Luke 5:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."

NIV: and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people."

NASB: and likewise also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not fear; from now on you will be catching people.'

CSB: 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."

NLT: His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, 'Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!'

KJV: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

NKJV: and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”

Peter is scared. He and his brother Andrew (Mark 1:16) were cleaning their nets after fishing all night and catching nothing. When Jesus appears and asks to use Peter's boat as a stage, Peter agrees. Jesus finishes and tells Peter to take the boat into deeper waters and lower the nets. They don't have long to wait before their nets are full (Luke 5:1–6), and much more. Peter and Andrew quickly realize the mass of fish is too much for their boat to handle, James and John hear their cry for help and join them. It isn't enough, and both boats nearly sink (Luke 5:7). Meanwhile, Peter realizes Jesus is not just an itinerant rabbi and falls to his knees in humility (Luke 5:8).

In most eras of human history, real miracles have been exceedingly rare. The period leading up to Jesus' earthly ministry was typical, in that sense. Magicians, like Simon in Samaria (Acts 8:9–11) and Elymas on Cyprus (Acts 13:6–8), seem to have enough power to awe those who are looking for a connection to the supernatural. But God didn't send a prophet of His own from the time of Malachi until John the Baptist. There's no record John ever performed miracles. Although Jews have stories of God's miraculous grace, like the one that inspired Hannukah, Peter has likely never experienced one. He knows that John the Baptist called Jesus the Messiah (John 1:35–42), and he respects Jesus, but this display of power reveals that Jesus is deeply connected with God. He must be more than a teacher; Jesus is holy, and Peter knows he is not worthy to be in His presence.

Jesus accepts Peter's humility but doesn't yet call Peter to full repentance. He comforts Peter and invites him to join His mission. Jesus never demands perfection of His followers. As David wrote, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17).

The metaphor of "catching men" as a fisherman loses something in the English. Most of the Old Testament verses regarding God sending fishermen—or hunters—to capture people are negative and refer to punishment (Jeremiah 16:16; Proverbs 6:5). "Catching," here, is from the Greek root word zōgrōn and specifically means to capture alive. Jesus is not going to send these fishermen to judge others. Rather, they seek to rescue them.

Luke 5:1–11 records Jesus' first call to specific disciples and the importance of humility for His followers. Andrew and Peter met Jesus before (John 1:35–42) and likely know of Jesus' power and authority (Luke 4:31–44). When Jesus uses that power to directly bless the fishermen, Peter humbly acknowledges his unworthiness. Peter, Andrew, James, and John leave everything to follow Jesus. Luke continues by showing the importance of cleanness, forgiveness in response to faith, and repentance. Matthew 4:18–22 and Mark 1:16–20 also record Jesus' call to the four fishermen but not the fishing; John 21 provides a parallel scene after Jesus' resurrection.

Luke 5 continues Jesus' Galilean Ministry (Luke 4:14—9:50). The passage alternates calls to discipleship with miracles and teachings which demonstrate what discipleship entails. Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, and their business partners, James and John, to follow Him and make more disciples. Then Jesus makes a man with leprosy ceremonially clean. He forgives the sins of a paralytic. After He calls Levi to follow Him, Jesus celebrates instead of fasting. This draws critical questions from the crowd. The religious leaders consider Jesus' actions blasphemous. His message of forgiveness, faith, and repentance cannot be contained by their tradition.

Jesus has already proved He can expel demons, heal ailments, and reveal the kingdom of God (Luke 4:31–44). In this chapter, He begins to separate His followers from His detractors. This begins with calling the first five disciples and emphasizing faith and repentance over religious tradition. He will drive home the point by treating the Sabbath as a blessing rather than a burden (Luke 6:1–11). After formally inviting the Twelve to follow Him, Jesus will explain to a crowd what discipleship looks like and invite them to build their lives on Him (Luke 6:12–49). In chapter 7, Jesus champions Gentiles and the marginalized.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.