Narrative Lectionary Program Year – Great Catch of Fish
Luke 5:1-11
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Furthering the Power of God’s Story – Narrative Lectionary Commentary
by Rev. Dr. Clint Schnekloth
There’s a surprising amount of detail on the maintenance of nets in this pericope. Sometimes noticing such a small detail is exactly what a preacher needs to find a new way into the text.
So often, we pay attention to the characters in the story, and our response to them. Do we identify with Jesus? Or the fishers? Or the crowd? Or Simon Peter?
But consider this alternative question this time around: why so many details about the net? Could we spend some time on the net?
There are a couple of places where the net isn’t just thrown out, but is genuinely the locus of action:
First, in the second verse, the fishermen are washing their net. Apparently they are finishing up for the day, getting everything out of the net they need to in order to store it for the next time.
Since so much of the discourse around what Christ accomplishes for us has to do with cleansing, washing, this is worth noting. Notably, they are washing the net immediately before the part of this story that precedes Jesus’ teaching and commissioning.
It’s pretty obviously a prolepsis of baptismal preparation for life in the church.
Second, in verse six, the net is about to break. The greek verb here has a rule related to its construction. “Verba completiva inchoative intelligenda.” In English, verbs that signify the accomplishment of a thing, are often to be understood as only to be signifying the beginning of that thing.
In other words, not actively breaking, but “about to” break. Stretched to the breaking point. Similarly, once the fish are in the boat, the boat is about to sink.
Here comes the fascinating point. When Peter gets down on his knees and makes his confession to Jesus, “Go away from me Lord, I am a sinful man,” this is not the end of things. Rather, it is verba completiva inchoative intelligenda.
It is signifying only the beginning of that thing.
What thing?
Fishing for people. That is: All the things.
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Other Resources
Exegetical Links
The Galilean Fishing Economy and the Jesus Tradition, K.C. Hanson
You are my Son, the Beloved: The Epiphany Gospels, Michael Rogness
The Different Meanings of Fishers for Men, Neil Godfrey
Great Quotes
“Fishing is boring, unless you catch an actual fish, and then it is disgusting.”
Video Resources
Making your own fishing nets
Daily Devotional Feed
Free Dramatic Reading For This Text (NRSV)
Readers: Narrator, Jesus, Simon
Narrator: Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
Jesus: Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.
Narrator: Simon answered,
Simon: Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.
Narrator: When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying,
Simon: Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!
Narrator: For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon,
Jesus: Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.
Narrator: When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.