FIFTH SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME – YEAR C
Commentary of Fr. Fernando Armellini
A good Sunday to all.
Two Sundays ago, the evangelist Luke already presented Jesus in Nazareth. We remember that that visit was not a success; they esteemed him, and they loved him well, but when in the synagogue he made clear the program he was determined to carry out, they threw him out. They had the confirmation that the rumors the rabbis had spread about him were not without foundation. He was preaching and announcing a God who loved not only the children of Abraham but all, freely, without distinction. This was a heresy for the traditionalists of Nazareth, who had learned in the catechesis that God's blessings were reserved for the children of Abraham.
When Jesus was expelled, he returned to Capernaum, where he had already established his residence in Peter's house for some time. There, he began again to preach and to heal the sick. Today, the gospel passage relates an episode on the shore of the Lake of Galilee. Since Jesus spent the three years of his public life around this lake, I think it's worthwhile to dedicate a few words to introduce it.
In the background, I have placed a picture taken from a satellite. You can see the Mediterranean Sea, in the Bible called Yangadoll, the great sea, and then the Lake of Galilee, whose beauty makes it look like a nest in the middle of mountains. The Dead Sea is seen in the background, and the Jordan River flows between the Lake of Galilee and the Dead Sea. What was the name of this lake? In the Old Testament and the Gospels, we find many names. We remember them: the oldest is 'Kineret,' derived from the Hebrew term 'kinnor,' which means harp. This lake is shaped like a harp, and there was a city called "Kineret," located on a hill about 3 km from Capernaum, towards the west. It was so important that it is mentioned in Egyptian documents to protect the road to the east. From this word derives the present name, the Lake of Gennesaret; later, it was also called the Lake of Galilee, the Lake of Tiberias when Herod Antipas founded the city of Tiberias.
This lake is 200 meters below sea level; it is 21 km long, the maximum width is 15 km, and its maximum depth is 45 to 50 meters. Along the shores of this lake, there are three fertile plains helped by the tropical climate, and today, there are at least two harvests per year in these three plains. One is at the northern end where Bethsaida rises, then to the west of the lake is the fertile plain of Gennesaret, where today there is a kibbutz; and then a third plain, Deganya, where the first kibbutz was established in 1909.
The waters of this lake are calm and beautiful; there are no storms in this lake, but in the rabbinic literature, it is also presented with the characteristics of the sea, and it is described as the deep, dark abyss, a symbol of the primordial chaos where everything is confusing, and life is impossible. We remember the chaos before God began creation by separating light from darkness, the water above from the water below, and the water from the dry land.
In the rabbinical literature, it is called the Sea of Galilee, acquiring the connotations of the sea and, therefore, the seat of the forces of evil, impurities, and demonic forces. Consequently, we are not surprised that when Jesus expels the impurity of the pagan lands, it ends up in the swine, an impure animal, and these end up in their house, in the sea. Let's pay attention to this symbolism of the lake that is sometimes called a sea, and if we take specific episodes as a chronicle, we don't understand anything anymore. When it's called a ‘sea,’ it has a theological message, a biblical symbolism that the evangelists make.
We also want to remember some cities that rose along these shores. Let's keep in mind that at the time of Jesus, the shores of this lake were much more populated than today; there were villages everywhere, also because it was an important fishing place, and then there were these fertile plains with abundant water.
Remember Tiberias (which you see in the background), which King Herod Antipas founded, and the emperor's name was Tiberius, hence the name in honor of the mighty man of the time. Then, there is Magdala and the important place of Capernaum, where Jesus established his residence.
A few kilometers from Capernaum, a bit further north is Chorazin and then Bethsaida, from where five apostles came: Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Philip. Peter and Andrew had left their hometown and settled in Capernaum. You may also note Gerasa; this city was located east of the lake and, therefore, in a pagan land. That was not the holy land, and, therefore, when Jesus comes to this pagan land, it is not surprising that his word expels impunity and those demons that dehumanize.
Let us be attentive. When speaking about this 'sea,' as the reference is to a theological language with biblical images; otherwise, it can confuse us and not grasp the evangelist's message.
Let's listen now to what Luke tells us:
"While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and washed their nets. Getting into one of the boats belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat."
The scene was carefully composed by Luke and is precious in every detail. Let us try to reconstruct it. Jesus is surrounded by the crowd listening to his word. We always find Jesus surrounded by the people when he proclaims the Gospel, and, no wonder, because we are well made, we experience the need for this word, consciously or not; everyone feels a deep need in their heart for the proclamation of the Gospel, the only one that fills our lives with meaning.
We could then also ask ourselves why today there are no people around us (the preachers) at our side to listen to the word we announce. Perhaps because it does not correspond well to the word of the Master, or it is not announced with the same conviction and love.
Let us now look at a second scene. Jesus sees two boats in the distance, near the shore, and he sees fishers. And later, we will be told who these fishermen are; they are two pairs of brothers working in partnership. They're off the boats on a weekday and busy at work; they're cleaning their nets, which is the most boring job. The more significant part of the day for the fishermen of the Lake of Tiberias was spent cleaning their traps; they're also in a bad mood because they didn't catch anything during the night.
Who are they? They are the disciples; we know that Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law and is a guest in Peter's house, but it is not enough to be disciples. They do not belong to the multitudes; they stand apart from the multitudes. They already know Jesus, but it is not enough for him to have disciples. Disciple comes from 'discere,' to share. One learns the lesson from the Master and commits himself to embody it in his own life. This is not enough for Jesus, and this is the central message of today's Gospel.
What does Jesus do now with this group of disciples? He goes to them, enters Simon's boat, and asks him to move a little from the land. Let's notice that Luke begins to emphasize the figure of Peter; it is Peter's boat, and Peter makes available the boat so that Jesus can announce his Gospel.
In all the work of Luke, in the Gospel and then in the Acts of the Apostles, when he presents the life of the Christian community, Luke emphasizes that it is always Peter who enters the scene in the moments when they have to make choices and make important decisions. He will be the one to take the ultimate responsibility. Peter has a critical mission to carry out. And it is the boat in which Peter is present from where Jesus proclaims his Gospel.
Today also, that boat must proclaim the Gospel. We have already begun to understand what it represents in the Christian community. Jesus sits in this boat and begins to speak to the multitudes. It's not a realistic picture if taken as a chronicle. Just think how uncomfortable it is to talk from a rickety boat to a large crowd. When I accompanied groups to Tagba, I would have them observe this scene. Thus, the impossibility of speaking to a large crowd from a boat. The location is a parable; it wants to tell us what happens in the Christian community from which the Master's word goes out, and it must reach all humanity, the great multitude.
Peter then begins to get involved in this announcement. What does he do at this point? He doesn't announce the word yet, but he makes his boat available, and here we can have a convenient and actual message; something similar can be done even today when Jesus asks that we make something of our life available so that his Gospel can be proclaimed. There are many people today who, for example, make a room in their house open to bible-sharing groups so that sisters and brothers can meet to reflect on the word of God. Peter has made his boat available; even today, true disciples are called to make something available if they believe in the importance of the Master's word reaching the world.
Let us now listen to what happens when Jesus concludes his preaching from Peter's boat:
"After speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.’ Simon replied, ‘Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but I will lower the nets at your command.’ When they did this, they caught many fish, and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so they were in danger of sinking.”
Let us not wonder whether Jesus did or did not do a miracle; at most, it would be a strange event, not a miracle. It is a parable that Luke tells us; let's try to understand what he wants to communicate. Let us notice how, once again, the figure of Peter stands out; he has a particular task to perform, entrusted to him by the Master: Simon, leads the boat out into the open sea where the waters are dark and deep and there he will have to catch fish from this boat.
The boat, of course, is the Christian community, and what mission does Peter have to carry out? It can be summed up in Jesus' words during the Last Supper when he announces that he will deny him, but he says to him, 'Simon, Simon... I have prayed for you, and when you have repented, confirm your brethren in the faith.' This is the mission that was entrusted to Peter and his successors. They must recognize their frailty and maintain the brethren always united in following the Master. What is now the task that he has entrusted to all those in the boat and not only Peter? The boat is the Church, poor and fragile; it cannot remain calm on the shore of the lake. She must move away from the beach to go where the waters are deep. Ultimately, one must take a risk because the sea can be very rough, there can be storms, and the Church has passed through many storms that then calm down as long as this Church is guided by the Master, by his Gospel.
And what should they do now, not Peter, but everyone in this boat? Let down the nets to gather the fishes that are in the deep. Simon replies, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but I will lower the nets at your command.” It is not a question of catching fish; it is a parable. What does he mean? 'We are in the middle of the day....' The fish during the day are in the depths, and for an angler to cast the nets during the day means wasted effort, and there's a lot of work to do afterward; there is also the significant risk of being outwitted by colleagues who follow common sense, their experience, and see that Peter is doing something absurd. Jesus says, 'The task that I entrust to the community of my disciples, at certain times, maybe a request which seems absurd, but if you trust in me, it will bring results.'
Peter hesitates because then if things go wrong, his colleagues will ridicule him. In fact, human logic sometimes suggests the opposite of what the Gospel instead recommends. But Peter says, 'Human logic would tell me otherwise, but if you ask me, I trust you; I will let down the nets.'
This decision in the Christian life happens very often when common sense suggests that we should not do what the Gospel asks us to; if we trust the Gospel, wonders happen. For example, the Gospel asks me to love unconditionally, and at certain times, I ask myself if it is applicable. Would it not be better for me to follow the common sense that tells me, 'Think rather of yourself, in your interest, do what you want.’ Common sense would say that 'but if you tell me, I trust you.' And there will be prodigious results. This is what the parable of the prodigious catch tells us.
Unconditional forgiveness: Common sense would tell me to make the offender pay for the damage done, but total forgiveness goes against my nature. If I trust in the Master, there will be a great result. Human logic says no, but I will do it if he asks me to do it. This is faith. Unconditional love for a spouse must be maintained, even if it requires an outstanding commitment and sacrifice. Human logic may suggest letting it go; people suggest something else, but I trust you if you ask me for this unconditional love. They may even laugh at me and consider me a loser, a failure. If I can use my skills, the position I have reached, and the knowledge I have and use it to become rich, accumulate goods, and enjoy life, people will tell me to go ahead and do it. Instead, I put all of myself at the brothers' service of the needy to create peace and love; he suggests this to me. Whom do I trust, the logic of this world or him? The sense of the world would tell me, 'Follow what I tell you,’ but if you ask me, I trust you, I renounce all that the world tells me, and I follow you.' This is where faith is at stake. 'I prefer to trust in your word because you alone have the words of life; the others are proposals that may be tempting, but they are not words of truth.' This is the concluding parable of this teaching: he who trusts in the Master's word obtains prodigious results.
Now we have Peter's reaction. It is the mission that Jesus entrusts to all the disciples. The parable ends, and comes the message addressed to all the Christian community of today:
"When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, ‘Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.’ For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on, you will be catching men.’ When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.”
"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." Peter does not confess to Jesus that he had committed grievous sins in his past life. That is not the meaning of what he said. His unworthiness acknowledges what we find in the Bible on the lips of all those called to perform a great mission. When called to be a prophet, Isaiah responds, 'I am lost because I am a man of unclean lips... How can these poor lips of mine speak in the name of God? Jeremiah, 'Oh Lord God, I do not know how to speak, for I am young; choose an older person who is wise.' Moses, 'My Lord, I am not a good speaker; how can I go to Pharaoh? I am dull of mouth and tongue.' Paul also recognizes his unworthiness, 'I am the least of all the apostles, and I am not even worthy of being called an apostle because I have been a persecutor; I have approved the death of Stephen.'
This will be Paul's significant concern for the rest of his life; in the second letter to the Corinthians, he will say, 'We carry a precious treasure which is the Gospel, we carry it in earthen vessels.' The clay is impure... we are impure; we have a great treasure to carry into the world, but we hold it in our unworthiness.
It is the realization, therefore, of the immense distance between the Gospel that we must announce to the world and our incapacity to carry out this mission. Therein lies the astonishment of the result; the disciples were astonished because they had ascertained something marvelous, unexpected. If we ask ourselves who produces this wonder, we see that it is not Jesus directly but the disciples' faith. The fact is that by trusting in the word of Jesus, they verify extraordinary results.
We still think that faith derives from wonders. When one witnesses a miracle, then one begins to believe... NO. It is precisely the opposite. Miracles happen when we trust the Gospel. If we don't see miracles, the reason is that we trust in our human sense dictated by the flesh, our impulses, and our selfishness, and we don't trust in what he asks of us. We would like to take humankind out of the inhuman conditions in which it is, and we try diplomacy with our trickery. We do not obtain any results because they all start from selfish national interests... If we tried to trust in the Gospel, we would see prodigies of salvation, a world of brothers and sisters, peace, love, and equitable sharing of goods.
The task that Jesus entrusts to his community is not 'to be fishers of men.' To fish, in Greek, is 'alieuein,' and here is not this verb, but 'zogrein,' which means to bring to life. Jesus entrusted the task to the community of his disciples to get people to life, bringing them out of the waters of death.
Lake Galilee, I have said before, is beautiful, calm, and serene. Still, here it is taken as an image of the deep chaotic abyss, a symbol of the forces of evil that entangle, overwhelm, and drag people into the dark depths of non-life; they are waters of death: the bondage of vice, moral corruption, the slavery of those who live to accumulate money. All these are waters of death; they must be taken out. They are waters of death in which it is impossible to live. The condition of those enslaved by grudges, blackmail, or remorse, those chained to a failed past no longer know how to get out. They must be freed.
If we also think of the condition of humanity, don't we see it perhaps swallowed up by violence, hatred, wars, and selfishness? It must be liberated. This is the task of the Christian community. What is the net to fish with? There is only one: the word of the Gospel. Only when this word catches people can they be taken out; it is not possible to get out of these conditions following human criteria and establish peace in the world. All these attempts fail because they derive not from love but from interest, from selfishness. The Gospel brings people out of darkness and chaos, from the wrong moral choices and the meaninglessness of life and brings people to the light.
What happens now with the disciples? They pulled their boats ashore, left everything, and followed Jesus. They have not stopped being fishermen; they have continued doing what they were doing before, but they are no longer the same after knowing Jesus, after having found the Gospel. The profession is the same, but it is carried out in another way, with other objectives, not to exploit the brother but to serve the brother. So, when the we listen to what he suggests, not what the world's logic suggests, we see wonders. If, on the other hand, we continue to do what everybody else does or what we did before, then we have not yet found the Gospel of Christ.
I wish you all a good Sunday and a good week.
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