{"id":3336,"date":"2016-02-06T14:17:57","date_gmt":"2016-02-06T14:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/?p=3336"},"modified":"2016-02-17T12:03:23","modified_gmt":"2016-02-17T12:03:23","slug":"commentary-on-5th-sunday-of-the-year-c-7tt-february-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/commentary-on-5th-sunday-of-the-year-c-7tt-february-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary on 5th Sunday of the year (C), 7th February 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

TEXT \u2014 Luke 05: 01\u201311 \u2014 Miraculous Catch of Fish<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Setting for Jesus\u2019 Teaching<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennes\u2019aret. 2 And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon\u2019s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.<\/em><\/p>\n

Peter\u2019 Obedience of Faith<\/strong><\/p>\n

4 And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, \u201cPut out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.\u201d 5 And Simon answered, \u201cMaster, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Superabundance of Catch of Fish<\/strong><\/p>\n

6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, 7 they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.<\/em><\/p>\n

Peter\u2019s Confession of Sinfulness<\/strong><\/p>\n

8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus\u2019 knees, saying, \u201cDepart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.\u201d 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zeb\u2019edee, who were partners with Simon.<\/em><\/p>\n

Peter\u2019s Call and Response<\/strong><\/p>\n

And Jesus said to Simon, \u201cDo not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.\u201d 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

EXPLANATION<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Chapter Four Jesus preached in Galilee, his home\u2013town of Nazareth and in Capernaum. He was well\u2013received in Galilee, rejected in his home\u2013town and had positive and negative reactions in Capernaum. In the opening passage of Chapter Five he encourages Peter to join him in his ministry. As the catch of fish indicates the future successful work will not be Peter\u2019s own doing but will depend on Jesus.<\/p>\n

A careless reading might assume that this passage is between Jesus and Simon Peter. But that is not so. The verbs in verses 4, 5, 6, and 7 are all in the plural, implying that James and John were involved. The \u201ctwo boats<\/em>\u201d are mentioned in verses 2, 7, and 11.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

1 While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennes\u2019aret. 2 And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon\u2019s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the people pressed upon him<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The people were gathering around him and seeking to get as close as possible. He was being pushed and shoved gently but it was uncomfortable for speaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cto hear the word of God<\/em>\u201d \u2014 To \u201chear the word of God<\/em>\u201d is a frequent expression in Luke\u2019s Gospel (Lk. 5: 1; 6: 47; 8: 13\u201321; 11: 28) which identifies hearing the word with faith. When Luke mentions \u201cthe crowd\u201d he refers to groups who are without faith. When they \u201chear<\/em>\u201d and \u201cobey<\/em>\u201d he refers to them as \u201cthe people<\/em>\u201d. In this first verse he speaks of them as \u201cthe people<\/em>\u201d \u2014 they were listening to the word of God in a favourable and acceptable light.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was standing by the lake of Gennes\u2019aret<\/em>\u201d \u2014 is also known as the Sea of Galilee and the Sea of Tiberias. This is the single occasion where it is called the \u201clake of Gennesaret<\/em>\u201d. Gennesaret is the plain north\u2013west of the lake and this is how the lake was given its name. Luke writes about the lake frequently and associates it with the exercise of Jesus\u2019 power.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Fishermen washed their nets after a night\u2019s fishing.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting into one of the boats, which was Simon\u2019s, he asked him to put out a little from the land.<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The Fathers, or early writers in the Church, saw in the boat that Jesus got into a symbol of the Church, called the barque of Peter. He taught the people from the boat and he continues to teach from the Church.<\/p>\n

There is a sense that each of us can see himself\/herself as the boat from which Jesus teaches when we proclaim God\u2019s word to those around us.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he sat down and taught the people from the boat.<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Sitting was the official posture of one who taught.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

4 And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, \u201cPut out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.\u201d 5 And Simon answered, \u201cMaster, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, \u2018Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Jesus speaks in the singular to Simon to \u201cput out into the deep<\/em>\u201d but he speaks in the plural \u201clet down your nets for a catch<\/em>\u201d, indicating that there were others in the boat with Simon. The duty of leading and guiding was Peter\u2019s; that of \u201cfishing<\/em>\u201d, of mission, was common to all.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Simon answered, \u2018Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Simon addresses Jesus as \u201cMaster<\/em>\u201d, Luke\u2019s preferred title to \u201crabbi<\/em>\u201d which he never uses. Luke uses \u201cMaster<\/em>\u201d seven times as an address for Jesus.<\/p>\n

Simon makes the point that if fish are not biting at night there is no hope of their biting in daylight. The opportunity is hopeless.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018But at your word I will let down the nets.<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Simon having made the point that there are no fish around and there is no point in throwing out the nets, humanly speaking fishing is hopeless, shows his obedience to God\u2019s word by saying that because Jesus asks him to do it he will throw out the nets \u2014 \u201cat your word<\/em>\u201d. As an experienced fisherman Simon knew that he was doing the hopeless but because Jesus wished him to do so he would obey.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, 7 they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This is a description of the magnitude of the catch.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus\u2019 knees, saying, \u201cDepart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.\u201d 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zeb\u2019edee, who were partners with Simon.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBut when Simon Peter saw it,<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Simon is here, for the first time, referred to as \u201cSimon Peter<\/em>\u201d. \u201cPeter<\/em>\u201d is added to show his link to the Church. The extraordinary catch symbolises the growth of the Church under the leadership of Peter.<\/p>\n

\u201che fell down at Jesus\u2019 knees, saying \u2018Depart from me<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Simon Peter is aware that he is in the presence of divinity and he is filled with fear. Examples of Old Testament characters who reacted in a similar manner in the presence of the divinity are Abraham (Gn. 18: 27), Job (Jb. 42: 6) and Isaiah (Is. 6: 5).<\/p>\n

\u201cfor I am a sinful man, O Lord.<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2013Simon Peter is filled with humility and an awareness of his own sinfulness and unworthiness in the presence of the all\u2013holy.<\/p>\n

Simon\u2019s immediate attitude is to separate himself and Jesus, the sinner and the divine. \u201cDepart from me<\/em>\u201d. Jesus does not obey. He has come for sinners and this is the first he has chosen to join him.<\/p>\n

Simon Peter addresses Jesus as \u201cLord<\/em>\u201d. This word would have been chosen because he saw divinity responsible for the catch. It would not refer to Jesus with his resurrected title. Peter was aware that the all\u2013holy God was involved in the catch of fish and that it was miraculous. Being in the presence of God made him aware of his sinfulness. Nevertheless there is a progression in Simon Peter\u2019s reference to Jesus: first he was merely \u201cMaster<\/em>\u201d, then he became \u201cLord<\/em>\u201d, an indication of his faith.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zeb\u2019edee, who were partners with Simon.<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Astonishment can be identified with religious awe on witnessing the miraculous catch of fish.<\/p>\n

That there were others with Simon Peter is expressed here: \u201cand all that were with him<\/em>\u201d. There could be four persons in each boat. Those in addition to James and John are not mentioned by Luke though they could have included Andrew, another who became an apostle. Luke places this episode of the three apostles witnessing the miracle of the multiplication of fish on a plane with the raising of the daughter of Jairus, the transfiguration and the agony in the garden. In Luke\u2019s view it was of extra special importance. It was not just a miracle but Jesus revealing himself and calling the first three apostles to what he described as the vocation to give life to people.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And Jesus said to Simon, \u201cDo not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.\u201d 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Jesus said to Simon<\/em>\u201d \u2014 In this passage Jesus has addressed only Simon and ignored the other disciples, James and John and some others who are referred to but not mentioned.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Do not be afraid<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Simon\u2019s \u201cfear\u201d came about because he was fully aware that he was in the presence of divinity and he was an unworthy sinner.<\/p>\n

\u201chenceforth<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 \u201cHenceforth<\/em>\u201d or \u201cfrom now on<\/em>\u201d (JB translation) is a word used by Luke (Lk. 1: 48; 5: 10; 12: 52; 22: 18, 69) to denote a new beginning in the history of salvation.<\/p>\n

\u201cyou will be catching men.<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Jesus told Simon to launch into deep waters and put out the nets for a catch. The result was beyond all reckoning. Now he tells him that he will catch men and the implication is clear, the results will also be beyond all reckoning. The Greek expression implies that they will continue to catch men and give them life.<\/p>\n

The Greek word used here is very special. When fish are caught, they die. However the word used here implies that they live. Jesus is telling Peter that he will catch men and give them new life. The expression in English \u2014 he took bait, hook and sinker \u2014 implies that the person who did so lives on and does not die immediately but has a new outlook on life or a particular point.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything<\/em>\u201d \u2014 A regular feature in Luke is that Jesus must suffer (Lk. 9: 22; 13: 33; 17: 25; 22: 37; 24: 7; 26: 44). In step with this is that disciples must be prepared to give up everything if they are to follow Jesus (Lk. 5: 11, 28; 9: 23; 12: 33; 14: 26, 33; 18: 22). Note that in this instance, the disciples never had such a catch of fish and they leave it without selling it. That could very well have been a tremendous sacrifice at the end of their careers. It is more probable that they looked on the greatest moment and catch of their whole fishing career as nothing compared to what they really saw \u2014 God\u2019s power in this miracle and the revelation that he touched them personally by inviting them to join with him in the work of universal salvation and redemption.<\/p>\n

\u201cand followed him.<\/em>\u201d \u2014 They became his disciples. This was a total and radical decision. They came with absolutely nothing. Jesus had just made them economically rich and secure for life. They walked away from it all.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

APPLICATION<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Jesus<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Application of this commentary the purpose is to present one or two of the most important points in the Gospel reading. The first most important point always is the teaching about Jesus. A quick glance at the current passage might give the impression that the teaching is about Simon Peter which would be a mistake. Jesus is central to the passage.<\/p>\n

The first point shared is that Jesus is a teacher of the word of God, his prophetic mission. That is what attracts him to people. They are drawn to him so that they may know God. Simon called him by his title among the people, \u201cMaster\u201d. Such crowds gathered around him that they made it almost impossible for him to teach.<\/p>\n

This is why he asked Simon for the use of his boat. In this way he taught a lesson not perceived at the time but understood some few years later. Simon\u2019s boat became known as the \u201cbarque of Peter\u201d, the Church. Jesus continues to proclaim the word of God from the Church. The symbol deepens as the story progresses.<\/p>\n

Jesus tells Simon to launch out into the deep waters. Jesus is in control; he issues the instructions. He places Simon in charge over the other crew members. Jesus needs Simon; Simon needs the others. When the nets are played out it is not Jesus who catches the fish. Simon and the other fishermen do that.<\/p>\n

Recognising \u201cthe Holy One\u201d as the archangel referred to Jesus at the Annunciation, Simon drops to his knees and declares himself to be an unworthy sinner. Luke subtly changes his name to Simon Peter. Simon, captain of the barque of Peter, has his name changed to Peter. He is recognised as Head of the Church. The message is clear. Jesus wishes to \u201ccatch\u201d and save people by means of people. He has the power and could do so on his own but his respect for people is such that he wishes them to collaborate with him in this work of redemption and salvation. Jesus shares his life and mission with others.<\/p>\n

As the Explanation points out, the Greek word for \u201ccatch\u201d people is used only once elsewhere in the bible. It has the meaning of catching and allowing to live, to give life. This becomes Peter\u2019s divine mission, he is to collect people and give them God\u2019s life. Only Jesus could even dream of allowing a publicly\u2013confessed sinner to play such an essential role in the sharing of divine life to others.<\/p>\n

2. Peter<\/strong><\/p>\n

Simon was, with the other fishermen, washing the nets after an all night fruitless effort to catch fish. He would have been very tired and was certainly not paying too much, if any, attention to Jesus proclaim the word of God to others. That is, not until Jesus asked for the loan of his boat. There was no problem in letting Jesus sit in the boat and talk to the people. But when Jesus told him to go out into deep waters and pay out the nets, Peter became hesitant. Nevertheless he had faith in Jesus who had cured his mother\u2013in\u2013law the evening before and had dined in his house, so he, perhaps reluctantly, agreed.<\/p>\n

Peter\u2019s true nature revealed itself on witnessing the miracle of the catch of fish. There was no self\u2013praise for what he<\/em> had caught. He was humbled and filled with awe. He fell on his knees and confessed his sinfulness in the presence of the divine.<\/p>\n

Luke uses this incident to inform us that Jesus appointed him \u201cPeter\u201d, the Rock, the Head of the Church. Jesus made him a promise \u2014 \u201chenceforth, you will be catching men<\/em>\u201d. Jesus made him a pledge that from then onwards Peter would have an essential part in Jesus\u2019 own mission. Peter trusted the word of Jesus and, with nothing but trust, followed him, literally to the death.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TEXT \u2014 Luke 05: 01\u201311 \u2014 Miraculous Catch of Fish \u00a0 Setting for Jesus\u2019 Teaching 1 While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennes\u2019aret. 2 And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3337,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3336"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3386,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3336\/revisions\/3386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}