“Come after me and I will make you fishers of men (people).
Matthew 4:19 and Mark 1:17
“Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching men (people).”
Luke 5:10
Perhaps you share my fascination with the different accounts of similar events from Gospel to Gospel. Some differences are subtle, some quite pronounced. The above comparisons are actually quite different.
This week we hear from the Gospel of Luke as Jesus engages the disciples in an unbelievably clever way. He understands their profession and calls them using something they are familiar with – in this case, fishing. That familiarity is present in all three accounts. In the accounts from Matthew and Mark the invitation from Jesus precedes the fishing analogy. It is their first encounter with the savior and thus there is an emphasis on following him. In Luke’s version, the disciples have seen Jesus in action already. They have witnessed his healing and they have been exposed to his impact on others.
Luke places emphasis on quelling the disciples fear and an emphasis of certainty for the future, “…from now on you will be catching men (people).” Luke also uses the verb “catch” as opposed to “fish.” This also stresses some certainty as to their future success. His version also follows quite a dramatic scene. Several young fathers in the parish will dramatize this during our FM Mass at 9:00am this Sunday. I thank them for their courage and for stressing that this new FM Mass is multi-generational and not reserved solely for children’s participation.
The crux of Luke’s passage seems to be that they are the fishermen and Jesus is the preacher. They are proud men, indeed the best fishermen in all of Galilee. Undoubtedly, they are embarrassed because they had fished all night and caught nothing.
Jesus uses Simon’s boat to preach from since it has no fish in it. They now see him in action once again. Jesus then ORDERS them (he doesn’t ask or suggest) to not only go out again, but to go out into deep water. This order is similar to the one we heard recently from the Wedding Feast at Cana when he ORDERS the servers to fill the jars with water and to TAKE some to the headwaiter.
Again, in a simple analysis of both miracles, at the beginning there is no wine. Once Jesus orders, there are 150 gallons of REALLY GOOD wine. Both the quantity and quality are significantly elevated. Here, at the beginning there are no fish. At the end there are too many for one boat to bring in and reinforcements from the boat belonging to James and John are summoned for help.
This all has quite an impact on Simon Peter. His response is very visceral. He wants to distance his perceived unworthiness from the goodness of Jesus. This miracle has brought him to his knees in confession of his sinful identity. Embarrassment, amazement and, perhaps, other emotions have manifest in fear. Jesus recognizes this immediately and begins his statement like so many other announcements in scripture, “Do not be afraid.”
At the command of Jesus, plentitude is brought from the mystery of the deep up and into plain sight. Master fishermen are transformed into disciples. Fear is addressed with a certainty for the future. Embarrassment from failure becomes possibility for the future.
Perhaps these accounts can speak to you in a similar way. Think of something that you are really good at. Reflect on what makes you most productive. Think about the most meaningful work that you do and reword what Jesus says to Peter to fit your calling. Choose ether
“Do not be afraid, from now on you will be …”
OR
“Come after me and I will make you …”
As so many of the challenges at the end of our FM and Academy Masses end, Good Luck!!!