Jesus was never without an audience. Wherever He went, crowds gathered—some drawn by curiosity, others seeking miracles, and many eager to hear His teaching. Luke recounts a moment when people pressed around Him to hear the word of God at the shore of the Lake of Gennesaret, another name for the Sea of Galilee (Luke 5:1). Unlike teachers who merely spoke about God, Jesus spoke with divine authority, delivering the very word of God. Those who sat at His feet had the privilege of learning from the Word Himself.
It was on this shoreline that Jesus issued His first invitation to discipleship. Simon, a fisherman, found his boat transformed into a pulpit as Jesus taught the crowd from its deck (Luke 5:3). Afterward, Jesus told Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). The professional fisherman hesitated, reminding Jesus that they had labored all night without success (Luke 5:5). Yet, something about Jesus' command prompted obedience: “Because you say so, I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5). Simon’s decision was not based on logic but on faith. The result was astonishing—a miraculous catch so great that their nets began to tear, and their boats nearly sank under the weight of the fish (Luke 5:6–7).
This moment was about more than just an extraordinary haul. Simon recognized the presence of the divine. Overcome, he fell to his knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8). Much like Isaiah’s vision of God (Isaiah 6:5), encountering Jesus made Simon painfully aware of his own unworthiness. Yet, Jesus did not turn him away. Instead, He reassured Simon, saying, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men” (Luke 5:10). Jesus met people in their world, speaking to them in ways they understood. To the woman at the well, He spoke of living water (John 4:6–15); to the hungry, He spoke of the bread of life (John 6:35, 48); to fishermen, He used their trade to illustrate their new calling.
James and John, Simon’s partners, had shared in the miraculous catch and now shared in the call to discipleship (Luke 5:10). Their boats, once empty, were now overflowing—not just with fish but with the blessings of obedience. Their response was immediate and complete: they pulled their boats ashore, left everything, and followed Him (Luke 5:11). Such commitment was not a fleeting emotional decision but the kind of surrender Jesus demands. Their obedience serves as a model for all generations of disciples.
Jesus did not call them when their nets were empty but when they were full, making their decision even more remarkable. It would have been easier to walk away from failure than from overwhelming success. Yet, they recognized that Jesus was offering something greater than fish, wealth, or security. Discipleship often requires leaving behind what is familiar and comfortable, even when life is going well. True disciples are not only willing but eager to follow when Jesus calls.
Luke presents Jesus as a commanding and compelling figure. Unlike Matthew and Mark, who introduce the call of the disciples early in their narratives, Luke places this event after Jesus has gained widespread fame. The fishermen do not follow a mere teacher; they follow a Christ who has demonstrated divine power in their midst. The miraculous catch parallels the post-resurrection appearance in John 21:1–23, where another remarkable haul of fish precedes a renewed calling for Peter. This story also echoes Old Testament accounts of miraculous provisions, such as those in the ministries of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17; 2 Kings 4). Simon’s response is not that of a fisherman marveling at a lucky break but of a man humbled in the presence of the divine. His sin does not disqualify him; instead, the same power that brought him to his knees lifts him into service.
Luke’s placement of this story also suggests that Jesus’ growing influence necessitated gathering disciples. Just as the church would later expand and require more workers (Acts 11:19–26), Jesus' ministry foreshadows the need for laborers in the harvest. The image of fishing, like that of shepherding, becomes a lasting symbol of Christian ministry. Jesus calls not the qualified but the willing, transforming ordinary lives into vessels for His mission. Simon, James, and John left their nets to follow Jesus, not just in that moment but for a lifetime. Their example challenges us to ask: What nets are we still holding onto, and what might we gain if we let them go?
Luke 5:1-11 offers a compelling account of discipleship, divine calling, and transformative grace, all central themes in Wesleyan/Methodist theology. This passage demonstrates the prevenient grace of God at work in Simon Peter’s life, the necessity of faith and obedience, and the radical nature of discipleship—all of which align with John Wesley’s understanding of salvation and holiness.
Prevenient Grace: God’s Initiative in Calling Disciples
In Wesleyan theology, prevenient grace refers to the grace of God that goes before, preparing hearts to respond to Him. Simon Peter and his companions were not actively seeking Jesus; rather, Jesus came to them, stepping into Simon’s boat and engaging him before any profession of faith was made. This aligns with Wesley’s teaching that God initiates the relationship with humanity, calling individuals before they even recognize their need for Him (Collins). Simon’s encounter with Jesus was not random but part of a divine plan that had been unfolding long before he realized it. Even his initial skepticism (“We’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything,” Luke 5:5) reflects the human tendency to rely on personal effort rather than trust in divine providence. Yet, prevenient grace leads him toward obedience, even when logic suggests otherwise.
Faith and Justifying Grace: A Transformative Encounter
When Simon Peter witnesses the miraculous catch of fish, his response is deeply Wesleyan: he is convicted of his sinfulness and falls at Jesus’ feet, exclaiming, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8). This mirrors Wesley’s doctrine of justifying grace, where an encounter with the holiness of God leads to an acute awareness of one’s own sin. Just as Wesley experienced his “heart strangely warmed” at Aldersgate when he understood that Christ had died for him personally, Peter moves from distant respect (“Master,” v. 5) to genuine faith (“Lord,” v. 8), recognizing that he stands in the presence of divine holiness (Outler). Wesley understood justifying grace as the moment a person shifts from awareness of sin to faith in Christ’s saving work, and Peter’s experience models this transition perfectly.
Sanctifying Grace and the Call to Holiness
Jesus’ call to Peter and his companions—“From now on you will catch men” (Luke 5:10)—is not just an invitation to follow, but a call to a transformed life and mission. This resonates with Wesley’s doctrine of sanctification, in which believers are not merely forgiven but continually shaped into Christlikeness through discipleship (Maddox). The fishermen’s radical obedience—leaving everything to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11)—illustrates what Wesley termed “Christian perfection” or entire sanctification, a state where the believer’s heart is fully surrendered to God.
Moreover, the communal aspect of the call reflects Wesley’s strong emphasis on the connectional nature of the faith. Peter, James, and John do not follow Jesus alone; they do so together, modeling the Methodist understanding that growth in grace happens within a community (Heitzenrater). Wesley’s early Methodist societies emphasized mutual accountability, class meetings, and bands for spiritual growth, much like how these first disciples would later support one another in the work of the kingdom.
The Wesleyan Call to Discipleship: Leaving Full Nets Behind
Perhaps the most striking aspect of this passage from a Wesleyan perspective is that Jesus calls the disciples not when their nets are empty but when they are full. Walking away from failure is easy, but walking away from success requires deep trust in God’s providence. Wesley preached that true discipleship demands full surrender, often citing Jesus’ words: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily” (Luke 9:23). The fishermen’s immediate and total abandonment of their boats (Luke 5:11) models the radical commitment that Methodism has historically emphasized in its pursuit of holiness and mission.
Luke 5:1-11 speaks powerfully to Wesleyan theology by demonstrating how prevenient grace prepares the way, justifying grace transforms, and sanctifying grace leads to a lifelong journey of holiness and mission. Like the disciples, all believers are called to step out in faith, trust in Christ’s provision, and leave behind whatever holds them back from fully following Him.
