Luke 5:1-11
Jesus Calls His Disciples
1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
When Jesus was choosing His Disciples four of them were fishermen...As Jesus stood beside Lake Galilee, a crowd of people pushed to get closer to him and to hear His teachings on God...Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake...The fishermen were washing their nets...Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon...He asked Simon to push off a little from the shore...Then He sat down in the boat and taught the people on the shore...When Jesus finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Take the boat into the deep water...If all of you will put your nets into the water, you will catch some fish.”...Simon answered, “Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish and caught nothing...But you say I should put the nets into the water, so I will.”...The fishermen put their nets into the water...Their nets were filled with so many fish that they began to break...They called to their friends in the other boat to come and help them...The friends came, and both boats were filled so full of fish that they were almost sinking...The fishermen were all amazed at the many fish they caught...When Simon Peter saw this, he bowed down before Jesus and said, “Go away from me, LORD...I am a sinful man!”...James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were amazed too...(James and John worked together with Simon.)...Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid...From now on your work will be to bring in people, not fish!”...The men brought their boats to the shore...There was something about this Man the Disciples had met, so they left everything and followed Jesus...
Jesus was right...The Disciples caught two boat loads of fish...And after this Great Fish Story, He would teach His Disciples Great Stories about God and Life...
Pope John Paul II was a fisher of men...The Pope gave us these words of hope in not only catching of fish, but also going and getting into the deeper water and listening to our Master and following His instructions on God and life: “The future starts today, not tomorrow.”...“Do not abandon yourselves to despair...We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”...“Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.”...“The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship...We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.”...“Do not be afraid...Do not be satisfied with mediocrity...Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”...“I plead with you--never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged...Be not afraid.”...“Know what you are talking about.”...“A person's rightful due is to be treated as an object of love, not as an object for use.”...“True freedom is not advanced in the permissive society, which confuses freedom with license to do anything whatever and which in the name of freedom proclaims a kind of general amorality...It is a caricature of freedom to claim that people are free to organize their lives with no reference to moral values, and to say that society does not have to ensure the protection and advancement of ethical values...Such an attitude is destructive of freedom and peace.”...“Faith and Reason are like two wings of the human spirit by which is soars to the truth.”...