Chapter 29
Fishers of Men
The Reading: Luke 5:1-11:
The Problem:
This event happened on the Sea of Galilee, with the sun shining and the water sparkling under a blue sky. Two fishing boats were drawn up close to the shore, with their sails furled and the fishermen were on the shore repairing nets. Nets were expensive and required hard work to maintain, so the men used them with care. Much of a fisherman’s time in those days was spent mending, washing, and drying nets - chores he performed at the completion of every fishing trip. Simon and his business partners, James and John, had been out fishing all night, casting and pulling their nets, over and over again. They just wanted to go home, but they needed to finish their repairs and put everything away first.
At the same time, Jesus was walking along the shore and talking to the people. As He walked and talked, the crowd kept growing and pressed so close to Jesus that He was pushed back to the very edge of the water. Then Jesus noticed two boats on the shore, so He climbed into one of the boats and asked Simon if he could move the boat out into the water a bit, to create a little space between Himself and the crowd. Even though Simon was tired and just thinking about a hot meal and his bed, he did as Jesus asked.
This was actually Simon’s first act of obedience. It’s important to note that he allowed Jesus to take over an extremely important possession in his life – his boat, and use it for His own purposes. Peter’s boat represented his livelihood and his income. When you’re a fisherman – your boat is your most valuable business asset, and you don’t normally let other people use it.
When Jesus finished using the boat to teach the crowd, He turned to Simon and said, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.” Keep in mind, Peter and his business partners were professional fishermen. They knew how to fish, they knew when to fish, and they knew where to fish. Today, as in the first century, the most productive fishing grounds in the Sea of Galilee are located near the mouths of the many springs and rivers that feed the sea. At these locations, vegetable matter enters the sea and draws the fish.
To cast the net, fishermen in those days would wade into the water, position the net on their arms, and then toss it up and away from their bodies. The dome-shaped net would spread out, land on the water, and then sink. If a fisherman was fortunate, the net enclosed a few fish as he drew it back by its center rope.
In addition, to catch their quarry, fishermen in Jesus’ day usually worked at night, using torches. Jesus was asking Simon to fish in the wrong place and at the wrong time of day.
The Turning Point:
Simon was exhausted, and he must have been discouraged as well after fishing all night, and still coming up empty-handed. To avoid what he must have thought would be an exercise in futility, Simon could have come up with any number of possible excuses to not obey Jesus regarding this second request.
- “I worked all night and I’m worn out.”
- “I know a lot more about fishing than a carpenter does.”
- “The best fishing is at night, not in the day time.”
- “All these crowds and loud teaching have probably scared the fish away.”
- “We’ve already washed, repaired, and folded up our nets.”
- “Jesus may know about religion but He doesn’t know about fishing.”
But, in spite of the objections that must have been running through his mind, Simon agreed to obey Jesus in this second request as well. "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets." (Luke 5:5). The reason why Simon did what Jesus asked was because he believed in Jesus, not because the circumstances seemed right.
The Miracle That Followed:
Simon started fishing, just as Jesus had told him to do. It was the same lake on which he had fished the night before – the same boat he had used –the same nets that had come up empty – he was the same man who had caught nothing the night before. But this time, there was a completely different outcome. His business associates had to come out and help because they now had not only one boatload of fish - they had two boats filled with fish!
Because Simon, James, and John were such an experienced fishermen, and because they knew how unfavorable the conditions had been, they appreciated all the more what a great miracle this was.
The Bottom Line:
But that’s not the end of the story. In fact it was a new beginning for all of their lives. Because of the miracle of the fish – Simon, James, and John reset the priorities for their lives. They left behind their business, their fishing boats, and all their fishing equipment. They walked away from the greatest catch they had ever experienced and followed Jesus!
They realized that if Jesus could perform a miracle like that – He could do anything. Jesus had invited them to become a part of the greatest fishing trip in the history of the world when He said to them, “I’m going to make you fishers of men.” And they accepted His call. This must be an aspiration in our hearts as well … that we want to follow God, we need to follow God, that we long to follow God and fish for men, in spite of anything else that is going on in our daily lives.
