The Power of His Word

The Power of His Word

Lk 5: 1 – 11

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Introduction

The Gospel today narrates to us Simon Peter’s great haul of fish after Jesus told him to go into deep water and lower his nets for a catch. This miracle moved Simon and his companions so much that they left everything to follow Jesus.

The Gospel

It was one of those days when Jesus was preaching by the Lake of Genesaret. There was a crowd there that pressed on him as they listened to him preach. Then Jesus saw two boats that were alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Luke then tells us that Jesus gets into one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon.

Jesus asked Simon to put out a short distance from the shore. Jesus then sat down and from there began to teach the crowd. After Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “ Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply: “ Master we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” 

They did as Jesus told them to. Then lo and behold, when they have lowered their nets, they caught a great number of fish. The catch was so great that their nets began to tear. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking.

Luke then tells us that when Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said: “ Depart from me Lord for I am a sinful man.” Everyone was astounded at the catch of fish they had made including James and John, the sons of Zebedee who were partners of Simon.  Then Jesus said to Simon, “ Do not be afraid; from now on, you will be catching men.” When the men reached the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.

Reflection

It must have been quite an exhausting experience for Simon Peter and his companions to have spent the whole night fishing without catching anything. At the break of dawn, they headed back to shore. There as they moved towards the shore, they see a large crowd standing by the side of the lake. Unmindful of the crowd, they clean their boats and wash their nets as they hear a certain Jesus preaching to the crowd.

They must have heard something about Jesus. Judging from the size of the crowd that was there, one could tell how popular Jesus was. But Peter and the rest were just too exhausted to give any attention to Jesus or the crowd.  After a disappointing night at sea, all they wanted was to finish off washing their nets and head back home.  

But without any notice, Jesus makes contact with them. He gets into Simon Peter’s boat and asks to be put off some distance from the shore from where he could preach. Then after speaking to the crowd, he speaks to Simon and tells him to go out into the deep to cast their nets. Then the rest is history.

This story tells us not only about the miracle of the great haul of fish but more importantly, it tells us also how God gets in touch with us in a very deep and personal way even without us intending to reach out to him.

Just like Peter and the rest who all felt exhausted and disappointed, unmindful of the crowd and unmindful of Jesus, we too just want to move on with our usual lives at the end of each disappointing day. During these times, nothing seems to get our attention, not even the presence of God in our midst. We just want to get over things and get back to our usual routine.

But all that changes when the Lord takes the initiative to meet us and sets up his encounter with us. He meets us at a time when we feel so much disappointed and frustrated, much in the way Jesus engineered the time of his encounter with Peter. The Lord’s encounter with Peter was a time when Peter candidly told the Lord that he has labored hard all throughout the night and has caught nothing. Peter’s frustrations reflect our own frustrations in life. Each day, we give so much of our best yet the best that we have given have yielded nothing. It is indeed humbling to know that we can only do so much despite our best efforts.

But just like Peter, we encounter the Lord in his word. When Peter heard Jesus saying: “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch,” it was Peter’s encounter with Jesus in his word. This word told him what to do: to go out into the deep and lower the nets.  This word told him to do what he has been doing all along (which was to fish), but this time, animated and directed by the word that has been spoken by Jesus.

It was Peter’s obedience to this word that gave him a great haul of fish that far exceeded what he had ever imagined. The Gospel speaks of such overwhelming haul, saying: “They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking.”  It is the word of God, obeyed, that brings success to our ordinary daily efforts.

Obeying God’s word, however, did not only bring success and reversal to Peter’s disappointments and frustrations. The great haul of fish which was a result of his obedience to the word made Simon Peter realize his sinfulness. He told the Lord : “ Depart from me Lord for I am a sinful man.” It seems indeed but natural that all who come close to the divine realize their sinfulness.

Many prophets of old like Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel all felt unworthy as they encountered God who was Holy. Peter had the same experience and it will not be surprising that it too can become our own experience as we see ourselves unworthy when the Lord comes to take his own initiative to encounter and meet us in a deep and personal way.  

But the final result of Peter’s encounter with Jesus in his word is discipleship. The gospel ends by telling us that Simon Peter, James and John, left everything and followed the Lord. Ultimately, our encounter with the Lord who meets us results in discipleship.

When we meet the Lord and encounter him in a deep and personal way, we are led to a time in our life when we finally make a decision to leave everything in order to follow Jesus. To leave the old ways, in order to embrace a new life in Jesus is the result of a real encounter with the Lord who has given us meaning in our life.

Prayer

Dear Lord, you come to me in moments when I get disappointed and frustrated over the course of my life. Surprisingly, you meet me there when I am most vulnerable and helpless, when I lose a sense of meaning in life.

Despite of all this, you fill my life with so much blessings. Just like Peter’s own experience, you give me blessings that simply overwhelm me.

Lead me Lord to make a decision in life to follow you just like what Peter and the rest did after the great haul of fish. Amen.

“ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. “ – Psalm 119:105

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