The Miraculous Catch of Fish: Lessons in Obedience from Luke 5

In our daily devotionals over the next few weeks, we will focus on the miraculous acts of Jesus in the Gospel accounts. Because of my early years as a commercial fisherman with my father, there is one story of Christ’s power that I especially enjoy.

³He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. ⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." ⁵Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets" (Luke 5:3-5).

The Weariness of an Empty Net

Consider what Peter experienced. He had fished all night (v. 5), and now, after removing the weeds from his nets, he was weary and eager to go home. Returning to port empty-handed is disappointing for any fisherman, and that was exactly Peter's situation. He certainly didn't want Jesus to get into his boat and speak to the crowd, especially after a long night of fishing. However, since Jesus had healed his mother-in-law the day before (Luke 4:38-40), he had no choice but to let Jesus use his boat for teaching. Peter responded kindly and obediently, stepping into the boat with Jesus and pushing out a little from the shore, where he sat down and began to listen. They were about to see a miracle.

Why Fishing the Galilee at Night Matters

In my early twenties, I spent a year and a half living in Israel and had the chance to go fishing with local fishermen from Tiberius in the Galilee. They wanted to learn fishing techniques from me, given my background as a former commercial fisherman, while I was curious about the Sea of Galilee. I asked why they fished at night, and they explained that catching fish during the day was almost impossible because the fish could see the nets and avoid them in the clear water. Night fishing was much easier for them. This experience gave me new insights into the Scripture passage we are examining.

Moving into Deeper Waters

The Lord told Peter to go farther from the shore into deeper waters to catch fish (v. 4). The Sea of Galilee reaches 200 feet deep, and Peter probably believed that during the hot daytime, fish would stay in the cooler, deeper areas beyond his nets' reach. Although Peter was experienced in fishing and Jesus was a builder or carpenter, many wondered what Jesus knew about catching fish. Still, out of obedience to Jesus' request, Peter obeyed.

⁶When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. ⁸When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" ⁹For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. ¹¹Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him (Luke 5:6-11).

From Catching Fish to Catching Men

God often captures our attention in various ways. For Moses, it was a burning bush (Exodus 3:3-5); for Peter, it was an impossibly large catch of fish at an impossible hour. The shock of what he saw brought him to his knees before Jesus (v. 8), aware of his sinfulness before the Son of Man. The events of the last two days led Peter to believe Jesus was the Messiah. He had witnessed a demon cast out in the synagogue he attended (Luke 4:33), and soon after, Jesus healed his mother-in-law. That evening was also marked by numerous healings and deliverances, with Jesus healing all who sought Him for relief from sickness and demonic afflictions (Luke 4:40-41).

The Lord was catching more than just fish that day; He was after people. Christ involved Peter in a miraculous catch of fish, but He had much greater things on His mind. I believe He has you on His mind, too. Keith Thomas

Continue Your Journey…

If you found this meditation meaningful, there is so much more to explore about God’s plan in the Gospel of Luke, study 8, Jesus Goes Fishing, which can be found in the All Studies box on the Home Page.

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