Our readings make us wonder: Why does God pick the unworthy to do His work in the world?
Gospel (Read Lk 5:1-11)
St. Luke tells us that one day, Jesus was teaching an enormous crowd
Our readings make us wonder: Why does God pick the unworthy to do His work in the world?
Gospel (Read Lk 5:1-11)
St. Luke tells us that one day, Jesus was teaching an enormous crowd of people by “the Lake of Gennasaret,” also called the Sea of Galilee. He saw two empty boats, and He decided that it would be easier to address the people from one of them, if it were “put out a short distance from the shore.” He chose the boat that belonged to Simon, one the fishermen who were cleaning their nets. Simon and his partners, James and John, had to be impressed by the effect Jesus had on all these people, drawing them to Himself in droves. Surely they listened to what the Teacher had to say as they worked on their nets. Could Simon have imagined that when Jesus was done speaking to the crowd, He would speak to him? “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon’s response to this surprising directive was quite restrained: “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing.” Simon didn’t want to scoff outright. Was he amused that the Teacher suddenly considered Himself a fishing expert? Perhaps Simon wanted to let Him down gently, preparing Him to see that seasoned fishermen knew their own waters better than He did: “…but at Your command I will lower the nets.” Out of respect for the Teacher, not from conviction, Simon was willing to obey Jesus’ command.
The fishermen could never have guessed what happened next. Their nets brought up so many fish that a second boat had to be brought out. Both boats were in danger of sinking from the incredible catch of fish. We know from Simon’s reaction that the men fully understood that they had witnessed a bona fide miracle. This haul of fish could not be explained any other way. Simon Peter fully recognized that Jesus was no ordinary Teacher: “…he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, ‘Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.’” Simon knew he was in the presence of Someone touched by the Divine. The miraculous nature of what he witnessed made him feel the weight of his own unworthiness. He shrank away from offending Jesus; he felt fully exposed in his sin. If Jesus could see fish in deep waters, what could He see in a man’s soul? Simon’s desire to hide reminds us of Adam and Eve’s reaction to God’s presence in Eden after they had sinned; they, too, wanted to hide from holiness.
Jesus, however, knew that now Simon was ready to be His true follower. His conviction of his own unworthiness, his humility, fully prepared him to become a co-worker with Jesus. Only a man who knows that divine work is the work of the Divine, not himself, can work the mission Jesus gave to Simon and the others: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching