what has been developed by combining this with philosophy to create theology gives us a glimpse, but teaches us more:  that whatever it is we know of God is a tiny fraction of God's reality.  There is so much more that we don't know, like how much more is there in that great wide sea do we not know, besides this abundant, surprising catch of fish.  It's important that we understand that comparing this one catch of fish to all the fish in the sea is a metaphor for our real knowledge of God.  The sea is limited, but God is not.  Whatever we think we know of our faith, it is the tiniest fraction of the mystery of God -- and in fact our faith therefore only begins a journey that is unlimited.  When we lose sight of this mystery, we have forgotten who we are as Christians, because the true range of our faith cannot be defined and limited by what we know.  It must also include the awareness of the much more that we do not yet know.  It is that mystery -- like the glimpse of the great catch of fish -- that invites us in, and asks us to go forward.  Have you come far on your journey of faith?  Then prepare to go further.  Do you think you have tasted God's love?  Continue into its depth and breadth.  Are there still questions you need to ponder?  This is exactly the right place we must be in.  For we don't have all the answers, and the fullness of Christ we can't yet grasp.  But we are asked to be on this journey, and given experience that gives us a glance -- but there is always so much more ahead.  Sometimes, like the fishermen, we're asked to leave all behind and follow Him.  Wherever we are in this long discipleship of faith, the road starts here, and there is so much more we don't yet know.  This is what St. Ambrose understands of the command to launch out into the deep, and so we are called with the fishermen, as well.

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

Early Christian Greek circular "ΙΧΘΥΣ" symbol

 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 ask 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 left the synagogue where He had been preaching 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 ask 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 another name for the Sea of Galilee.  Gennesaret was a name for this region where these men fish; it was known for its abundance of both fishing and also agricultural resources.  The Lake or Sea itself is about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide.  Jesus sat down and taught:  sitting is the traditional Jewish position for a teacher.  In the Church this would continue, as some early Christian preachers sat while the people stood (for example, St. John Chrysostom).  A bishop's seat is the symbol of teaching.

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."  Jesus tells them to launch out into the deep:  St. Ambrose sees in this command a spiritual invitation -- to give one's life over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God.

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 suggests that the Lord draws people to Himself by things that are familiar to them.  As He drew the Magi with a star (Matthew 2:2), as He would draw tax collectors by a tax collector (5:39), 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 response in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus (contrast with 8:37).  This is in fact a recognition of truth.  Peter, suddenly cast in the light of Christ, responds as do other holy people, by becoming 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 mankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and it fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.  At Pentecost, an Orthodox hymn declares, "Through the fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."

In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus has a parable which uses the image of a dragnet for the kingdom of God:  it was cast into the sea, where it caught some of "every kind."  Eventually the good were separated from the bad and kept, while the bad were discarded.  Jesus uses this as an image of the Judgment at the end of the age (see Matthew 13:47-50).  In today's reading, the nets that catch the great abundance of fish do so at the command of Christ.  He is the One who holds the keys to the secrets of the world (see Matthew 13:35, quoting Psalm 78:2).  He is the One at whose direction we are able to live a truly fruitful and productive life.  Even the place where these men fish holds great symbolism.  Its name is derived from the word for "garden," most likely meaning "gardens of the prince."   It's also been called "the paradise of Galilee" for its abundance and fertility, both for fishing and in the adjoining plain for agriculture.  The true Prince is the Creator of this world, the One who directs these men where to place their nets for an extraordinary haul of fish.  Fish are in themselves a sign of abundance, fertility, and wealth in cultures around the world.  Moreover, as we know, the first century Greek word for fish (ἰχθύς /ixthys) would come to be known as an acronym or acrostic, a symbol of faith.  Each letter is taken as the first of a word in the following phrase:   Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior (Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ).  In Greek, these capital letters can be combined atop one another into a circular symbol (see illustration above).  In keeping with the symbolism of abundance, the fish would also come to symbolize the Eucharist and its birth from the multiplication of the fish and the loaves.  These "fishers of men," then are born in today's reading as those whose work, commanded by Christ and in synergy with the Holy Spirit, will produce abundant multitudes.  If we look at the dragnet symbolism of Jesus' parable at the end of Matthew 13, those who will be drawn by the fishermen include all people.  So it is with our churches:   the doors are open to all.  What takes place in the heart in response to the word of Christ and its distribution in the world is a matter for the Judgment at the end of the age.  What Christ gives to each of us is the capacity to become a fisher of men.  It is through His word and instruction that all may come to hear the word.  How each one responds can be as abundant as all the fish in sea; but the question is one for each of us:  How will you respond?  These men leave all to follow Him.  Who guides your life and what you do?

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

On Saturday, we read that  after teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum on the Sabbath (and casting out an unclean demon), Jesus left 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.   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.  We remember that Jesus has been in Capernaum, where He teaches in the synagogue on the Sabbaths, and where Peter has a family home, which operates as a sort of headquarters for Jesus' ministry.  The Lake of Gennesaret is also known as the Sea of Galilee.  It's a very large lake, about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide.    The region of Gennesaret, near Capernam, was also known for its abundance and beauty, having a fertile plain in which all kinds of agricultural products grew, and its plenitude of fish as well.  Jesus' position is sitting in the boat, a traditional position for a teacher,  a place of authority.

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 here, who writes of this command that it is 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.  My study bible notes that the Lord draws people to Himself by the things that are familiar with them.  His parables reflect every day life for people.  He drew the Magi with a star (Matthew 2:2), 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 is suddenly cast in the light of Christ.  As a holy person, he recognizes his own unworthiness; his cry is not one of rejection but rather of awe (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 this great catch of fish is an image of the apostles bringing mankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  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."  These fishermen all willingly respond to His command.

What does it really take for us to respond to faith?  These fishermen respond to an astonishing command and response with the great load of fish. They know the waters; this is their job and the business of their families.  They had been fishing the same all the night.  But a rationalization of this great act of the catch of fish could be quite possible.  Some could say there happened to be a school of fish passing by at this moment, I suppose.  Others could speculate on one way or another there was a "reasonable" and "logical" explanation for this event.  But these men know.  Somehow it is clear to them who Christ is.  One could say that had they not been somehow prepared within themselves for this ministry to which they're called, they would not have responded as they have, with Peter, as usual, speaking for all.  John's Gospel tells us that these men were first disciples of John the Baptist, those for whom the Kingdom and its righteousness is something they have sought wholeheartedly before this moment.  My study bible points out that Peter's response is one of a holy man.  We could assume, then, that somehow, there is preparation for this moment.  There is already something inside of these men that is willing to respond, that can see and hear the holiness in Christ, that responds with faith, setting everything else aside to follow His command, "From now on you will catch men."   What is it that prompts us to respond in faith?  Jesus will say to Thomas, "Blessed are those who haven't seen, and have believed" (John 20:29).   The signs of Christ are not meant to persuade those incapable of faith; they are not magic, they're not meant for manipulation.  They are signs of holiness and the presence of the Kingdom, God in our midst.  This massive catch of fish is meant as a sign to those whom He will call, so that they know and understand, and the connection with Him is unmistakable.  To look at the Greek text gives us some other hints here. The word for "partners" (as in the notation that James and John Zebedee were partners with Simon in their fishing business) is another form of the word from which we derive "communion" (Gr. κοινωνοὶ).  In English, the Greek is translated as Jesus' saying, "From now on, you will catch men."  But in the Greek, the word for men really means human beings (Gr. ἀνθρώπους).  And in the Greek, the word for catch is a word that implies life (Gr. ζωγρῶν), to catch living things, from the root meaning "life."  All these hints in the text tell us about this mission and His ministry.  They teach us about these men who will become His apostles, how their relationships already imply a readiness for depth, for communion, for the life of those for whom they will "hunt" to join them.  But the depth of the heart that responds to Christ remains a mystery, something known and understood possibly only by the author of life, the Source of life Himself, the true "heart-knower."  Where does our faith come from?  That's too great a depth of mystery for me to answer.  But the love that binds hearts to Christ is a depth of communion that is not exhausted in its depth nor its extension.  Where do you find that for yourself?

He was moved with compassion for them

 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.  But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.  And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.  When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.  Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."  But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away.   You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."  He said, "Bring them here to Me."  Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass.  And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.  Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

- Matthew 14:13-21

Yesterday, we read that at this point in Jesus' ministry,  Herod the tetrarch (Herod Antipas) heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.  But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.   And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.   Jesus departed to a deserted place by Himself not upon hearing of the death of John, but hearing that Herod now fears He is John raised from the dead.  The first thing that motivates Jesus we note is that He was moved with compassion for this crowd who follows Him, and He heals their sick.

 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.  Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."  But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away.   You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."  He said, "Bring them here to Me."  St.  John Chrysostom, in his commentaries on Matthew's Gospel, notes that in preparation for this miracle of the feeding in the wilderness, the people themselves have given no thought for food; their motive was to simply follow Jesus.  Even the disciples are the same -- they haven't prepared for this eventuality.  Such a meager ration of five loaves and two fish to be found among them all shows their own concerns are primarily with ministry and following Christ.  It is the disciples who raise the concern of food for the crowd, and not the people themselves.  But Jesus teaches, "You give them something to eat."  All of the components of the scene:  the wilderness or "deserted place," the lack of preparation for food, and the great crowd in this place without resources all emphasize what is about to happen.

He said, "Bring them here to Me."  Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass.  And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.  Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.  This feeding miracle appears in all four Gospels, and as such is central to the Gospel message.  As He (the Lord) fed the Israelites in the desert (Exodus 16) with bread from heaven, so He looks to heaven and feeds His people in this deserted place.   This is clearly an image of the Eucharist, and we note the procedure initiated:  all the people are first made to sit, Christ blessed and broke and gave the loaves to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.  My study bible notes a traditional spiritual interpretation that the five loaves indicate the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which are "broken open in Christ and thus feed the universe."  The two fish represent the book of the Gospels and the book of Epistles, the teaching of the fishermen.  The gathering of leftovers by the apostles shows that whatever teachings the faithful are unable to grasp are nevertheless held in the consciousness of the Church.  Twelve baskets remain, one for each apostle, symbolic of their evangelizing work that will go out to the world, as the Old Testament went to the twelve tribes of Israel.  We note that the crowd contained five thousand men (a common way of counting at the time), and yet more women and children:  no one is excluded from the food of Christ for all.

In the Lord's Prayer, we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread."  But the word translated as "daily" doesn't quite mean that literally.  This word in the original Greek, coined for the Gospels, means something like "supersubstantial."  That is, bread as we know it but with something more -- more substantial.  Perhaps we could say "more dimensional."  (That original word is epiousion in the Greek; epi is upon, or "super" from the Latin, ousia means essence or being.)   As we use the word daily in English, it is in the sense that this is the bread for the eternal day of the Kingdom, and there's a clear tie to the Eucharist.  In this understanding, our reading today compounds meanings to give us a sense of the food we need each day from Christ that feeds not just our bodies, but also soul and spirit.  There isn't anything left out,  no part of us not nurtured.  Christ's mercy is for all of who we are as complete persons, and it is present for everyone.  This is the core meaning of His ministry, of the Incarnation to all of us, for the life of the world.  And that is why this feeding in the wilderness is a centerpiece for all of the Gospels.  (There will be another, separate miracle of feeding in the wilderness, which we will read later as well.)  But we have to consider what food is, its essential nature to our lives, and what it means to be truly fed.  We have to think of Jesus' ministry as nurturing to all of who we are, and growing in us the conscious awareness of ourselves as more than just beings who demand physical sustenance and the needs of the body.  Jesus looks to heaven and blesses these loaves, multiplying them for all:  we all need something more.  Without taking care of all that we are, we lose the fullness of what it is to be human, created in the image and likeness of our Creator.  What Christ nurtures and is here to give to us is the fullness of growth we're capable of manifesting.  This is what the Church must represent, and is its ongoing mission:  to teach what that is, to sustain, and to nurture.  It is contained in the work of the Spirit in the world, in the prayer of all the saints and angels present in every liturgy, each Eucharistic service.  Everything is there present, including the promises of the age to come and of the knowledge and mysteries we hope to know.  This is the food of body, soul, and spirit that adds to us life in abundance and gives richness and meaning to who we are.  All of it contained here in the fulfillment of the bread from heaven given to the Israelites in the desert -- and the implicit promise that He is there with His food for us in all of our own "deserted" places.  Jesus retreats in today's reading -- withdrawing perhaps for prayer and guidance for His ministry, at yet another turning point in which now the Roman powers not only are aware of His works, but have begun to fear Him in the person of Herod Antipas.  But His work is always mercy and compassion.  The crowds follow Him, and from there we have the answer of where this ministry will go:  to all the world in fulfillment of God's promise to His people.  Christ expands "God's people," as the true bread expands who we are as persons, giving us a true wholeness.  So say the parables of the Kingdom given just previously in chapter 13. Let us always be nurtured by our daily bread, and know that He is the bread of heaven given for us.  In Him is contained so much that we hunger for, even when we cannot name what it is we truly need. 

Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men

 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Ten He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went through all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

- Matthew 4:18-25

Yesterday, we read that when Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.  And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, / By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, / Galilee of the Gentiles:  The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, / And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death / Light has dawned."  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Ten He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.   We note the details:  James and John Zebedee are sitting in the boat with their father, mending their nets, at the family business of fishing.  Simon and Andrew are also brothers and fishermen; as Jesus walks by the Sea of Galilee, He sees them casting a net into the sea.  My study bible says that these first disciples follow Jesus immediately because they'd already heard the preaching of John the Baptist and were prepared to accept Christ in such a fashion.  We note the metaphors from daily life that Jesus uses so well and strikingly, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  My study bible says that although illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to be wisest of all.

 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went through all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.   My study bible points out here that the crowds don't swarm Jesus when He commands repentance, but only after He begins to heal and to work miracles.  This shows that people do not really understand the true nature of His Kingdom.  It also shows His concession to "give credibility to what He teaches" among the fickle multitudes (according to Theopylact of Bulgaria).  Although it is a few brief verses, this is a summing up of His ministry.

We note the details:  the men are casting a net into the sea (brothers Peter and Andrew), the family of Zebedee (John, James, and their father) are mending their nets.  This is a day by the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where fishermen are working.  And Jesus passes by.  We're told what Jesus sees.  His brilliant use of metaphor immediately grabs us 2,000 years later, and in particular these fishermen.  "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  This is Jesus, with an eye for the details of the world, and a personality that knows how to use language more effectively than anyone we can recall.  He is, after all, the Word, Logos.  He knows these men, knows they've followed John the Baptist, and knows probably much more about them than we can say.  But this most effective speaker doesn't start with long-winded philosophies.  He doesn't even preach to them at all.  His language is drawn from every day life -- and even more importantly, their every day life.  They skillfully use their nets; some are casting their nets, others mending.  And they understand then what it is to be fishers of men, casting a net.  We can think of all kinds of metaphors for a net.  The Spirit is like a net, the messages of heaven working as a great net-work through the angels (whose name means messenger).  This Kingdom will be made up of a communion of saints, another great kind of net of prayer in all of Creation, the God of the living a God of those who are eternally present in this great communion or network of those who live to Him.  But Jesus knows how to reach into us, and gives us language and metaphor to use even thousands of years later, meaningful and immediate, a word used so often to describe the response to Jesus throughout the Gospels.  The slightest details are given here in the briefest of passages, and yet they are so much for us, so vivid and suggestive of so many things.  Most of all today we note the mind of Jesus; it's the beginning of ministry which will take Him and these apostles everywhere.  We read His story, we hear the message, and we let His words take us as well.  We hear He's looking for "a few good men," to quote a modern phrase.  But that's not really it; in the Greek this word for men doesn't mean "men only."  The word is "anthropos," and it means human being (like the word "men" as it is traditionally used in English to mean people, or persons, as in "mankind").  They are to be fishers of people, of those who are able to respond to His message.  Where do we fall in that crowd?  Do we have ears to hear His word?   What is our immediate response to His vivid language?

Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch

 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 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.  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.  An interesting scene:  Jesus is already well-known.  He's standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, which is otherwise known as the Sea of Galilee, a large lake about thirteen miles long and seven miles wide.  Sitting is the traditional posture for a teacher or rabbi, as we've noted recently when Jesus sat in the synagogue in Nazareth.  Yesterday, we read Jesus' statement that He must preach the kingdom of God in other cities; here we see He will fulfill that purpose wherever the place is available:  on a mountaintop, on a plain, in the wilderness, and here from a boat by the shore of the lake.

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 tells us that St. Ambrose sees in this command the spiritual 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.  We note Peter's immediate reaction to Jesus' command, and remember that he's already a disciple.  My study bible says here that the Lord draws people to Himself by things that are familiar to them.  "As He drew the Magi with a star (Matthew 2:2), as He would draw tax collectors by a tax collector (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!"    My study bible says that Peter's cry in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus (contrast 8:37).  Instead,  it says, "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.   This great catch of fish, my study bible says, is an image of the apostles bringing human beings to the knowledge of Christ.  It also fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16 ("'I will send for many fishermen,' says the Lord". . . ).  In the Eastern Church, the festal hymn of Pentecost declares to Christ, "Through the fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."

I find myself fascinated and pleased by my study bible's suggestion that "the Lord draws people to Himself by things that are familiar to them."  Yesterday, we wrote about "mission" and Jesus' commitment to the things He knows He was sent to do.  It isn't yet time in this ministry for Him to reveal Himself as Christ, but His purpose, His mission, is always at work and He's always fulfilling that mission.  The fact that the Lord draws people to Himself by things that are familiar to them means that for each one of us, there is also a particular way, something related to mission.  If all things lead to Christ, our Creator and the ultimate assigner of the meanings of all things, then whatever way is very "personal" is the way that we, too, will find "mission" in Christ.  It's a strange thing about faith, it will take us out of who we think we are and into the unknown, but will do so by virtue of the things we know and are familiar to us, the things that will draw us and pique our attention and interest.   Christ works with us where we are, and the beauty that draws us in the world, the things that command our attention, can lead us to Him if we accept His leading.    In a world that's filled with the Holy Spirit, we can find Him throughout many pathways, and He will come to us in all kinds of ways.  There's an ancient saying that goes back so far that even the ancient Greek philosophers didn't quite know who originated it.  It's been widely quoted throughout the centuries:  "God is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference nowhere."  What that teaches us is kind of connection to mathematical theories of the spiritual, something also common to those ancients such as Pythagoras and Euclid, that all roads lead to a particular point; every parallel line meets at infinity (another attribute of God).  All this is to say that in our understanding of God we know that wherever we are right now, God is available to us and ready to lead us in the way we can be reached.  It's part of the grace of the Spirit, "who is everywhere present and fills all things," according to a prayer that prefaces every Eastern worship service.  Jesus is at the shore in today's reading, with the fishermen, sitting in a boat and teaching.   In His mission, He reaches everywhere, to each one of us, and He will not let us slip away.  But it's up to us to hear Him.  Once we start on that road, we have to be prepared to be led where we didn't expect to go, out into the deep -- perhaps the infinite mystery of the deep -- wherever He leads us, just as He will lead these fishermen.