Reading
Luke 5:1-11
5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Comment
The scene on this page of the Gospel of Luke takes place in an important place of trade and water supply in Galilee, near the lake of Genèsaret, more than two hundred meters below sea level, also known as the Sea of Galilee; on its banks stood the city of Capernaum, where Jesus had performed many miracles, as attested by the episode of the teaching in the synagogue of Nazareth ("‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum"; Lk 4:23) and the healing of the possessed in the synagogue.
The interest that Jesus aroused from the beginning of his ministry is attested by this great crowd that "thronged around him to hear the word of God" (v. 1). Against this background we glimpse the figure of the fishermen, certainly including Peter, busy cleaning their nets and disappointed for not having caught anything.
The encounter with Jesus represents a radical turning point in the life of Peter and his companions, who will follow Christ in discipleship. The prodigy of the miraculous catch of fish passes through the recognition in Jesus of the Master, here and in various New Testament passages defined as such with the Greek word epistatès, which, unlike the more common didaskalos, indicated not a simple teacher, but a person invested with authority towards the disciples and directly responsible to them, just as the good shepherd is responsible for his sheep (Jn 10:11).
Peter's profession of faith, despite his initial incredulity, manifested at the beginning of his response to Jesus, is what makes the miraculous event possible; this is followed by the confession of sin for one's own unbelief. Jesus' response attests that the miracle just performed is only a sign - as indeed all his prodigies in the Gospels and in our life - of a greater reality, of the call to a broader existential perspective: in the case of Peter, that of becoming a "fisher of men" (v. 10).
Jesus does not completely upset Peter's life but makes him pass "from one level to another", from fisher of fish to fisher of men. Peter's personality, his peculiarities, and his talents, however poor, they are respected. This also happens when Christ challenges our lives by calling us "to something higher". The evangelical conversion is a conversion from sin but respects our individuality, and our profound identity, while healing it from the wounds that prevent it from expressing itself fully.
Prayer
Free our eyes, o Lord, from the veil of unbelief so that we can recognize and gratefully welcome the signs you perform in our life and follow you faithfully to proclaim your word. Amen.
- Rev. Dr. Luca Vona
