Journey to Your Heart

3. The Fishermen
“Did ja have any luck?” That’s the typical question put to anglers as they come ashore. The fishermen in Luke’s Gospel might have replied, “Beyond our wildest dreams.”
The story of the first fishermen appears early in Luke, and in Mark’s gospel as well. (John, one of the other fishermen named in this account, along with his brother James, both sons of Zebedee, placed this similar narrative in his gospel after Jesus’s resurrection. Mark’s gospel identifies Andrew, Simon’s brother, as Simon’s business partner. Andrew is not mentioned in Luke’s account.) These four apostles, then, have roles in Luke’s story. For now, however, we will confine this chapter to the meaning of Luke’s Christian worldview.
Luke’s narrative recounts for us the terms Jesus laid down for the burgeoning twelve apostles. Moreover, Jesus’s actions made it clear that the success of their coming vocation would emerge only with His help. Finally, as Jesus was beginning his ministry with a band of four (the eight others would come in time), the Savior was clearly forming Simon, whom Jesus would later name Peter, as the leader of the pack.
On this occasion, the quartet would need to come in touch with their own ineptitude, that without this Man, whoever He was, they would find no promising future. Think of it: These unlettered men made their living, their livelihood, by harvesting fish. They must have been good at it, but not one undoubtably had the intention of changing the world. Yet though they were strong in faith, their luck had run out. As in any problem, Jesus had the solution—Himself. While they were cleaning their nets, Jesus instructed them , “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch” (5:4). But as would prove to be customary, Peter protested (no doubt speaking for the group), “Master, we have worked hard all night, and have caught nothing, but at your command, I will lower the nets.” Peter was beginning to learn trust and obedience.
The bountiful harvest astounded this pack of four. They became genuine believers in the power of this Man. They caught so many fish that their nets were about to split; Simon Peter and his brother Andrew had to shout for help to land their catch and to prevent their boats from capsizing. What did this quartet learn: If you throw in your lot with the Master, abundant gifts will be your reward? God’s gifts are in accord with His will—our salvation.
At this point Peter began to accept humility. “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, ‘Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man’” (v. 8). What accounts for Peter’s self-defacement? Maybe it was a moral issue. Peter might have said to himself, If I wasn’t so worthless, I’d have caught a lot more fish. Or: I’ve been fishing all my life; I can’t believe He showed me up.
This event confronted Peter with his own frailty. Peter saw that with one swooping command, the Lord had control over nature—and his life. He quickly discerned Jesus’s superiority. He apparently believed that only a holy man could perform such a feat; Peter got in touch with his own spiritual corruption. He apparently felt ill-suited to be in the presence of divinity. Fear gripped Peter and his companions, but Jesus assured them there was no reason to be afraid. “From now on you will be catching men” (v. 10).
Jesus had gotten into one of the boats so He could teach those who had gathered to hear His words. (His voice would carry better over the water.) Guess whose boat He boarded? Yes, it was Peter’s—another indication that Simon was being groomed as the coming church’s first potentate. (Later, Peter’s leadership role would be upheld, as John would beat Peter in a foot race to the Lord’s tomb following the crucifixion, but would wait for Peter to enter the cave first.)
When they came ashore, so convinced was the neophyte band of the truth of what they had witnessed that apparently without hesitation “they left everything and followed [Jesus]” (v. 11). It was a “graced” moment. Trusting in what they had just witnessed, they intuitively believed a life with Jesus would be better than the life they would have without Him, despite what the consequences might be. Like Simon Peter they had been transformed into risk-takers. As Luke tells us, “When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him” (v. 11).
No less than the call of these four founding brothers is the call of Christians today. And indeed, what a catch it is! Are you willing to take the risk?