LUKE 5: 1-11 ” THE BIGGEST CATCH”

LUKE 5: 1-11 GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (September 3, 2020)

One day, as Jesus stood by the lake of Gennesaret, with a crowd gathered around him listening to the word of God, he caught sight of two boats, left at the water’s edge by fishermen, now washing their nets. He got into the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull out a little from the shore. There he sat, and continued to teach the crowd. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”

Simon replied, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will lower the nets.”

This they did and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came, and they filled both boats almost to the point of sinking.

Upon seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Leave me, Lord, for I am sinful man!” For he and his companions were amazed at the catch they had made, and so were Simon’s partners, James and John, Zebedee’s sons.

Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. You will catch people from now on.” So they brought their boats to land and followed him, leaving everything.

 

POINTS OF REFLECTION

 How do you think Jesus qualifies his twelve disciples? From this Bible reading, his disciples were hardworking. Why? Because they were fishing even without a catch for the whole night long. Second, He chooses his disciples because they were patient and with strong determination. Imagine, they kept on fishing without a catch for the whole night long. Third, Jesus chooses them for they have a positive mindset never affected with accounts of human failures. Fourth, they were passionately committed unto Jesus so that when Jesus told them to lower down their nets, they lower down their nets without any mental reservations as to their whole night fishing experience. Fifth, Jesus chooses them for they were morally pure in person evident when Simon said “Leave me, Lord, for I am sinful man!”

In the disciples’ perspective, they are just ordinary fishermen who wanted to have “the biggest catch” of their lives. Yes! What a failure for them as fishermen without a catch for the whole night but the situation does not dictate them  not to be hopeful until daybreak leaving without a catch until Jesus told them to lower down their nets once more for a catch compensating the whole night effort of fishing.

The “Biggest Catch” brothers and sisters were Jesus Christ when he said to them “Do not be afraid. You will catch people from now on.” Their hearts rejoiced and   brought their boats on land and from that time on they followed Jesus as  fishers of men.

Brother and sisters in Christ, What do you think is your “biggest catch” as  member of a Christian community?

In totality brethren, the disciples were considered as the “big catch” for Jesus. And in turn Jesus was the “biggest catch” among his disciples so that they give-up everything in them and follow Jesus not as fishermen but as fisher’s of men.  

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