Luke 5:7, commentary and pictures

After a night of catching nothing, at Jesus' word the fishermen let down the net by day and enclosed so great a multitude that the net began to break and could not be handled alone, so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come help, and together they secured a catch that filled both boats until they began to sink. The greatness of the catch overwhelmed the fishermen who knew the craft, broke their unbelief and discouragement, filled them with awe at divine power, and brought Peter to see both that the long-awaited Messiah stood before him and that he himself was sinful and unworthy. Jesus then bade them leave boats, nets and possessions to follow Him as fishers of men, and they obeyed at once, with the timely success of the catch testing whether they valued temporal gain or fellowship with Christ more. He designed the catch to teach all soul-winners that though they will meet weariness, disappointment and the sense that further effort is useless, they must obey His word, rely wholly on divine power to move hearts, and labor on in patient faith until an unexpected harvest comes. The breaking net and sinking boats show that human effort alone cannot save souls, but when Christ is in the vessel and His power unites with human effort, labor will not fail, so His workers must leave the safe shore, launch into the deep, and venture by faith in dependence on God.

Setting and Miraculous Catch

It was daybreak on the Sea of Galilee after a night of fruitless toil when the disciples were still in their fishing boats on the lake and then came to land. Jesus stepped into Peter's boat and had him push out a little from shore to teach the multitude pressing on the beach. There He sat in a fisherman's boat proclaiming the good news of salvation and the great things of His kingdom to the common people crowding the water's edge. The lake, the mountains, the spreading fields and the sunlight illustrated His lessons, and every message reached some soul as the word of eternal life.

Night was the only favorable time for fishing with nets in the clear waters of the lake, so casting the net by day after toiling all night and taking nothing seemed hopeless. After teaching the multitude from Simon's boat, Christ told Simon to launch into the deep and let down the nets. At His word to launch into the deep Simon and his brother obeyed out of love for their Master. At His word they let down the net and enclosed a great multitude of fishes. Because they knew the habits of fish and the skill of catching them, the greatness of the catch struck them with overwhelming astonishment.

The quantity enclosed was so great the net began to break and could not be drawn or handled alone. Peter and his brother were unable to draw it in alone and beckoned to their partners James and John in the other boat to come help haul in the net and unload it. The catch was so large that Peter and his brother needed James and John's help to bring in the net. The weight broke the nets, and the broken nets afterward had to be mended on shore.

With the partners' help the catch was secured. They came and filled both ships with fish until they were so heavily laden they began to sink and were in danger of sinking. Their prompt obedience to Christ's direction brought a catch so large they could not manage it alone, filling their boat so full it was in danger of sinking so they called their fellow fishermen in the other boat to help. The fish filled both boats until they began to sink.

The fishing belonged to a brief return to fishing to divert grief over John's death and anxiety about Jesus' fate before the disciples fully joined Him as co-workers. It shows Jesus seeking people in the ordinary settings of their lives, including on boats.

Call to Fishers of Men

As men who knew the habits of fish and the skill of catching them, the fishermen were struck with overwhelming astonishment at the greatness of the catch that filled both boats until they began to sink and were in danger of sinking. That overwhelming abundance after a night of disappointment broke the unbelief and discouragement that oppressed them and filled them with awe at the divine power of Jesus. For Peter in particular the catch brought his unbelief to light and helped him recognize that he stood in the presence of the long-awaited Messiah.

The miracle convinced him of God's power and of his own sinfulness, unworthiness and perverse unbelief, shaming him for his sinful unbelief. He felt unworthy to be near Jesus, yet he clung to Him. After the draught Jesus bade the four fishermen leave their boats, nets and worldly possessions and follow Him to become fishers of men. They did so with immediate obedience, leaving boats and nets without first asking how they would support themselves and putting service to Christ above worldly security.

The catch came just as Jesus called them to leave their former work, so its timing made their choice a test of whether they valued temporal success or fellowship with Christ more. The men so called were humble working men, free from the customs and prejudices of the religious leaders and marked by candor, fairness, kindness and sympathy for others. Those qualities made them fit to learn from Him and preserve His teachings for future generations, showing that God uses ordinary and common people and fits them to carry truth to others. Their calling as working fishermen and co-laborers in salvation shows that religious life is not separate from daily business and that working people who accept responsibility with faith and hope can do work of lasting importance, and the same work will be repeated when the Lord raises up men and women from among the common people and heavenly messengers work with them to carry truth to many places in an awakening that will surprise many.

The scene illustrates the abundant gathering of people into Christ's fold and the call of Peter, James and John to leave their fishing vocation for gospel work. The one whose word gathered fish from the sea can also move human hearts and draw people by love, making them fishers of men. The later post-resurrection draught repeats this first draught at the beginning of the ministry to make it more impressive, renew the commission to fish for people, and teach that Jesus' death did not end their duty or remove their obligation to do the assigned work. It assures them that though deprived of His personal companionship and of sustenance and living from fishing, the risen Saviour still cares for them and will provide for them and care for their needs while they do His work.

Lessons for Winning Souls

Luke 5:7 was designed to encourage the fishermen for their coming work of fishing for souls, after Simon obeyed in letting down the net following a night of fruitless toil and enclosed so many fish that partners in the other ship had to be called and both ships were filled until they began to sink. Because they knew the habits of fish and the skill of catching them, the greatness of the catch struck them with overwhelming astonishment. The draught was a miracle brought about to teach faith and perseverance in working for the salvation of souls. It means soul-winners will meet the same disappointment, weariness, and sense that further effort is useless, yet must obey Christ, leave the result with Him, rely wholly on divine power to move hearts, learn where to labor and how to allure souls, and keep laboring patiently with faith and confidence. Then their efforts will prove wholly successful with an unexpected harvest of souls like the draught of fishes.

The miracle convinced Simon of God's power and of his own unworthiness and perverse unbelief, preparing him to be called from fishing to fish for souls and to work and suffer for Christ. The broken net and sinking ships teach that human effort without Christ brings no good or lasting results in saving souls, for the fishermen were not equipped to handle such a catch alone. Success came because Christ was in the ship, and His indwelling presence is equally necessary today for winning people to Him. When He works with and through people, and His divine power unites with their human effort on the side where He stands, labor will not fail but bear abundant fruit. Those who follow in living faith will see God's salvation.

The later post-resurrection draught repeats this first draught to make it more impressive, renew the commission to fish for people, and teach that Jesus' death did not end their duty to do His work. It assures that though deprived of His personal companionship and of sustenance from fishing, the risen Saviour still cares and will provide for them while they do His work. The miracle is evidence of what He will do for His people today as owner of the world rich in resources. He is able today to give the fruit of labor, to guide His people and give skill and understanding in the work they are called to do and wisdom to those who strive to do duty conscientiously and intelligently, and to bless everyone who is seeking to bless others.

The command to stop hugging the shore, launch into the deep, and cast on the right side means to move out by faith beyond safety and slow cautious holding back. The shore means safety and slow, cautious holding back, while the vast ocean and deep waters mean the large, hard work still ahead, and the right side is the side of faith. It calls to extend the work into large influential cities and to carry truth among the French as others ventured among Americans, rather than keeping it limited or remaining close to familiar ground. It means to employ influence, capabilities and means, to venture and run risks, and to work with energy and faith while depending on God rather than own wisdom. Only those who work with energy and with faith will see the result of their labors.