Jesus Calls the Fishermen
Nets full of fish, and a new job
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- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God. Crowds are coming to hear him teach.
- Simon: A fisherman who owns one of the boats. Jesus later gives him a new name, Peter.
- James and John: Brothers, the sons of Zebedee. They are Simon's fishing partners.
- The crowd: People who have come to the shore to hear Jesus.
Setting
- The shore of the Lake of Gennesaret, in Galilee, in the north. Two fishing boats sit at the edge of the water.
When
- Early in Jesus's work, about 2,000 years ago. It is after a long night of fishing.
Before the Story
Jesus was teaching all over Galilee. People praised him, and crowds tried to keep him from leaving them (4:14-15, 4:31, 4:42).
Jesus already knew Simon. He had been to Simon's house. He healed Simon's mother-in-law of a high fever there (4:38-39).
Simon fished for a living. He and his partners had worked all night and caught nothing (5:5).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: Simon is about to get a new job. Jesus will also give him a new name, Peter (6:14).
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A boat for a pulpit | 5:1-3 | Jesus teaches the crowd from Simon's boat |
| 2. "Because You say so" | 5:4-5 | Jesus tells Simon to fish again. Simon is tired, but he does it |
| 3. Nets begin to tear | 5:6-7 | So many fish that two boats start to sink |
| 4. "Go away from me" | 5:8-10 | Simon falls at Jesus's knees |
| 5. A new kind of catch | 5:10-11 | Jesus calls them. They leave everything |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 5A Boat for a Pulpit
Two empty fishing boats sat at the edge of a lake. Nearby, the fishermen were washing their nets.
The lake was the Lake of Gennesaret. Most people know it as the Sea of Galilee. It is a big freshwater lake in the north.
Jesus was standing on the shore. A crowd was pressing in on him. They wanted to hear the word of God.
Jesus got into one of the boats. It belonged to Simon. Jesus asked Simon to push out a little way from shore.
Then Jesus sat down in the boat. He taught the people from the boat.
The Bible doesn't say why Jesus taught from a boat. One likely reason: the crowd was pressing in, and a little water gave him room to face them all.
Scene 2 of 5"Because You Say So"
Jesus finished speaking. Then he turned to Simon.
"Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch" (5:4).
Simon was a fisherman. He knew this lake. And he had already been out all night.
"Master," Simon replied, "we have worked hard all night without catching anything" (5:5). Here, "Master" is a title of respect, like "Teacher" or "Boss."
They had worked hard all night. All that work had brought no fish.
But Simon kept talking. "But because You say so, I will let down the nets" (5:5).
Simon did not say he expected fish. He did it because Jesus said so.
Scene 3 of 5Nets Begin to Tear
They let down the nets.
Fish filled them. So many fish came that the nets began to tear.
The nets were made to hold fish. Now there were more fish than the nets could hold.
Simon and the others signaled to their partners in the other boat. They needed help.
The partners came. They filled both boats with fish. The boats got so full that they began to sink.
All night, there were no fish. Now there were too many to hold.
Scene 4 of 5"Go Away from Me"
Simon saw the fish. He fell down at Jesus's knees.
"Go away from me, Lord... for I am a sinful man" (5:8).
Earlier, Simon had called Jesus "Master." Now he called him "Lord."
Simon was afraid. We know this because of what Jesus said to him next. The Bible doesn't say what sin Simon was thinking of. One likely reason for his fear: he had seen God's power up close, and he felt he did not belong near it.
Simon and everyone with him were astonished at the catch. So were his partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
Scene 5 of 5A New Kind of Catch
Simon had asked Jesus to go away. Jesus did not go away.
"Do not be afraid," Jesus said to Simon. "From now on you will catch men" (5:10).
This is a comparison. Simon caught fish for a living. Now he would bring people to God. "Men" here means people, all kinds of people.
Simon had said, "I am a sinful man." Jesus did not argue with him. He did not send him away either. He gave him a new job.
They brought their boats to shore. The boats were full of fish.
Earlier that day, Simon had pushed his boat out a little from shore so Jesus could teach. Now he left the boat behind, and all those fish.
They left everything, and they followed Jesus.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "The Lake of Gennesaret" (5:1) | The Sea of Galilee. Luke calls it a lake. It is fresh water, not a sea. |
| "Put out into deep water" (5:4) | Jesus sent them back out, after a night with no fish. |
| "But because You say so" (5:5) | Simon trusted Jesus's word more than his own experience as a fisherman. He did not say he expected fish. He let down the nets anyway. |
| "For I am a sinful man" (5:8) | Simon saw God's power up close. It made him feel how unworthy he was. The prophet Isaiah felt this way too. He said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5). |
| "Do not be afraid" (5:10) | Jesus answered Simon's fear with comfort, not with a lecture. |
| "You will catch men" (5:10) | This is a comparison. It means bringing people to God. The Greek word Luke uses (zogreo) means to catch something alive, not to kill it. Some Bibles say "fishers of men," from Mark's telling (Mark 1:17). |
| "They left everything and followed Him" (5:11) | Following Jesus became the most important thing in their lives. |
Back Then
One lake, many names. The Lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee. The name Gennesaret came from an old town and a rich, green plain on the lake's western shore. People called the plain "the Paradise of Galilee." (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
The lake is about 12½ miles long. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Some fishermen worked at night. Simon and his partners did here: "We have worked hard all night" (5:5). Later, Peter fished through the night again (John 21:3). After fishing, they washed and mended their nets, as the fishermen in this story were doing (5:2).
Fishing could be a family business. James and John worked with their father, Zebedee, and with hired men (Mark 1:19-20). In Luke, they are Simon's partners (5:10).
Literal Reader Alert
Is his name Simon or Peter? Both. Right now he is called Simon. Later, Jesus names him Peter: "Simon, whom He named Peter" (6:14). Luke already calls him "Simon Peter" once in this story (5:8). One likely reason: Luke wrote the story later, when everyone knew him as Peter.
Does "left everything" mean you should leave your family? No. This story is about Jesus calling these men to a special job. Simon had a house and a family. Jesus healed Simon's mother-in-law in that house (4:38). Paul later says Peter took his wife along on his travels (1 Corinthians 9:5). Paul calls him Cephas, another name for Peter. Following Jesus does not mean walking away from people who depend on you.
Why is this story different in Mark and Matthew? Mark and Matthew tell a shorter version with no big catch of fish (Mark 1:16-20, Matthew 4:18-22). Careful readers have asked for centuries whether this is one event or two. Each Gospel writer tells it in his own words. In all of them, Jesus calls fishermen, and they follow him.
Does a huge catch of fish happen again? Yes. After Jesus rose from the dead, Peter fished all night again and caught nothing. Jesus told him where to cast the net, and it filled up (John 21:3-6). Many readers notice the echo. You can read it in Jesus Restores Peter.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Simon | Tired and disappointed | He worked all night and caught nothing (5:5) |
| Simon | Willing | He did not say he expected fish, but he let down the nets because Jesus said so (5:5) |
| Simon and his partners | Astonished | The nets tore and the boats began to sink (5:6-7, 5:9-10) |
| Simon | Afraid and unworthy | He saw God's power and felt his own sin (5:8) |
| Simon, James, and John | Ready to follow | Jesus said, "Do not be afraid," and called them (5:10-11) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Which part of Simon's day feels like yours? Tap one.
I tried and got nothing
Simon worked all night and caught nothing. Jesus met him right there, in his empty boat.
I'm not good enough
Simon said the same thing. Jesus did not leave. He said, "Do not be afraid," and called him anyway.
I'm not sure about Jesus
Simon did not say he expected fish. He tried "because You say so." Small trust is still trust.
I feel guilty
Simon fell at Jesus's knees. Jesus answered with comfort, not anger. You can tell Jesus the truth too.
You Might Have Heard
"Simon obeyed, so God blessed him with fish. If you work hard and obey, God will reward you with success."
What's true: Simon did let down the nets because Jesus said so. Trusting Jesus's word matters.
What the story is mainly about: Who Jesus is. The fish did not make Simon proud. They made him fall down and say, "I am a sinful man." Jesus did not reward Simon for being good enough. Jesus called a man who said he was not good enough. The fish stayed on the shore. What Simon got was Jesus.
Where Jesus is: In Simon's boat. Then face to face with Simon, saying, "Do not be afraid" (5:10).
Good News
Simon told Jesus to go away. He thought he was too sinful to be near him.
Jesus did not go away. He did not tell Simon he was wrong about his sin. He told him not to be afraid. Then he gave him a place and a job.
Later, Peter would fail Jesus badly. He would fish all night again and catch nothing. And Jesus would come to him by the same lake, fill the net again, and call him again (John 21:6, 21:19).
Maybe you feel like Simon. Maybe you think God should stay away from you. Faith is not something you have to make yourself. God's Spirit gives it. Jesus comes close to sinful people on purpose.
Jesus does not leave when you say you're too sinful. He says, "Do not be afraid," and he calls you to follow.
Big Idea
Jesus comes to sinful, tired people, tells them not to be afraid, and calls them to follow him.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In the Small Catechism (1529), Luther explains the Third Article of the Creed. He writes, "I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him... but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel." (Concordia Triglotta, 1921)
Simon did not come to Jesus. Jesus came to Simon's boat and called him. In the church year Luther used, this story was the Gospel reading for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity. Luther preached on it more than once, and his Church Postil includes sermons on it.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads Luke 5:1-11 on the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany in Year C. That Sunday falls in early February. That same Sunday, the first reading is Isaiah 6, where Isaiah also says he is unworthy and God sends him anyway.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
But because You say so, I will let down the nets.
How did that feel?