Jesus calls his disciples, and the great catch of fish

Jesus stood by the lake of Gennesaret while people pressed close to hear the word of God. He saw two fishing boats by the lake. The fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.

Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to move it a little from the land. Jesus sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he finished speaking, Jesus told Simon to go out into deep water and let down the nets. Simon explained that they had worked all night and caught nothing. Still, because Jesus had told him to do it, Simon let down the net.

They caught so many fish that the net began to break. They called their partners in the other boat to help. Both boats were filled so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he fell down at Jesus' knees and called himself a sinful man. He and the others were astonished at the catch. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were Simon's partners and were amazed too.

Jesus told Simon not to fear and said that from then on he would catch men. When the fishermen brought the boats to land, they left everything and followed Jesus.

A crowd pressed around Jesus at the lake of Gennesaret to hear the word of God. Nearby were two boats. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets, the ordinary work that followed their time on the water.

Jesus entered the boat belonging to Simon and asked him to move out a little from the land. Then Jesus sat down and taught the people from the boat. The fishing boat became the place from which the crowd heard him.

When he finished teaching, Jesus told Simon to launch into the deep and let down the nets for a catch. Simon answered from experience: they had worked all night and had taken nothing. Even so, he agreed to let down the net at Jesus' word.

The result was far beyond the empty night. They enclosed a great multitude of fish, and the net began to break. They signaled to their partners in the other boat. The partners came, and both boats were filled so heavily that they began to sink.

Simon Peter responded by falling down at Jesus' knees. He called himself a sinful man and asked Jesus to depart from him. Luke says astonishment had seized Simon and the others because of the catch. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were Simon's partners and shared that astonishment.

Jesus answered Simon by telling him not to fear. Then he used the language of Simon's own work: from then on, Simon would catch men. The passage does not explain that phrase with a long speech. It immediately shows the response. After the fishermen brought the boats to land, they forsook all and followed Jesus.

The setting makes the moment especially sharp. Simon is not shown as someone who knew nothing about fishing. He had worked through the night and knew they had caught nothing. Luke names the place and the ordinary work around the boats before describing the catch. The great catch comes after Jesus' instruction, and it leads directly into Jesus' call. The fish are impressive, but Luke ends the account with people, not with the size of the catch. Simon, James, and John leave the boats behind and follow Jesus.