IN contrast to the people of Nazareth who rejected Jesus, He was believed and followed by those who became His disciples (Luke 5:1-11). We see Jesus as the Spirit-filled who breaks into the lives of those He calls to join Him.
‘Duc In Altum’
Jesus borrowed the boat of Peter, so that, while seated on the boat, He could preach to the crowds gathered on the shoreline of the Lake of Galilee. Later, having taught the people, Jesus commanded Peter to “put out into deep water” and lower his nets for a catch. A carpenter is telling a fisherman to go fishing. The impact of Jesus as a teacher on Simon Peter is reflected in his response, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” The ensuing miraculous catch, enough to fill up two boats in danger of sinking, would push him to another level of interaction with Jesus. Awed by the manifestation of divine power in Jesus, Peter could only blurt out, “Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” From “Master” to “Lord” is a transition from natural admiration to supernatural faith.
Peter fell at the knees of Jesus, seized with fear and overwhelmed by the sense of his unworthiness at this theophany, at this terrifying and tremendous display of the holy. Peter and his companions could not run away, so they asked for the departure of the totally other. But Jesus, literally in the same boat with them, would not distance Himself from them. So, the Lord proceeded with His own plan, His second move prefaced by the miraculous catch. “Do not be afraid”—to overcome fear at the word of God is to enter into God’s holy realm. God, who knows our sins, nonetheless wants us to go beyond our sinfulness. By ourselves, we can only remain as sinners. Staying close to God, we realize what we can actually become with Him and through Him.
Fishers of men
The second move of Jesus with regard to Simon Peter and his companions is to summon them to become fishers of men. Once more the carpenter is telling fishermen to go fishing, but this time to fish for men, to participate in His mission. After using their boat, He now wishes to make use of their lives. To catch men means saving them out of the waters of perdition and damnation, out of the sea as the dominion of the devil. What an unexpected development! Those who feel they should be farthest from Jesus are now being invited to be most intimate with Him.
And “they left everything and followed Him.” Jesus could engineer not only a miraculous catch of fish but also a miraculous catch of coworkers. He showed them total trust; He entrusted to them the keys to God’s kingdom, the leadership in the Church. Peter, to become the leader of His close associates, would time and again prove himself to be imperfect, even betraying Jesus’ trust, who however would never withdraw His trust in Peter. At the end, Peter would measure up to Jesus’ standard when he completely surrendered himself to Jesus by offering his own life on a cross, the realization of the saint Jesus saw in someone who knew himself only as a sinner.
Alálaong bagá, in the company of Jesus as the Holy One of God, His holiness and “otherness” can truly rub on us. Though starting off as unholy, we are summoned to become saints as God’s instruments in bringing His saving love to others. But we need to believe and cooperate, to become manifestations of divine grace. Leaders and workers in the Church are called to the greatness of service, not because they are perfect but because of what they and everyone else can and should become in God’s mysterious love.
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