Amy C Walters

Jesus Calls the First Disciples – Luke 5:1-11

Jesus takes his teaching outside the synagogue to a lake where he borrows Simon’s boat. Jesus’ three requests of Simon increase in intensity, leading to one that will change his purpose forever.

At the start of this week’s story, we see Jesus doing something very familiar; teaching. This is something he has been doing in the last several stories, but here we see a couple of key differences. First of all, it’s not on a Sabbath day. We aren’t told exactly what day it is, it’s just “one day,” and we know that there are fishermen working on this day, so it’s not the Sabbath. 

We also know that it doesn’t take place in a synagogue. Up until this point, Luke has recorded that Jesus’ teaching has been at the synagogue. But in this story, he is by the Lake of Gennesaret. 

We also see there’s a crowd around Jesus. Luke notes how word about Jesus has spread throughout the region, and this is the result. 

So Jesus is crowded by all the people who are there listening to him teach. He looks around and sees two boats and gets into one of the boats, the one that belongs to Simon.

Now we’ve met Simon before in a previous story. When Jesus was done teaching at the synagogue in Capernaum, he went to Simon’s house, where Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. Jesus heals her and then stays there all night healing all kinds of other people. So Simon and Jesus already have some connection. 

When Jesus gets into Simon’s boat, he gives Simon the first of three requests. These requests are going to increase in intensity in what they are asking Simon to do.

The first request is somewhat simple: put out a little bit into water. Just go a little bit away from the shore so that Jesus has some space and distance to teach the people. And Simon does this.

So Jesus sits down in the boat and teaches the people from the boat. But when Jesus is done speaking, he doesn’t go back to shore and disperse with the crowd. Instead, he has more business to do with Simon. And here’s where we start to see why Jesus has come to this spot instead of teaching in a synagogue. He has come to this place specifically to interact with Simon and his other partners.

Jesus then gives the second request that ramps up in intensity, asking a little bit more of Simon. He says, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 

Now, this is quite the request. Simon tells Jesus, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing.” They have already tried catching these fish and the fish are not jumping into the nets.

Simon is an experienced fisherman. He knows what conditions are right for catching fish, and this is not it.

How do you think Simon felt at this moment? He’s worked all night long and has caught nothing. He’s probably tired and worn out. He’s maybe even a little bit cranky from doing all that hard work and having nothing to show for it. Jesus is also asking him to let down his nets, these nets that Simon has just been washing. If Simon lets them down again, he’s going to have to wash them again.

This is an inconvenient request. It’s a request that doesn’t make sense. But Simon agrees, he does it.

The results are stunning. They catch so many fish that their nets are starting to break and their boats are starting to sink. This is an unbelievable catch of fish. It’s more than they have ever seen in their lives.

So Simon and his companions are astonished by this catch. Their minds are blown. And Simon says to Jesus, “Go away from me, Lord. I’m a sinful man.” 

We’re going to look more at Simon’s response in the next post, but for now, notice that Jesus is undeterred by this confession. He doesn’t leave and go on his way. Instead, he gives the third request to Simon, which is made more as a statement, but it’s asking the most of Simon so far. Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid. From now on, you will catch men.” 

Let’s take note of a few things from Jesus’ response. First of all, he says, “Don’t be afraid.” Yes, this is a huge request. This is a change from everything you have known. But don’t be afraid, because Jesus hasn’t come to condemn you, Simon. He’s come to give you this incredible invitation. 

Jesus goes on to say, “From now on, you will catch men.” Jesus presents it as a statement. There’s no, “Hey, do you want to come and try this with me?” Instead, it’s a statement: “From now on, Simon, you have a new career.” 

Jesus is also doing some fun word play, going from catching fish to catching men. And I think this is significant, that Jesus is taking Simon from what he knows, catching, and giving it a new purpose, a new focus, a new direction.

Simon, you know how to catch. I’m going to use that and turn that for my purposes. Not just for survival and making a living, but for having an eternal impact on people’s lives. You’re not just going to be a catcher. You are going to be drawing souls to Jesus.

This doesn’t devalue the work of fishing. Jesus validates that Simon is a catcher. This is important work that he’s done, but now Jesus is going to give it an eternal purpose in turning that to catching people and souls for God. Jesus has given Simon a new purpose.

A few other things that I love about this request. Jesus has gone to where Simon is, where he’s working. He doesn’t just happen to be by the lake of Gennesaret. He doesn’t just happen to get into Simon’s boat. Jesus is intentionally pursuing Simon to partner with him in ministry.

Jesus, the Messiah, the Holy One, the Chosen One, intentionally includes other people in his work. He doesn’t do it alone. He invites people like Simon to join him.

And speaking of people like Simon, notice Simon is not a religious expert, not someone who has studied religion extensively, not someone that he would find at the synagogue during the week. Simon is a businessman, and Jesus meets him where he is and transforms his work into something purposeful for eternity.

Jesus, too, is surrounded by a crowd of people, people that have come to listen to him and to see the miracles that he does. But Jesus doesn’t just want to add another person to his crowd. He invites Simon to work with him. Jesus is seeking out active participants who will join him in his work.

So from all these pieces, we come to our key truth that Jesus gives us a new purpose.

Now, Jesus’ call to Simon was very specific. Jesus surrounded himself by 12 disciples who intensely learned from him, followed him, partnered in ministry with him. And so this call from Jesus is specific to Simon, James, and John as well.

But we can learn from this that Jesus desires to use all of our skills and experiences and work and identities. He desires to use that for his eternal purposes. 

Just like Simon could use his identity as a fisherman but transform it to be something that catches people for God. God wants to take you and me, what we are, what we know, what we do, and use it for his purposes as well. He gives us a new purpose, one that will change people’s lives.