Catching Men as Fish

In the Gospel of Luke, some miracles are not found in the other Gospels. Luke 5 contains one such account: Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (Galilee), and the people were crowding around Him to hear the word of God. He saw two boats at the water’s edge, and the fishermen had just come ashore, leaving their boats to wash their nets. After every fishing operation, the nets had to be cleaned and flattened to be ready for the next use.

Jesus knew Peter and his companions. Peter (Simon) had previously met Jesus near the Jordan River, where his brother Andrew had brought him (John 1:40-42), but he had since returned to Galilee to fish. Jesus got into Simon’s boat and asked him to put out a little from the shore. He then sat down and taught the people from the boat. Since boats on the Sea of Galilee were typically open and between seven and ten meters long, teaching from a boat allowed Him to avoid the crush of the crowd and reach more people with His voice.

When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon replied, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. They signaled for 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. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” He and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken.

This miracle occurred in Peter’s own profession, so he deeply understood the significance of this catch and immediately recognized it as a miracle. When he recognized the Lord’s work on the outside, he encountered the Lord Himself on the inside. The Lord is the “light of the world” (John 8:12), and all who encounter Him in this light immediately see their own brokenness. Therefore, Peter’s reaction was not one of excitement over the large catch but one of trembling and prostration, like anyone who encounters God. He was like Isaiah, who, in the Lord’s presence, saw himself as a “man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5), unworthy and afraid to be near God. Peter had met Jesus before (John 1:40-42) and had seen Him heal the sick and cast out demons, but he had not yet fully recognized the hidden glory of the Lord. It was “in the deep water” that Jesus allowed Peter to truly experience and know Him. This is why Peter called Jesus “Master” before letting down the nets but now confessed Him as “Lord.”

Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed Jesus.