“Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.” From the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 5, verses 10 and 11.
In Nomine etc..
Our translation titles today’s Gospel ‘The Call of Simon the Fisherman,’ altho Jesus in this passage doesn’t actually call Simon, or anyone else. What I take from the narrative is that a number of men, only three of whom are named, on their own initiative, decide to follow Jesus, after their experience with him on the lake. How this happens, and what we can learn from the passage and what it may say to us, is our theme tonight.
It is clear in this section of the Gospel, that a crowd is following Jesus and listening to him. To give himself space, as we say nowadays, he takes himself to the shore of the Sea of Galilee (called the Lake of Gennesaret in this passage) and gets into Simon’s boat, and speaks to the crowd from there. Note that Jesus basically has commandeered the boat, and expects Simon to accept his direction. And Simon does, lowering his nets, altho he protests that the fishing has been fruitless all night.
This detail is interesting, fishing at night. The fishermen are likely carrying lights, torches or lamps, to attract fish, in exactly the same way I have seen fishing vessels working at night, very brightly lit. And in daylight, fishermen have other ways of finding fish. I remember an occasion in Newfoundland, when a fisherman (who was also a priest) pointed out to me, ripples on the water, which I would never have noticed, but which to him meant a large school of fish just below the surface. He regretted not being in his boat at that moment.
Simon’s regret quickly leaves him, as he and his unnamed crew catch “a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.” The old translation calls this “The Miraculous Draught of Fishes.” It is certainly unusual and unexpected. It is also not clear who is catching the fish. In verse two the Evangelist mentions “the fishermen”; in verse 5, Simon says “we have worked hard all night.” At Jesus’s command “they” lower the nets. In verse 7, “they signaled to their partners;” “they came and filled both boats.” It is clear that a large number of men (I assume that they are men) are present and following Jesus’s instructions; only three of them are named, as I have mentioned: Simon, James, and John.
Simon’s reaction is one of awe and submission. The astonishment he feels is shared by “all those with him,” the named and unnamed men with him. Jesus ignores Simon’s protestation of his sinfulness, and Simon’s apparent desire that Jesus leave him. This desire doesn’t last long; “when they brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.” “They” evidently include both the named and the unnamed fishermen.
Now the only emotions mentioned in this passage are an implied skepticism and reluctance to go fishing again, and astonishment at the outcome when they do. But Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” No one says that they are afraid. What is going on in this passage?
We usually read and hear stories like this and follow and understand their natural, obvious meaning. Clearly, what is happening here is that Jesus helps the fishermen locate and haul in a large catch, which they had been unable to do on their own. We can all imagine the scene. I saw enough of fishing and fishermen in Newfoundland to appreciate how difficult and unpredictable the work is. And so it is in our story. But there is more to it than a simple tale of Jesus helping his friends haul in a catch.
Jesus is willing to set out on the dark, cold water, with the fishermen, willing to help them in their work. His mere presence, and authority as a teacher who has just finished speaking to the crowd on the shore, are enough to encourage the men to set out again, with a happy outcome.
There has been some conversation among Jesus and the fishermen, which is not recorded. But the point of it is that they will be leaving behind their work as fishermen, and taking up work of helping Jesus with his work, teaching and healing. His followers, named and unnamed, understand the fishing analogy, that their catch from now on will be humans, not fish. The large catch is a sign, a proof almost, that they will be successful in this work, and that their supposed sinfulness and inadequacy as fishermen are, will be, no obstacle in this work.
In saying “do not be afraid” Jesus is preparing them in advance for the reality that this will not always be easy, that there will be obstacles and even dangerous situations, that will put fear into them. But “from now on you will be catching men; ” their work will be fruitful regardless of circumstance, from now on.
The only command that Jesus gives in this story is the one in which he commandeered a boat and told the fishermen where to let down their nets. Their response led to success in their task. Jesus did not tell them to follow him, in so many words. “They left everything and followed him” of their own free will; there is no suggestion of any compulsion in this story.
The free response of the fishermen to Jesus’s actions and teachings is what makes their work possible. So it is with us; Jesus presents his teaching and example and invites us to follow him. He promises that the work will be fruitful, and that there will be times of uncertainty and fear. This is important for us to keep in mind, in this strange and difficult period in which we find ourselves. The apparent shrinking of the Church, at least in this part of the world, and great changes in society, in our collective health, politics, the ecology and so on, are occasions of anxiety, confusion, and fear. But Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” If we leave fear behind, and freely choose to follow him, as his earliest followers did, the outcome, our “miraculous draught of fishes” will surely result.
“Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.”
In Nomine etc..
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