The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

February 9, 2025 -Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time,  Luke 5:1-11

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Peter was a good experienced fisherman. But there were times when he and his fellow fishermen returned to their home port with empty nets. Even after having spent hours and hours hoping for at least a few fish to bring back to market. So, in today’s gospel we meet a very discouraged Peter, who after fishing most of the night, returned home with no fish.

Jesus was there on the dock with a smile, and after being informed of Peter’s bad luck on the sea, Jesus calmly suggested that Peter get back in his boat and give it another try. Peter’s immediate response to Jesus is not recorded. Yet we can imagine the look on Peter’s face. Here’s a local carpenter, who likely never even caught a fish in his life, telling Peter, a seasoned angler, to go back out to fish after hours and hours of wasted effort.

We know the rest of the story. Peter swallows his pride and ignoring the last hours of wasted time, heads back out to open waters. Suddenly the lowered nets begin to fill and fill and fill. Another boat joins Peter’s boat as it begins to list with its nets bulging with catch. What a moment! And no one is more surprised than Peter. This could be a record catch!

I love this gospel for many reasons, especially its surprising conclusion. What smart fisherman would ever follow the uninformed advice of Jesus to keep fishing after so many unprofitable hours of trying? Peter should have said that it was time to call it a day (a not very good one) and gone home. But that’s not what he did. He quietly went back out to continue his fishing efforts. And what magnificent results followed.

I am in the twilight years of my time here on earth. As a teacher and theologian, I have spent over half a century teaching in countless classrooms. No one would be surprised to learn that I have now exited the academic playing field and am now relaxing in an easy chair reading a good book. In fact, I refuse to say that I have retired. That’s because I take today’s gospel seriously, maybe the Lord has further plans for me. God’s timing does not always match conventional wisdom. My big catch (and yours) may be tomorrow!

That’s because God’s ways and timing are not always ours.  It’s interesting that the Scriptures rarely mention anything about age or time. Rather in one place it states that “now is the acceptable time.” I interpret that to mean that any time is open to possibility. Maybe our best years are yet to come. Maybe our own big catch is on the horizon. Perhaps tomorrow. Don’t ever retire!

David M. Thomas, PhD