Luke 5:1-11 is a very interesting passage. In this passage, we read about the calling of the first four disciples of Jesus. Let us take it into parts and learn about it.

Luke 5:1-3 ¹ Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, ²And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. ³Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put it out a little from the land. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

Simon Peter had encountered Jesus earlier. He had already seen Jesus performing miracles. In fact, Jesus had been to Simon’s house and had healed his mother-in-law.  This was Peter’s second encounter with Jesus. Jesus was standing at the shore and the whole place was filled with a massive crowd. The crowd was pulling Jesus and pressing into him. They wanted to listen to the Word of God.

Jesus was famous right from the beginning of his ministry. People liked to listen to Him and sought Him. He started preaching and spreading God’s word. He spent most of His time in healing, preaching and prayer.

Luke 5:15-16 ¹⁵But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases.¹⁶But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.

Instead of enjoying his fame, Jesus would withdraw and go to a deserted place to pray. He spent time praying alone, at a place where He would not be disturbed. It is so unlike us. When we become famous, we spend more time appointing secretaries and helpers around us. We want assistants to tackle most of our jobs. We take advantage of such opportunities.

What the Lord wants to tell us is that we should go to a lonely place and put more hours in prayer, in reflection and introspection. By this we not only save people but also ourselves. 

Coming back to Luke 5:2 onward, Jesus saw two boats on the shore. The fishermen had returned from fishing and had got down from the boats. They were washing their fishing nets. They had tried their best to catch fish but they couldn’t catch any. Since they were experienced fishermen, they knew that it was useless to continue fishing. So, they had returned to the shore.

Perhaps one boat belonged to Simon Peter and Andrew and the other one belonged to James and John. Probably the other fishermen were busy washing their nets and Simon Peter was in the boat listening to Jesus’ preaching. So, Jesus got into Peter’s boat and told him to put it a little away from the shore. Then Jesus sat down and started preaching to the people from the boat. 

Sitting on a seat and preaching was a sign of a Rabbi or teacher. Whenever, the Pope must read any dogma or any official teachings of the Church, they sit at Cathedra (meaning Seat) and read.

Luke 5:4 – When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

When Jesus finished his preaching, he said to Simon Peter to put his net into the deep water for a catch. First, Jesus used Peter’s boat for preaching. Then he wanted to reward him. When you are used by God or for the ministry of God, then you have two special things waiting for you from God. First is a special reward from God and the second is that there is a special calling from God. 

Whenever you are used by God, you shouldn’t feel you are being used, but instead you should feel you are privileged or chosen. You will never be a loser, if you are used by God or for a ministry of God. When you are used by God, you should know that something good and better is coming your way. So be willing. The same way that Jesus used Peter’s boat for preaching and Peter willingly gave his boat for preaching. 

After the preaching it was Jesus’ turn to give some reward to Peter. Always God demands something from us and if we give it willingly, he gives us something good in return.

In the beginning God called Abraham and asked “Abraham do you love me?” and he answered, “Yes Lord, I love you more than anything else”. 

Abraham was childless and was waiting for a child. When he was 75 years old, God told him, “I will give you a child”. But God did not give him a child at that time and Abraham waited patiently for years. When he turned 100, that time God gave him a child.

Abraham was happy when he had a child and he was busy and occupied with his child. At that time God put him to a test. God told him “Abraham, get up, take your child and go to Mount Moraiah and sacrifice your child there”. 

He did not question God. He did not doubt God but decided to sacrifice his child on the mountain. He went there and he was about to sacrifice his son, suddenly God stopped him and protected the child. God said to Abraham, out of your love for me you were ready to sacrifice your son for me, so now it is my turn to sacrifice my son for all your generations. So ,God sent his only son to this world to save us – we who are the descendants of Abraham.

When God puts us to any test or asks for any sacrifice, we should know that we are the chosen ones. Chosen for His ministry, or something great and good and not to lose anything.

Colossians 3:23 – Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters.

God says whatever you do, do it for the Lord and not for your master. Whatever task God has given you, put yourself into it. For e.g., if you are a nurse, work for the Lord and not for the Matron. Whether you are a businessman, driver, cleaner or political leader, whatever you are, your service should be for God and not for anyone else. Whatever work entrusted to you, do it for God, not for your bosses or masters.

When you do it for the Lord, you never get tired and frustrated. Sometimes husbands say how much I struggle for you and your children. In the same way, wives say how much hard work I put for you and your children.

Even if you are a housewife, whatever responsibilities God has entrusted to you, do everything for the Lord. It may be cleaning of the house, cooking, etc. Sometimes parents say, we struggled so much to bring you up. By this way you waste your energy on humans. You don’t gain anything when you do it for human beings. God is the only one who rewards your hard work. So do it for him.

Only God can satisfy you. Only God can reward you. When God took Simon Peter’s boat, he gave it willingly and God gave him a boat-full of fish. God rewarded his partners too. 

Whatever task you are doing, put yourself wholly into it. Sometimes we get tired and frustrated and feel burdened. But do not get tired, do not get frustrated. Do it willingly for the Lord.

Deuteronomy 28:47-48 ⁴⁷Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, ⁴⁸therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

Whatever we do, we should do it with a joyful heart. Whatever our duties as husband, wife or children, do it with a joyful heart for the Lord. 

When we grumble and do our duties or tasks, we make room for the enemy. Devil takes control of our family. Through this hunger, thirst and nakedness, he enters your family. But when you do your duties for the Lord with a joyful heart, God will protect you. 

Sometimes people want to join and proclaim a ministry. But being a good husband, a good wife, a good child, is also a ministry. Whatever you do, if you do it with a joyful and helpful heart and compassion, it is a ministry. So, if you are a good driver, a good nurse or something, it is a ministry of the Lord.

When you work for your bosses or master, you work to get a salary. You can get frustrated at some point of time. But if you work for the Lord, you will get salary plus God’s blessings as a bonus.

Like in Colossians 3:23-24 – ²³Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, ²⁴since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ.

So be assured that if you put your whole heart into the work you do, the Lord will reward you because you are serving him. He will give you a reward just as He rewarded Simon Peter.

Luke 5:4-5 ⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch”. ⁵Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”

In the Bible, Luke has addressed Jesus as master in many places. A master is a leader or a boss. Peter is ready to take orders from Jesus because he knows Jesus is the leader. Before the miracle Peter addresses Jesus as master and after the miracle he addresses Jesus as my Lord. 

Peter tells Jesus, “Master we have worked hard the whole day but unable to catch any fish, but if you are say so, I will let down the nets again”. 

Peter is a fisherman from the beginning and Jesus is the son of a carpenter. There is no connection between these two professions. 

But still when Jesus tells Peter to put down the net, he does not argue with him. He says, “Master if you say so, I will let down the nets”. 

It is like saying “according to your word – your word is more important for me. For your word, I am ready to do anything”. 

Though the circumstances for fishing had not changed, yet Peter was ready to obey Jesus. Because he believed in Him. Sometimes circumstances are against us. The circumstances may not be conducive or favourable, but still, we must believe in God. 

Peter had many excuses not to obey Jesus. Firstly, Peter could have said “Lord, I am a fisherman, and I know better than you”. 

Secondly, he could have said, “fishing should be done in the night and not in the day and it is daytime now”. Thirdly he could have said, “Jesus, we have been fishing the whole night and are now tired and cannot go fishing one more time”.

Peter could have also said “my companions are already cleaning the nets, and I do not want to put the nets down again. They will get angry with me”. 

Peter could have made many excuses. But he kept all his excuses aside and obeyed Jesus and said, “if you say so, I will do it”. 

When it comes to spirituality, it is not restricted only to the Church. Spirituality should be applied in our business and our workplace too. When we are in the Church, we are very holy. We say Praise the Lord, Alleluia. But outside the Church, in our workplaces are we the same? Do we have the same mentality of forgiveness and mercy outside the Church? Inside the Church we say, Lord I am ready to sacrifice for you. But do we really sacrifice our energy and time for others? When we go outside, we sacrifice others.

We should apply what we hear in the Church in our personal life. Peter did just that, when Jesus told him to lower the nets again. Though he was an expert fisherman, he believed and obeyed Jesus.

 If you are too occupied with your own intellect than the word of God, it is very difficult to get the gift of tongue, gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit. For those who are nonspiritual, it is difficult to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14 Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

The nonspiritual people do not understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They feel all these things are a lie. It is a kind of a business. They talk ill about the gifts of tongue and other supernatural things of the Holy Spirit. 

If we do not understand, then we must read the teachings of the Bible and the teachings of the Church. It is also mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. All these Holy books write about the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. We should be humble enough to investigate the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Then we will understand what is happening in the World.

We should not judge anything because our common sense and intellect cannot grasp it. There are many things beyond our understanding and intellect. 

Therefore, the Bible clearly says that the unspiritual will not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. They do not understand nor believe in them and think it is foolishness. They are unable to understand because these gifts are spiritually discerned.

Ephesians 6:7 – Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.

Whenever you serve the Lord or any ministry of God, do it with enthusiasm. Whatever you do, do it for the Lord and not for any human beings. 

Luke 5:5 – Simon Peter responds to Jesus’ instruction to fish again, saying, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”

Isaiah 55:11 – so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

The Word of God is so powerful. When you listen to it, believe it blindly. Do not apply your own understanding and intellect. The same Word of God created your common sense and your intellect. So, priority should be given to God’s Word and not your common sense and intellect.

Luke 5:6 –When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.

Peter cast the nets in the sea once again. Jesus was inside the boat watching Peter work hard. Peter did just as Jesus told him, and they caught so many fishes that their nets started tearing.

It is so beautiful to have Jesus in your boat; especially when you are working hard.

Just imagine you are working, and Jesus is watching you do your work. Whatever work it may be – household work, your workplace or business – any work. 

When Fr. Joseph was small, and he and his siblings used to play, sometimes his parents used to watch them playing. At that time his enthusiasm used to increase and double. After every performance they would look at their parents to see whether they were watching. If they saw them happy with their performance, Fr Joseph and his siblings would become happier. 

The same thing will happen when you know that Jesus is watching you doing your day-to-day work. Knowing that Jesus is watching you working hard, the way you work will be different. Invite Jesus in everything and everywhere. When you know Jesus is watching you work, your attitude changes. The way you work changes. It will be different. So, invite Jesus in every of your work. 

We have a tradition before we eat our food, we make the sign of the cross. Even before we start to drive, we make the sign of the cross and invite the presence of the Lord.

Whenever you start something, start with a prayer. Maybe at work, or home, or anywhere, start your work with a prayer. Make the sign of the cross and start your work. 

When you make the sign of the cross, you are inviting Jesus in your work. By doing this you are blessing your work. You are purifying your work and consecrate it.

We should never start or end our work without the sign of the cross. It is a Christian tradition. Even when you are taking a bath, try to bless your water and whatever you use. By doing this you are purifying and consecrating yourself. Invite Jesus in every act. It is so beautiful because Jesus is watching you and smiling at you. The way Jesus was looking at Peter in the boat. After that they got enough and more fish.

When in the night, Peter was trying to catch fish with the other fishermen he failed. But when he obeyed Jesus’s command and cast his net, his net was full of fishes. Even the fishes obey Jesus our Master and our creator. The fish teach us obedience. Every creature in this world has got a Gospel message to preach.

Even our job, business and work have something to preach. When you are obedient to God, every work, business and creation are obedient to you. Every work/business will be successful because it will be obedient to you. Every creation teaches us that, if we are not obedient to God even God’s creations will not obey us.

Romans 1:19-20 ¹⁹For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made.

God preaches to us not only through priests and preachers, but also through all that He has created. Like the fishes which Peter caught after obeying Jesus, give us a great message. They willingly entered his net in obedience to God. Not one or two fish but beyond the capacity of the net. It was as if they were telling Peter, if you are obedient to God, we will be obedient to you

Luke 5:6-7 ⁶When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. ⁷So they signaled 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. 

When God gives you a special blessing, do not think it is only meant for you. It is for others too. Do not be selfish with riches and any prosperity and keep it only for you.  Half of it is meant for others. We must share it with others.That is why the Church always speaks about almsgiving and helping the needy and the poor. God gives you not only for yourself but for others too. The Church is lenient in telling us to give only a tenth. 

Even when we have in abundance and somebody takes a little from it, we get angry and say don’t touch it, it is only mine. 

This attitude is not accepted by God. Because when our God who is the Master blesses us, it is meant to be shared with others too. This should be the attitude of every Christian.

Peter had the right attitude. When he caught a net full of fish, he called the others also to collect it. He called his other partners and said take it. He shared with everyone. That’s why Jesus was so happy with him, that he said you are chosen.

Luke 5:8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

After the miracle, Peter calls Jesus Lord! Peter gives Jesus a much higher place. He tells Jesus to go away from him because he is a sinner. 

When God is with you, the next thought to come to your mind should be that, “I am a sinner”. When you are standing in the presence of God and praying, if you don’t feel you are a sinner, it means you don’t believe in God. Though you may be kneeling and praying. If you really and truly believe you are standing in front of the Almighty you will cry in repentance. You will repent of your sins.

Unlike the Pharisee who came to the temple to pray. He said “Lord I am not a sinner like this Samaritan. I am a perfect man”. By this he made himself God. He never believed in God. When you are standing in front of God, you should feel your unworthiness. 

When Peter said to Jesus “I am a sinner please go away from me”, Jesus said to him “Do not be afraid”. He told him to stop being fearful. Jesus did not want Peter to get rid of Him out of fear.

Many people fear God and do not go for confession. They feel there is no use of going for confession because they are going to commit the same sins again and again. 

So, they want to stay away from God. But God says don’t be fearful. Come to me. I have come in search of sinners. God says, “You cannot go away from me or get rid of me. I have come only in search of you.”

There are a lot of things to learn from the Bible passages. There are so many wonders and treasures in every passage. If you really start reading the Word of God and listen to the truth, your whole life will change.

That is why Divine Center encourages everyone to read the Bible starting with Gospel of Matthew. The more you know Jesus, the more you will fall in love with Him.

Transcribed by Greta Furtado