Another Fish Story
Text: Luke 5:1-11.
It would be better if Simon could tell you this story himself. After all, it is his story. He was there. He saw it. And who can tell a good fish story better than a fisherman anyway? Fishermen are probably the best storytellers in the world. And Simon was a fisherman! Indeed, he was a fisherman!
My Dad was a fisherman, too. And there was nothing he liked better that swapping yarns with other fishermen. It seems like to old anglers that every single fishing trip, every cast, every fish caught is a unique event unto itself and needs telling about. There’s one thing I learned listening to him is that nothing grows faster than a fish does from the time it bites the line until it gets away!
I would imagine that many times while Simon, and James and John, were following Jesus from place to place that they swapped tales with each other about their days out on the lake fishing. Surely, together, they had a vast repository of both legends and true-life experiences to draw from. They no doubt told their stories to the other disciples as well.
And when they started telling their stories about Jesus, I bet this story was one of their favorites to tell. Now, you consider—what would please a fisherman-disciple more than to tell a story about Jesus and a miraculous catch of fish—especially, if that story involved him, too?
Now, the way I heard the story was like this.
It seems that Simon, and James and John, are in the fishing business together. They are partners. Fishing is their livelihood. Simon provides one boat for their business, and the brothers, James and John, provide another.
On this particular morning, they come ashore with no catch. They have fished through the long night and have caught nothing. This is not good—for they have mouths to feed and taxes to pay to the Roman officials. They cannot afford a single night without a catch.
They come ashore tired and hungry and discouraged. They fear they will not have the means to meet their expenses. They need sleep, but their work is not yet done. You see, the nets must be washed and hung out to dry if they are to fish another night. So, they set about their tasks and begin washing the linen nets.
In the meantime, despite the early hour, Jesus is also on the lake shore. He is teaching a group of people the word of God. Simon, and James and John recognize the young Rabbi as the one who recently taught in the synagogue there in Capernaum, and visited in Simon’s home. At his word Simon’s mother-in-law had been healed of a fever.
So, the fishermen are pleased to see him, but they are not so pleased by the increasing number of listeners who are pressing in on where they are working. More and more come, until Jesus finally approaches Simon and asks him if he can use his boat as a kind of podium to better speak to the growing crowd. He wants to put out a little from the shore, so this means that Simon must also get in the boat and sit there with him while he teaches.
Jesus’ request seems modest enough, but it comes at a very inconvenient time for Simon. Simon has fished all night. He needs sleep, and he is hungry, and his work is not finished. The linen nets still must be washed, and must be allowed to dry before they can be used again. And volunteering his boat means it will be even more hours before this is done and Simon can sleep.
When Jesus’ teaching is finally done, Simon expects to get back to the business of his nets, but instead, he is surprised and shocked by what Jesus then directs him to do. “Take the boat out into the deep water, and let down your nets,” he says. Well, now Simon is faced with a more significant issue than trying to stay awake. He knows, like all Galilean fishermen know, that fishing out in the deep water during the day is foolhardy.
He also knows that by doing this he will be putting assets of his business—that is, the nets—at risk. Linen nets require washing and complete drying after each use. If this care is not taken, the nets weaken and rot, making them easy to break. And broken nets would cause their business to miss many nights of fishing until the nets can be mended.
Besides, more of his crew will be needed if he is in going out into the deep water. Fishing in the deep waters from Simon’s boat is done by a four-person team. So, he will need at least two more helpers. Assuming, that is, that Jesus himself will pitch in as the fourth fisherman. This will take more help from their yet unfinished chores.
You can see that Jesus’ direction creates quite a conflict in Simon, as it would in any Galilean fisherman. Every fiber in his being is saying, “This is not in my best interest. Only a fool would fish during the daytime in the deep waters. Only a fool would reload his nets when they are not yet fully dry. Only a fool would ask his exhausted helpers to go out again. Only a fool! Only a fool!”
But, Simon follows Jesus’ direction. I can’t explain it! He just does. Every practical, intelligent, sane reason says “NO!” But, at Jesus’ word, Simon goes on out into the deep waters with Jesus and a few of his helpers. He goes with the still-wet, fragile nets, and he lowers them into the deep waters in broad daylight and in full public view. Just like a fool for sure!
And then, the most unbelievable thing happens! The nets begin to fill, and they fill, and they fill, and they fill, with fish. Like the listeners increased and increased on the shore to hear the word of God, so the fish increase and increase and increase in the linen nets. A remarkable, miraculous catch of fish! The catch is so large that Simon’s fear begins to mount as the nets grow heavier and heavier. These never-fully-dried nets just may not be equal to the weight of the catch. What if they break?
Simon’s fear is justified, for the nets do indeed start to break with the immense size of the catch. So, Simon signals, and gets the attention of James and John and their helpers who are still on the shore. And they swiftly load the second boat and come to help. And they fill both boats with the catch, so much so that they begin to sink.
What a catch! What a catch!
This daytime catch is far more than many, many nights of good fishing! This daytime catch is so humongous, that it more than outweighs the sleep that has been lost, and the breakfast that has been missed, and the nets that have been put at risk. Yes, it is even worth Simon making himself a fool for.
What a catch! What a catch!
Well, I don’t know you what you think about this story. Maybe you think it’s just another fish story. But, one thing for sure is certain. After that, Simon left everything he had and followed Jesus. And so did James and John.
It would be better if Simon could tell you this story himself. After all, it is his story. He was there. He saw it. And who can tell a good fish story better than a fisherman anyway? Fishermen are probably the best storytellers in the world. And Simon was a fisherman! Indeed, he was a fisherman!
My Dad was a fisherman, too. And there was nothing he liked better that swapping yarns with other fishermen. It seems like to old anglers that every single fishing trip, every cast, every fish caught is a unique event unto itself and needs telling about. There’s one thing I learned listening to him is that nothing grows faster than a fish does from the time it bites the line until it gets away!
I would imagine that many times while Simon, and James and John, were following Jesus from place to place that they swapped tales with each other about their days out on the lake fishing. Surely, together, they had a vast repository of both legends and true-life experiences to draw from. They no doubt told their stories to the other disciples as well.
And when they started telling their stories about Jesus, I bet this story was one of their favorites to tell. Now, you consider—what would please a fisherman-disciple more than to tell a story about Jesus and a miraculous catch of fish—especially, if that story involved him, too?
Now, the way I heard the story was like this.
It seems that Simon, and James and John, are in the fishing business together. They are partners. Fishing is their livelihood. Simon provides one boat for their business, and the brothers, James and John, provide another.
On this particular morning, they come ashore with no catch. They have fished through the long night and have caught nothing. This is not good—for they have mouths to feed and taxes to pay to the Roman officials. They cannot afford a single night without a catch.
They come ashore tired and hungry and discouraged. They fear they will not have the means to meet their expenses. They need sleep, but their work is not yet done. You see, the nets must be washed and hung out to dry if they are to fish another night. So, they set about their tasks and begin washing the linen nets.
In the meantime, despite the early hour, Jesus is also on the lake shore. He is teaching a group of people the word of God. Simon, and James and John recognize the young Rabbi as the one who recently taught in the synagogue there in Capernaum, and visited in Simon’s home. At his word Simon’s mother-in-law had been healed of a fever.
So, the fishermen are pleased to see him, but they are not so pleased by the increasing number of listeners who are pressing in on where they are working. More and more come, until Jesus finally approaches Simon and asks him if he can use his boat as a kind of podium to better speak to the growing crowd. He wants to put out a little from the shore, so this means that Simon must also get in the boat and sit there with him while he teaches.
Jesus’ request seems modest enough, but it comes at a very inconvenient time for Simon. Simon has fished all night. He needs sleep, and he is hungry, and his work is not finished. The linen nets still must be washed, and must be allowed to dry before they can be used again. And volunteering his boat means it will be even more hours before this is done and Simon can sleep.
When Jesus’ teaching is finally done, Simon expects to get back to the business of his nets, but instead, he is surprised and shocked by what Jesus then directs him to do. “Take the boat out into the deep water, and let down your nets,” he says. Well, now Simon is faced with a more significant issue than trying to stay awake. He knows, like all Galilean fishermen know, that fishing out in the deep water during the day is foolhardy.
He also knows that by doing this he will be putting assets of his business—that is, the nets—at risk. Linen nets require washing and complete drying after each use. If this care is not taken, the nets weaken and rot, making them easy to break. And broken nets would cause their business to miss many nights of fishing until the nets can be mended.
Besides, more of his crew will be needed if he is in going out into the deep water. Fishing in the deep waters from Simon’s boat is done by a four-person team. So, he will need at least two more helpers. Assuming, that is, that Jesus himself will pitch in as the fourth fisherman. This will take more help from their yet unfinished chores.
You can see that Jesus’ direction creates quite a conflict in Simon, as it would in any Galilean fisherman. Every fiber in his being is saying, “This is not in my best interest. Only a fool would fish during the daytime in the deep waters. Only a fool would reload his nets when they are not yet fully dry. Only a fool would ask his exhausted helpers to go out again. Only a fool! Only a fool!”
But, Simon follows Jesus’ direction. I can’t explain it! He just does. Every practical, intelligent, sane reason says “NO!” But, at Jesus’ word, Simon goes on out into the deep waters with Jesus and a few of his helpers. He goes with the still-wet, fragile nets, and he lowers them into the deep waters in broad daylight and in full public view. Just like a fool for sure!
And then, the most unbelievable thing happens! The nets begin to fill, and they fill, and they fill, and they fill, with fish. Like the listeners increased and increased on the shore to hear the word of God, so the fish increase and increase and increase in the linen nets. A remarkable, miraculous catch of fish! The catch is so large that Simon’s fear begins to mount as the nets grow heavier and heavier. These never-fully-dried nets just may not be equal to the weight of the catch. What if they break?
Simon’s fear is justified, for the nets do indeed start to break with the immense size of the catch. So, Simon signals, and gets the attention of James and John and their helpers who are still on the shore. And they swiftly load the second boat and come to help. And they fill both boats with the catch, so much so that they begin to sink.
What a catch! What a catch!
This daytime catch is far more than many, many nights of good fishing! This daytime catch is so humongous, that it more than outweighs the sleep that has been lost, and the breakfast that has been missed, and the nets that have been put at risk. Yes, it is even worth Simon making himself a fool for.
What a catch! What a catch!
Well, I don’t know you what you think about this story. Maybe you think it’s just another fish story. But, one thing for sure is certain. After that, Simon left everything he had and followed Jesus. And so did James and John.
posted by Rev. Jo | 2:34 PM
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