"You Will Be Fishers of Men"

Monday musical meditations on God's good news

An opening prayer:

Jesus calls us over the tumult

Of our life’s wild, restless, sea;

Day by day his voice invites us,

Saying, “Christian, follow me!”

As the first disciples heard it

By the Galilean lake,

Turned from home and toil and kindred,

Leaving all for Jesus’ sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship

Of the vain world’s golden store,

From each idol that would keep us,

Saying, “Christian, love me more!”

In our joys and in our sorrows,

Days of toil and hours of ease,

Still he calls, in cares and pleasures,

“Christian, love me more than these!”

Jesus calls us! In your mercy,

Savior, help us hear your call,

Give our hearts to your obedience,

Serve and love you best of all. Amen.

As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God's word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret.
² He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.
³ He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.
⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch."
⁵ "Master," Simon replied, "we've worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I'll let down the nets."
⁶ When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. ⁷ So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus's knees and said, "Go away from me, because I'm a sinful man, Lord!" ⁹ For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon 's partners. "Don't be afraid," Jesus told Simon. "From now on you will be catching people."
¹¹ Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.

helpful notes on Luke 5:1–3

helpful notes on Luke 5:4–7

helpful notes on Luke 5:8–11

Jesus did not go away from Peter, though Peter told him to. For what reasons is this good news for you?

BWV 88 (YouTube, "Look, I will send out many fishers")
The cantata in part recalls the warning against idolaters in Jeremiah 16: "I am about to send for many fishermen"— this is the LORD's declaration-- "and they will fish for them" (16:16).
But it also expands on what Jesus told Peter: "From now on you will be catching people" (Luke 5:11).