Lk 5,1-11 (5 Ord.
C)
OT background, - The whole meaning of the miraculous catch of fish will be clearer if we remember that water for the Jew, above all the sea, was the habitation of Satan and of forces opposed to God (Gen 1,7; 1,17-24; Ps 74,13-14; 24,2; Jb 38,16-17; Jon 2,2-4; Rv 9,1-3; 20,3; 13,1). With the coming of the savior, however, the task of fishing for men and withdrawing them from the power of evil could go forward.
Literary context. – In contrast with Mark (1,16-20), Luke has wanted to picture in splendid isolation (4,14-44) before mentioning the disciples with whom he surrounded himself. The new section, which begins 5,1, follows a description of the initial ministry, where Jesus devotes to the people a very extended and always public activity. With 5,1-11, attention is focused on the main collaborators and envoys of Jesus, and above all on Simon-Peter, the head of the apostolic collegium. For I Luke’s thought, the church springs forth from the apostle’s work.
Theological significance. – For some exegetes, the purpose of this miracle narrative is to explain or “motivate” the response of these fishermen to the call of Jesus: having witnessed the extraordinary power of Jesus, these men are henceforth ready to believe in him and to join their fate with his. Luke would have thus rendered psychologically acceptable, understandable, the promptitude with which this group of Galilean fishermen became disciples of Jesus at the beginning of the latter’s career. It is certainly possible that Luke wrote his narrative with this intention. And even if he had ulterior motives, this one is not necessarily excluded.
But
many commentators see in this narrative an ecclesiological symbolism: the order
to let down the nets and the extremely abundant catch of fish, which follows
suggest the sending of the future missionaries in the world and the success
they will meet with men. Several arguments can be found in favor of this view:
1) the fact that Luke has manifestly wanted to associate this miraculous catch
with the call of the disciples; 2) the missionary concern and universalism of
Luke through out his writings; 3) later on, John too used this narrative of the
miraculous catch to introduce Peter’s call to be supreme pastor, i.e., in an
eminently ecclesiological context (Jn 21); 4) Jesus himself has connected
the catch of fish and the catch of men.
The central position, which Peter holds in this narrative, expresses Luke’s interest in him. Here is not alone (this is proved by the use of the plural in vv.4.5.6.7); but the others, mentioned once obscurely, could very well be mere mercenaries. Luke seems to have avoided the name of Andrew; and the saying, which announces the vocation of the fishermen, and which according to Mt and Mk was addressed to the two brothers Simon and Andrew, is reported only in connection with Simon, without any mention of Andrew. Everything that is done for Jesus (the lending of the boat) is done by Simon; everything that is done by Jesus (the miraculous catch) is done for Simon. Everything Jesus says is said to Simon; all other utterances apart from those of Jesus are Simon’s. Simon also eclipses the sons of Zebedee: their boat is mentioned in v.2, but without them. It is also mentioned in v.7, but they themselves are referred to by the vague term of “their companions.” Their name occurs only at the very end of the narrative, in v.10, as if reluctantly, in a sort of parenthesis where it is explained that they are as amazed as Simon. Luke belatedly mentions these names so as to let Simon occupy alone almost the whole scene.
v.1: the crowd … listening to the word of God: Luke is the only evangelist to attribute to Jesus the preaching of the “word of God” (8,11.21; 11,28), as later on to the apostles and the preachers of the Church (Act 4,29.31; 6,2.7; 8,14; 11,1; 12,24; 13,5.7.44.46.48; 16,32; 17,13; 18,11); he expresses thus the continuity between the mission of Jesus and that of the Christian community.
- by the lake of Gennesaret: Luke, who belongs to the Mediterranean world, never gives this Lake the name of sea, as Mk and Mt do.
v.5: Simon answered, ‘Master’ (epistates): This term is found only in Luke, always in the mouth of disciples (8,24.45; 9,33.49), except in 17,13 (the ten lepers). It presumably suggests a more profound faith in the authority of Jesus than the habitual didaskalos, which must also be translated by “master” (or “teacher”).
v.8: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord: After having given to Jesus the title of “Master”, Simon now calls him “Lord.” It is because, confronted with the extraordinary catch of fish, which has just occurred under his eyes, Simon is led to see in Jesus a manifestation, an Epiphany of God. He has experienced a miracle, the divine power active in Jesus. The manifestation of God brings him to an awareness of his sinfulness, of his unworthiness; he feels the fear of the All-otherness of God the Holy. When God likewise manifests himself to Isaiah, the prophet confesses: “Woe to me, I am lost, for I am a man with impure lips…and now…I have seen with my eyes the Lord of hosts” (Is 6,5). Admiration draws Simon to Jesus, but at the same time awareness of his sinfulness impels him to draw back. It is by the word “Lord” that he expresses the greatness of him whom he had come to know through this miracle.
v.10: Do not be afraid (me phobou): This formula, frequent in the OT, namely during theophanies, is frequently found in Luke (1,13.30); 2,10; 8,50; 12,7.32; Acts 18,9; 27,24).
- henceforth you will be catching men: According to Mk 1,17, Jesus says: “I will make you fishers of men.” Luke alters the expression in such a way that the antithesis bears no longer on fishermen and fishers of men, as in Mk, but on the catch of fish and the catch of men. Hence a clear shift of emphasis on the missionary activity rather than on the condition of disciple. Moreover, it is possible that another reason may have led Luke to modify the Markan expression. For indeed the image of the fisherman, applied to God, has an unfavorable meaning in the OT and usually refers to a threat of punishment (cf. Hab 1,15.17; Jr 16,16; etc.). And Luke can therefore resort to a Greek verb frequently found in the OT, and which is always used for the capture of men, with the insistence on the fact that their life is saved: it is the verb zogreo formed from zoe = life (Nb 31,15.18; Dt 20,16; Jos 2,13; 6,25; 9,20; 2 S 8,2; 2 Chr 25,12).
v.11: they left everything: In 3 passages parallel to Mk and Mt, Luke adds this word “everything,” thus emphasizing the extent of the poverty of Christ’s disciple: Lk 18,22; 5,28; 5,11.
In this passage of the gospel, we hear Simon say to Jesus: “Master, we were hard at work all night and caught nothing at all.” The same temptation of discouragement threatens us many times. It is night, we find ourselves in a complex situation, we do not see too well what we should do, our perseverant work seems fruitless, and we are sad because all our efforts seem to go waste. We are then on the point of giving up. Yet perhaps we are only minutes away from the miraculous catch of fish! Let us therefore listen to the voice of Christ telling us to put out into deep water. Keep on going, start again! And if success finally comes, let us humbly acknowledge that it is still out of proportion with the efforts we have displayed. Let us confess like Peter that we are sinners and that the results obtained are only due to God’s generosity.
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Peter’s boat is the church. Jesus continues to teach us from that boat. Above all, in the celebration of the Eucharist, and especially during the celebration of the word, it is still the same Jesus who addresses himself to us.
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This narrative reminds us of the peculiar conditions in which apostleship is exercise in the church. When Jesus was not with Peter, Peter did not catch anything in his nets; but from the moment that he took Jesus on board, he caught a great many fish. This is an example illustrating the truth that, without Jesus, we can do nothing (Jn 15,5). But, with his help, anything is possible. “I can do anything in him who strengthens me” (Ph 4,13).
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Even though Peter is a sinner, Jesus makes an apostle of him. Our sins, when they are humbly confessed, do not drive Jesus away from us. Only pharisaism, the conviction of being holy and above reproach before God, draws up an insurmountable barrier between God and his creature.
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By nature, the whole church is apostolic and missionary. Thus, the church’s mission is the concern of the community, not just of the bishops and priests. Among the wide variety of ways in which the church’s mission is realized, one point remains constant: the mission is always the work of God accomplished by human beings, his instruments. The miraculous catch of fish shows this very clearly. All that we, the church, can and must do is to “let down the nets” at Christ’s word. The mission is the work of faith and hope in Christ’s action, despite all contrary appearances. Provided that the church is open to Christ’s word, he will act in her in just as miraculous a way as he acted on the Sea of Galilee. And also if the church, as Simon did, recognizes her sinfulness and acknowledges that all success comes from God.