Luke 5:10, commentary and pictures

After a night of fruitless fishing Jesus filled the nets with an astonishing catch, and when Simon Peter felt sinful and fearful before such divine power Jesus reassured him that his common work of taking fish was now changed into the higher lifework of gathering people for salvation. The promise to catch men was given not to Simon alone but to his partners James and John and with like words to Andrew, calling them all to follow Him in that work. He chose lowly, unlearned fishermen because they were honest, humble and teachable and free from pride and tradition, while the learned rulers were blocked by self-righteousness from feeling need of a Redeemer. The miraculous draught was an object lesson that lasting success in winning souls never comes by human strength and wisdom alone but by obeying His direction and laboring in union with His indwelling presence. At once convinced by His authority, they brought their ships to land and left nets, boats and all to follow Him without asking how they would be supported, and that far-reaching commission to unlearned men to shake the world is still repeated today as others leave their vocations to gather souls.

Setting by the Sea

It is morning on the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus sits in a fisherman's boat swayed by the waves teaching the throng pressing down to the water's edge. The Commander and Honored of heaven proclaims the good news of salvation and declares the great things of His kingdom in the open air to common people. The lake, the mountains, the spreading fields, and the sunlight flooding the earth furnish fitting objects to illustrate His lessons and impress them upon the mind. No lesson of Christ there falls fruitless, for every message from His lips comes to some soul as the word of eternal life.

The calling told here is the same calling of the fishermen disciples told in Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20. It comes after the disciples have spent a night fishing without success and while Jesus is teaching the gathered people from Peter's boat, placing the call in the setting of their daily work on the Sea of Galilee. It belongs to the time when the disciples had witnessed Jesus' works but had not yet fully joined Him as co-laborers. After John's death they had returned briefly to fishing for relief from grief, doubt, and fear, and from discouragement over temporal prospects, with Peter prominent in the boat scene at the great draught of fishes.

After Jesus provides the astonishing catch, Simon Peter and James and John, the sons of Zebedee and partners with Simon, and the others with them are amazed. James and John are overwhelmed with an astonishment they know not how to express at the draught of fishes. Their knowledge of the habits of fish and the art of taking them makes the miracle impressive to their minds.

Peter is awed by divine power and ashamed of sinful unbelief and discouragement. Convinced of God's power, he gains a deep sense of his own unworthiness, perverse unbelief, and sinfulness, feeling he has no right to be in Christ's presence. He falls at Jesus' knees and flings himself at His feet crying for Jesus to depart, while clinging to Him. Jesus understands his conflicting emotions.

Promise to Catch Men

“Fear not” was spoken to Simon when the miraculous catch had exposed his sinfulness to himself and left him overwhelmed and fearful in the presence of divine holiness. It answered Peter’s fear and sense of unworthiness and unfitness to be near Christ, reassuring him that he need not draw back. From henceforth he would catch men, which means his ordinary work of catching fish was changed into a new life-work in a higher sphere. To catch men is to gather people for Jesus and His kingdom as a fisherman gathers fish, bringing people to the Saviour to win them to salvation and to spread Christ’s teaching. Instead of fish he would gather people for Christ, no longer fishing on the lake but laboring to win souls for God.

That call marked the fishermen’s lifework in following Him, to labor and to endure suffering for His sake. It was spoken to Simon yet reached beyond him to his partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee, calling them away from their former work to the higher work of fishing for souls as co-workers with Him. With similar words Andrew also was called with the other three to follow Jesus and become fishers of men. They recognized divine authority in the invitation and at once left boats and nets to follow Him in closer association.

The sense of unworthiness that bowed Peter down taught self-renunciation and dependence on divine power, and that awareness does not bar a person from being entrusted with divine work. Rather, after learning his own sinfulness and need, he was called to work for Christ in gathering souls.

Fishermen Jesus Chose

Jesus chose lowly, humble, unlearned working fishermen who were simple-hearted, honest, without deceit, candid, fair, kind and sympathetic to others. They were unprejudiced men without bigoted minds, selfish preconceived opinions, pride, position or tradition to be cleared away, and they were free from worldly customs and fashions. Their humble occupation did not keep them from carrying a power with lasting consequences as co-laborers with Him in the work of salvation. Their freedom from the bigotry of the scribes and Pharisees, together with their readiness to learn, fitted them to receive His teaching and preserve it for future generations.

He chose men who had native ability and were humble and teachable, but who had not been schooled in the traditions and errors of their time. This stood in contrast to lettered men and priestly rulers, whose learning blocked them from being taught, and whose worldly wisdom and self-righteousness kept them from feeling need of a Redeemer and accepting His teaching. They were intelligent fishermen who knew that nets must be mended and the right time chosen, and their knowledge of the habits of fish and the art of taking them made the miraculous draught impressive to their minds. That astonishment at the draught overwhelmed James and John, the sons of Zebedee and partners with Simon, with an amazement they knew not how to express.

They needed the doctrine of Christ's kingdom, and they were ready to see and understand truth. They accepted the Word, gladly ate it as the Bread of life, bowed in humility at a plain Thus saith the Lord, and were converted as the enlightening, convincing power of the Holy Spirit came into their hearts. The call does not teach that education is wrong, for the fishermen received three years of His refining instruction. He took the disciples from their fishing boats and educated them through the Old Testament Scriptures and by walking with them, and His training through association with Himself developed their abilities and changed their minds and characters so that they were no longer ignorant and uncultured.

Power for Soul Winning

The great catch was arranged to give courage for the coming work of catching people, standing as a living lesson of what that work would be. As fish were gathered when direction was obeyed in Christ's strength, so people would be gathered to Him when His directions were followed. Welcoming Him into the boat made the difference between empty nets and full ones, and welcoming His presence and power makes the difference in winning souls. The Lord of land and sea ordered the experience for this very purpose, that fishermen would recognize in their own trade the pattern of their future labor.

No faithful toil in mere human strength can secure lasting fruit in saving souls. Success turns on having the Saviour in the boat, on His indwelling presence, on His working with and through the worker, and not on human wisdom or effort by itself. When divine power is joined to human effort, when labor is carried on in connection with Him, failure is not the outcome. Those who follow in living faith and seek His glory may expect to see His saving power revealed in their work.

That work will know disappointment, weariness, and discouragement, times when further effort looks useless. The way through is to obey His word, leave the result with Him, and trust wholly in divine power to move hearts. It also calls for learning where to labor and how to draw souls, then continuing patiently in faith and confidence until unexpected harvests come, as sudden and full as the draught of fishes.

Leaving All to Follow

Christ drew the fish into Simon's net, yet He was Himself fishing for souls, and the fishermen were caught in the net He had prepared for them. The miraculous catch swept away their unbelief and prepared them to accept His invitation to follow Him and become fishers of men. Recognizing divine authority in what had been done, the four fishermen at once brought their ships to land. They left nets, boats, worldly possessions and everything to follow Jesus in closer association than the others, forsaking all without question because convincing power attended His command.

He called Peter and his companions away from fishing even when their nets were full and the pull of their former life was strong. Their response shows that following Christ requires wholehearted commitment and choosing fellowship with Him over temporal gain. Those who follow where He leads count other things as loss for knowing Christ and serving God. They obeyed immediately without first asking how they would support themselves or their families. Their leaving of boats and nets placed service to Christ above worldly gain and rested in trust in His care.

The call of those who left ordinary work to follow Him into gathering souls is repeated today. Men and women likewise leave their vocations to proclaim the gospel. By that leaving many are gathered into the fold, including people hearing the truth for the first time in the last days.

Mission Through Time

The call to catch men carried a far-reaching commission in which God would enlighten and equip these unlearned fishermen to spread Christ's teachings throughout the world and across generations, winning many to salvation. In this way they would truly become fishers of men, and others would continue their work in every age, shaking the world. After receiving His teaching they were to become faithful disciples and fishers of men going into the world to win souls. Christ could equip them with power and efficiency, so that their work would bring glory to God and show Christianity to be divine.

The abundant catch made clear that success in this work would come through their effort joined with His divine power. The later miraculous draught after the resurrection was wrought to make that first miracle and call more impressive and to renew their commission. It showed that His death had not ended their duty, and that though deprived of Christ's personal companionship and of sustenance from their former and favorite employment, they still had a risen Saviour caring over them and providing for their needs while they were doing His work. Casting the net on the side where Christ stood on the shore shows that if they labor in connection with Him, His divine power uniting with their human effort, they will not fail of success in that work.

The verse belongs to the record of Christ's ministry that gives lessons about His work for people's spiritual and physical needs and an example for gospel and medical missionary work. It illustrates how He sought people where they were, on boats and by lakeshores, teaching that His disciples should meet people in their daily settings rather than withdraw from society so they can reach and benefit them. Christ trained the fishermen who left their nets at His call for the work of saving people, teaching that young workers should receive practical training and be guided by experienced, consecrated leaders. Catching people is work Jesus gives His followers, applied to seeking souls through personal effort, with camp meetings urged to devote more attention to that work and less to lengthy sermons.

The call of the fishermen proves that God carries on His work by means not yet seen through men and women raised up from among the common people. Heavenly messengers work with those called the common people, fitting them to carry the truth to many places. Much is left undone that should be done, and soon there will be an awakening that will surprise many, while those who do not realize the necessity of what is to be done will be passed by. Now is the time to awake and do what can be done.