The public ministry of Jesus begins by the Lake of Gennesaret. Another name for this same lake is the Sea of Galilee and the town nearby is Capernaum. Jesus is shown as standing with a crowd pressing around him. They are listening to the Word of God.
The story is in sections. Jesus is standing and reading the Word of God. Jesus sees two boats close to the bank. The fishermen were absent cleaning their nets.
Simon appears. Jesus gets into Simon’s boat and ask him to put out a little from the shore.
Jesus sits down and teaches the crowd from the boat. Jesus ask Simon to pull out into the deep. The miracle of the full nets of fish.
Note on standing and sitting!
At the time of Jesus, the Rabbi sat down to teach. (How things have changed). We see this often in the Scriptures. The very posture indicates the mindset of the teacher. We have seen this already two weeks ago in the Synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus stood up to read the scroll and he sat down to teach. Jesus sat down in the boat and changes his method from reading the Word of God to teaching the crowds.
Again we do not know the content of the teaching. Simon is obviously greatly impressed. He is a professional fisherman and he knows the fish are not biting. He obeys the command of Jesus to put out into the deep even though it seemed useless to him. The miracle that followed was enough to force Peter to his knees and pray the sinner’s prayer; “Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man”. He was completely overcome. He heard the voice of Jesus saying to him, “Do not be afraid: from now on it is men you will catch”.
The ministry has begun. Jesus has his first disciple. He is ready for the journey. This story and last week’s encounter in Nazareth are found only in Luke. Meditation. The call of Peter. “From now on it is men you will catch”.
“Bringing their boats back to land, they left everything and followed Jesus”.
The story is in sections. Jesus is standing and reading the Word of God. Jesus sees two boats close to the bank. The fishermen were absent cleaning their nets.
Simon appears. Jesus gets into Simon’s boat and ask him to put out a little from the shore.
Jesus sits down and teaches the crowd from the boat. Jesus ask Simon to pull out into the deep. The miracle of the full nets of fish.
Note on standing and sitting!
At the time of Jesus, the Rabbi sat down to teach. (How things have changed). We see this often in the Scriptures. The very posture indicates the mindset of the teacher. We have seen this already two weeks ago in the Synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus stood up to read the scroll and he sat down to teach. Jesus sat down in the boat and changes his method from reading the Word of God to teaching the crowds.
Again we do not know the content of the teaching. Simon is obviously greatly impressed. He is a professional fisherman and he knows the fish are not biting. He obeys the command of Jesus to put out into the deep even though it seemed useless to him. The miracle that followed was enough to force Peter to his knees and pray the sinner’s prayer; “Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man”. He was completely overcome. He heard the voice of Jesus saying to him, “Do not be afraid: from now on it is men you will catch”.
The ministry has begun. Jesus has his first disciple. He is ready for the journey. This story and last week’s encounter in Nazareth are found only in Luke. Meditation. The call of Peter. “From now on it is men you will catch”.
“Bringing their boats back to land, they left everything and followed Jesus”.
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