From Now On You Will Catch Men
Luke 5:1-11
Key Verse; 10b
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”
Introduction
In the previous passage, Jesus helped many who were sick, including Simon’s mother-in-law. But he found the will of God in the Scripture based on Isaiah 61:1-2. “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.” Jesus also went out to a solitary place to pray before His Father in Heaven. He then pointed out, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” Ultimately, Jesus came not to heal all people of their physical infirmities, but to preach the good news to all peoples of all nations. Physical healing is temporary but the good news leads people to eternal salvation. May God bless us to preach the good news so that people have a chance to receive eternal life. Today, Jesus calls his first disciple, Simon. Though the gospels recorded that Jesus called other disciples, the author Luke, focused on one person in depth, emphasizing Jesus’ personal calling. Through this passage, may God bless us to hear the calling of Jesus personally and renew our commitment to Him as His disciples.
1. Read verse 1. Where was Jesus and what was he doing? Describe the crowd who came to him. Why were so many coming to Jesus? What does this show about them and also about Jesus? (Luke 4:4; Luke 4:43; Matt 9:35-37)
V1. One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.
He was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
They were crowding around him.
They were listening to the word of God.
They were poor. They had many problems including job and food problems. Many were sick and harassed by their leaders and Rome. But, what they truly needed was the word of God. What they truly needed was to come to Jesus to be healed from their sin problems. They needed a shepherd who could quench their soul.
Luke 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’”
Luke 4:43 But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”
Matthew 9:35-37 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. (Mar6:34).
2. Read verses 2 and 3. What did Jesus notice as he taught? What had Simon and his friends been doing all night? What were they doing while Jesus was teaching the crowd? Whose boat did Jesus use and what request did Jesus make? How did this help Jesus? How did it help Simon?
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.
v2-3 he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 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.
V5. They have worked hard all night trying to catch fish, but caught nothing.
They were washing their nets before going home to take rest. They needed to do this in order to prepare for their next fishing trip.
Simon. Simon was not listening to Jesus but he was washing his nets. Most likely he had already been invited to Jesus before through Andrew, but went back to his business rather than following Jesus. Jesus might not have given him a good enough salary to support his family, so he might have felt a heavy weight of responsibility, needing to support his family. Jesus and the other disciples had visited Simon’s house, even healing Simon’s mother in law from her fever, but Simon didn’t come back to Jesus right away. But Jesus came back to him. Simon was like a beginner sheep who still came and went.
John 1:40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Mark 1:16-18 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
Luke 4:38-39 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.
V3. To put out his boat a little from shore.
To sit down and teach the people from the boat.
Jesus could teach the crowd many things, using Simon’s boat. It was like a nice lecture hall which accommodated many people. Many people could hear the words of God. At the same time, Jesus could hold Simon whom He also had interest in raising as His disciple. Jesus wanted to invite him to a life together with him and to bless him. Because Jesus was using his boat, Simon had to listen to Jesus’ sermons without being able to go home.
3. Read verses 4-5. After Jesus finished speaking to the crowd what did he ask Simon to do? Why might it have been difficult for Simon to obey Jesus? Yet, what was Simon's response? What does this tell us about his attitude towards Jesus and towards Jesus' words? Why is it necessary to have the same attitude towards Jesus and His Words that Simon did? (Proverbs 1:7)
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.”
V4. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
They had worked hard all night and hadn’t caught anything. Night was the time fishermen went fishing. Simon was a veteran fisherman. He was one of the best fishermen. Jesus was a carpenter. Simon probably thought he knew about fishing better than Jesus.
V5. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.
He was humble enough and knew how to respect Jesus who taught the word of God and healed many. Also, he was patient enough to wait until Jesus finished his sermons.
Without being humble, people cannot hear and obey the word of God. As a result they also cannot experience the work of God.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
4. Read verses 6-10a. What happened when Simon obeyed Jesus’ words? How did Simon and his fishing partners react? (9-10a)? How did Simon respond to this event? Why did he say, "Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man?"
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.
V6. When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
They were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
V8. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” When he obeyed Jesus, he saw a miracle. Fish obeyed Jesus. He saw God’s work in Jesus.
Obviously he did not believe that they could catch so many fish. He didn’t believe in Jesus. That was why he ignored (did not pay attention to) Jesus’ teaching, but kept washing his nets and desired to go home, eat hot meals, and go to bed. He did not follow Jesus constantly and wholeheartedly. Rather he believed in his fishing business so far.
He recognized his sinful condition of not listening to Jesus, not following Jesus constantly, not really believing in Jesus. His daily life cycle seeking for 3 meals a day rather than seeking for the word of God and seeking for a noble life in Jesus. He saw himself ignoring Jesus and his spiritual life, living on a merely physical level of the world.
5. Read verses 10b-11. What new life direction did Jesus give Simon? What does "from now on you will catch men" mean? How did Simon and his companions respond? What was Jesus' purpose in calling them? (Daniel 12:3; Exodus 19:4-6; 1Peter 2:9-10; 5:2)
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.
V10b “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”
He was afraid of following Jesus. He thought that following Jesus is living a poor life without any fun. Also, probably he was afraid of many things such as how to catch enough fish to feed his family.
So far, he was living for himself and for his family. So far he was nothing but a smelly fisherman.
It means he will study the Bible diligently with priority, and deeply and understand the word of God.
It means he has to grow to be prepared for fishing for people.
It means that automatically he will be connected to Jesus, the creator God, who controls the entire universe. As a child of the creator God, he would have privilege to access what his Father wants to share with his children.
Practically this means that he will be under Jesus’ guidance and teaching, and he is going to follow Jesus, learning from him.
Feeding sheep involves digging out the word of God deeply, receiving the word of God, himself first, being sanctified by His words, and therefore he will be filled with the Holy Spirit in this way.
This means he has to deny himself many times to take care of Jesus’ sheep. Jesus trains him to learn how to deny himself in this way. Jesus trains him to learn how to sacrifice himself for others. Feeding sheep is a blessed opportunity to learn self-denial & sacrifice for others. This is an opportunity to live for God’s kingdom.
He will grow to be a Bible teacher and shepherd.
Peter will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Being a fisher of men means being one of the most blessed men.
V11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Jesus.
Jesus’ purpose in calling them was to bless their lives so that they can be qualified to enter the Kingdom of God and also become a source of blessing for many.
Exodus 19:5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priest and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
1Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1Peter 5:2 Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve;
Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is
wise.
Luke 16:9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
Conclusion
Through today’s passage we learned how Jesus called one person Simon very personally and how blessed it is to fish for people by faith. May God help us go out to catch men with the gospel of Christ so that Jesus may raise many disciples. May God use His disciples to change the course of history, raising America to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation once again.
One word: You will fish for people
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