Simon Peter’s resistance to Jesus stems not only from his sense of unworthiness. God calls them as they are and then works on shaping them into faithful servants. God calls imperfect people to do God’s work, people who are aware of their unworthiness and are often doubting and resistant to God’s call (see, for example, Exodus 3:10-12 Isaiah 6:1-6 Jeremiah 1:6-8.) God doesn’t wait for them to shape up. Throughout Scripture we see that human sin, failure, and inadequacy are no obstacles to God’s call. Rather, Jesus encounters him as he is, tells him not to be afraid, and calls him to a new mission of catching people. Jesus does not ask Simon to get his act together, his resume prepared, and then come back for an interview. Simon is acutely aware of his unworthiness, but Jesus is not put off by this in the slightest. Jesus calls Simon and his partners as they are. They are minding their own business, cleaning their nets after a long, particularly discouraging night of work, when Jesus comes along, enters into their utterly normal, mundane lives and changes everything. They are simple fishermen, and they are simply doing what they did every day. After all, there is nothing the slightest bit extraordinary about Simon Peter and his fishing partners. This text offers rich possibilities for reflecting on how God calls ordinary people to discipleship and mission. Their encounter with Jesus has completely reoriented their lives. Here Jesus calls Simon and his partners to a new vocation of catching people so that they might live, a life-giving vocation of being caught up in God’s mission of salvation for all.Īlthough they have just brought in the greatest catch of their fishing careers, Simon Peter, James, and John leave those boatloads of fish behind and follow Jesus (1:11). The Greek word for “catching” used here ( zogron) is rare in the New Testament, but means “to catch alive.” Of course, fishing with nets was a matter of catching fish alive, but those live fish would soon be dead. Jesus responds to Simon by saying, “Do not be afraid from now on you will be catching people” (5:10). He sees the overwhelming disparity between God’s power manifest in Jesus and his own mortal, compromised life. Amazed by the power of God displayed in the abundant catch of fish, Simon is immediately aware of his sinfulness and unworthiness. In the midst of his ordinary daily grind, and in fact, after a particularly lousy night at work, he is encountered by one who changes everything. He responds by falling down at Jesus’ knees and begging him, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (5:6-8) ![]() Seeing what is happening, Simon is overwhelmed with fear and wonder, sensing that he is in the presence of divine power. We know what happens next - nets so full of fish that they begin to break, boats so full of fish that they begin to sink. We can almost hear the exasperation in his voice when he responds, “Master, we have worked all night but have caught nothing.” But then he continues “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets” (5:4-5). He is the professional fisherman, after all. Simon obviously believes this will be a futile exercise. ![]() Jesus tells Simon to put out into the deep water and let down his nets for a catch. Luke does not tell us what Jesus taught the crowds that morning. Nevertheless, Simon did what Jesus asked (5:1-3). ![]() So it must have seemed a bit of an imposition when Jesus got into Simon’s boat and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Most likely he was exhausted and looking forward to going home and getting some sleep. Simon had been fishing all night with no success, then working from the early morning hours cleaning his nets. Perhaps that explains Simon’s willingness to let Jesus use his fishing boat as a floating pulpit. Jesus has already been to Simon’s home in Capernaum and has healed his mother-in-law (4:38-39). ![]() In Luke’s Gospel, this is not Simon’s first encounter with Jesus. As in John 21:1-10, we see a futile night of fishing, Jesus offering some unsolicited fishing advice, an overwhelming catch of fish, and a recognition of Jesus’ identity that focuses especially on the response of Simon Peter. Luke’s story shares common elements with John’s post-resurrection story of Jesus meeting his disciples at the Sea of Galilee. While Mark and Matthew speak of Jesus walking along the Sea of Galilee and abruptly calling Simon, Andrew, James, and John to follow him (Matt 4:18-22 Mark 1:16-20), only Luke tells the story of a miraculous catch of fish preceding the call. Luke’s story of Jesus calling the first disciples is unique among the synoptic Gospels.
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