From Gathering Fish to Gathering Followers

From Gathering Fish to Gathering Followers - Luke 5:1-11

INTRO:

Peter’s fishing experience with Jesus is way beyond any of our ordinary fishing stories.

A fishing story to rule them all.

And honestly, I have some pretty good fishing stories from my growing up years. But none rises to the level of Peter’s fishing story. - One time, when we were fishing with a Yamomami friend, Saulo, who was essentially acting as our guide on this trip, we snagged an electric eel on our fishing line. - That experience turned out to be both fun and funny when our friend shocked himself trying to get the eel off the line.

The problem is, when we think of fishing stories, we think of exaggeration. “It was thiiiiiis big!” But Luke’s accounts are intended to be historically accurate, without any fudging or exaggerating or adding a little bit of detail to make it seem more real. (We have one in our family who is amazing at retelling her dreams, filling in the fuzzy parts with interesting detail.)

No, this fishing tale is 100% accurate, and it isn’t even really about the catch of fish. It’s about the knowledge and authority of the one who calls Peter, and us, to follow him… that we should learn what it means to belong to him and to be like him, and to gather others to follow him.

From Crowded on the Shore to Teaching off a Boat (vv. 1-3)

In our study of Luke, we’ve come to a section early in Jesus ministry where he gathers disciples whom he will teach to gather more people who will follow him (5:1-6:16). So for Luke, this episode with Peter is a good place to start in making this point.

We also need to comment on similar occurrences in the Gospels, whether they are one in the same with this episode of the miraculous catch of fish and calling Peter.

- Something similar with a miraculous catch of fish happens at the end of John’s Gospel, but that is a post-resurrection appearance and the differences are noteworthy, so that it’s fairly easy to say that they are separate occurrences.

- What’s slightly less obvious is whether this calling of these disciples to follow him is one and the same with a similar calling in the early part of Mark and Matthew (those two accounts almost certainly being parallel).

Either they (Mt & Mk) recorded the calling of these men with the words “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”... but then Luke adds the detail of the miraculous catch of fish…

OR these are separate occasions. - John’s gospel notes that at the very least these men (Simon and Andrew) had another, almost certainly prior, exposure to Jesus when John the Baptizer proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God, and Andrew heard it and brought Peter to meet Jesus (and John adds that’s when Jesus told Simon he’d call him Cephas, or Peter… meaning “rock”).

Although one could argue for either perspective, I think it likely that the small differences between this and Mark/Matthew are indication of similar callings from Jesus but this one with more force and greater impact (bc of the added miracle). - In other words, it’s possible or probable that even calling his disciples to full-time service with him was somewhat of a process of exposure to Jesus. If that is the case, Luke notes that this time they leave everything and follow him for good.

But in our early verses here, Jesus is being pressed by the crowd on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (Luke calls it one of its other names—Lake of Gennesaret). So he gets up on a boat to teach.

This appears to be both practical and purposeful.

The people are pressing in on Jesus, so he needs room and a way to be heard. - Remember, he teaches with extraordinary authority, and they’re dying to hear more. In other places, the NT tells us that crowds would press in on Jesus to be healed, just to touch his cloak or something.

He gets on Simon’s boat. - The way this is worded... again sounds to me like Jesus knows Simon Peter.

- By the way, Luke doesn’t shy away from the fact that Peter plays an important leadership role on this team Jesus is building.

From Zero Fish to Too Many! (vv. 4-7)

The situation of Jesus asking Peter to push back out and try again after catching nothing all night is almost comical. To be fair, that’s probably what Peter was thinking.

So these professional fishermen, who know exactly what they’re doing, fished during the best hours of the night and caught nothing. - Sources suggest that fishing at night was actually better for them to catch more with their nets because the fish would come into shallower waters at night. During the day they migrate back out into the deep and were harder to catch with their nets.

I can picture this making perfect sense because we used to spear fish at night because of this same inclination they have to be both more calm and in more shallow water at night.

Notice that Jesus tells Simon to put out into the deep and let down his nets for a “catch”… not to try for a catch, but for a catch.

And what a catch! The nets are so full that they begin to tear, and the fish fill both boats (Simon’s and the one belonging to James and John), and it is still too much!

How does a carpenter and teacher, even a healer, know exactly where to catch a haul of fish… better than even the experts? Carpentry is the trade taught to him by his earthly father. Teaching the good news of the kingdom and helping the sick, poor, and hurting—healing them as authentication of his teaching—is what he is currently doing. But that isn’t who he is…. Who he IS, is Lord!

The Lord’s knowledge encompasses everything.

No matter what you know, God knows better.

Perfect knowledge... and perfect power... and perfect ability to provide—that’s whom you trust.

From Competent Fisherman to Humble Sinner (vv. 8-9)

Peter’s reactions (in vv. 5 & 8) tell us something important about both him and Jesus! (1. ok, at your word i’ll obey… and 2. I am a sinful man, O Lord.)

In the first instance, is Peter obeying, but under protest? - He calls him Master, but he expresses clearly that they already toiled all night with no success.

-Peter is probably thinking: 1. we just finished cleaning the nets… toiled all night and caught nothing (tired) 2. we fish at night for good reason! 3. since when did the carpenter and teacher become an expert in fishing? (this is my area of expertise)

(BTW, we shouldn’t overlook that Peter obeys!)

After the obvious display of Jesus’ perfect knowledge and power, Peter confesses his sin (likely one of thinking that he knew better), and he is probably overwhelmed by all this sin!

You know the feeling… where one thing reminds you of ALL the things!

Peter gets this right.

The place to begin is realization of who we are before God: undeserving sinners.

Yes Jesus is powerful and holy. He is also gracious. - When we see him for who he is, we are indeed overwhelmed with our sinfulness. But that’s right where we need to be. Jesus did not come to call those who believe themselves to already be righteous; he came to call sinners—those who recognize their need.

Speaking of Peter and the other disciples whom Jesus calls to be his full-time followers, Darrell Bocks says:

“Though these disciples come from various backgrounds, they all have one thing in common: They do not come because they deserve God’s gift; they come because they know that they need his grace.”

From Gathering Fish in Nets to Gathering Followers of Jesus (vv. 10-11)

Peter has recognized that he is unworthy, but instead of putting him off, Jesus pulls him in—turning this sinner into a servant.

“God transforms sinners into servants.” (Bock, 462)

We don’t deserve his grace, but we are transformed by it!

Have you placed your trust only in Christ to make you one of his own?

When this one says follow me, you do it! - When you recognize him for who he is and he says to follow him, you leave everything else behind to pursue this one aim above all others.

We must go from mostly in to all in.

Luke: An Introduction and Commentary 1. The Miraculous Catch of Fish (5:1–11)

They left the greatest catch they had seen in all their lives. That catch was not as important as what it showed them about Jesus, so they followed him. They became disciples in the fullest sense.

How can we be “all in” with Jesus’ mission to gather followers within the context of his provision for our needs?

- It really is about where your focus lies!

One man particularly in our fellowship has seen dramatic changes in his heart and life with this simple truth. — Shifting focus onto serving God.

I am yours, God. It’s all yours, God. …from the earth we appreciate and protect, to our very livelihood… It’s all yours, God.

It’s also a matter of perspective, then. I want to live in a slightly bigger house, but I don’t NEED to live in a bigger house. But people absolutely NEED God’s grace through Jesus to save them from the condemnation for their sin! What takes precedence? What’s the priority.

Ask yourself: Am I more focused on gathering fish (stuff) or gathering followers of Jesus?

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament 5:1–11—Fishers of People

Fishermen made a better-than-average income (even if they had had a bad night—5:5), so leaving their job is an act of radical commitment that they would expect to adversely affect them economically.

In his perfect knowledge, authority, and power, Jesus is able to meet our needs and still call us to focus full-time on gathering followers for him.

Conclusion:

In summary, this passage teaches us about Jesus’ perfect knowledge and power, about the human condition as sinners (though Jesus also has authority to forgive), and the amazing opportunity to be used by God to share in the task of gathering followers to Jesus.

And truly, this is a passage that we could teach many times with different emphases. The meaning is the same, but what we emphasize and apply can be slanted differently. - From this living metaphor we can make quite a number of applications (and I believe without straying too far into simple creativity!).

One is certainly this: There is great risk involved from our perspective in following and fishing for Jesus.

Leaving all other things we tend to love means giving up a great deal. But consider what you gain!

We face hardship in following Jesus. - To be sure, sometimes it’s hard labor with little to show for it. But the success of the “catch” isn’t up to us. It is our responsibility to obey him.

On that same trip I stepped on some serious thorns and Saulo had to pick them out with a knife! And as happened more than once on such trips when I was a kid, I said I was never going again.

Finally, we must tend to our Grace-Gospel nets… and put them in the water!

PRAY