St Luke 5: 1 – 11
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
Reflection
I don’t know if you’re watching the series ‘The Chosen’ (if not, I highly recommend it), but I love the portrayal of Peter. In the first episode, we meet him in a fist fight. He’s rough, tough, loves to drink and gamble and he’s not above cheating.
He loves his wife, Eden, and we see he’s got a good heart. He’s simply trying to make a life in a hard world, but he’s not what the religious leaders would call a ‘good’ Jew. He’s not as scrupulous about keeping sabbath as he could be. He even comes to an arrangement with the Roman occupiers about grassing up fellow Jews who are avoiding taxes. All in all, I can see why Eden’s brothers aren’t keen on their ne’er-do-well brother-in-law.
And then Jesus arrives on the scene. And the carpenter tells the fisherman how to fish. I imagine that Peter’s words were a bit more fruity than Luke’s demure, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.” I mean, how would you react if you had spent all night in hard, physical labour and got nothing to show for it? You’re tired, hangry, and not a little scared about where the next meal is coming from, and then some bloomin’ handyman strolls up and tells you how to do your job! I’d have been livid! “Who the [bleep] do you think you are? Do I tell you how to fix a [bleep]in’ table leg?”
However, Peter does what Jesus says and suddenly there are fish everywhere. I love Jesus’ laughter as he watches it.
Peter leaps from the boat and kneels at Jesus’ feet. “You don’t know who I am, the things I’ve done,” he says. Jesus smiles. Of course he does. He knew Peter before he was born. He knows about the fighting and the gambling and the everything else.
“Follow me,” says Jesus.
Because in the end, that is all that matters.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
I say, “You don’t know who I am, the things I’ve done.”
And you reply, “Of course I do. I’ve always known and love you still.”
I say, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful person.”
And you reply, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
You say, “Follow me.”
And I reply, “Yes, Lord.”