Church Fathers Commentary Luke 5:8-11

"But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus` knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was amazed, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken; and so were also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their boats to land, they left all, and followed him." — Luke 5:8-11 (ASV)

The Venerable Bede: Peter was astonished by the divine gift, and the more he feared, the less he now presumed. As it is said, When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: For recalling the sins he had committed, he was alarmed and trembled. As someone unclean, he believed it was impossible for him to receive Him who is clean, for he had learned from the Law to distinguish between what is defiled and what is holy.

Gregory of Nyssa: When Christ commanded them to let down the nets, the multitude of fish caught was just as great as the Lord of the sea and land willed. For the voice of the Word is the voice of power, at whose command light and the other creatures came forth at the beginning of the world. Peter marveled at these things, for he and all who were with him were astonished.

St. Augustine of Hippo: He does not mention Andrew by name, who, however, is thought to have been in that ship, according to the accounts of Matthew and Mark. It follows, And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not.

St. Ambrose of Milan: You also should say, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord, so that God may answer, Fear not. Confess your sin, and the Lord will pardon you. See how good the Lord is, who gives so much to people that they have the power of bringing others to life. As it follows, From henceforth you shall catch men.

The Venerable Bede: This applies especially to Peter himself, for the Lord explains to him what this catching of fish means: that just as he now catches fish with a net, so in the future he will catch men with words. The entire sequence of this event shows what happens daily in the Church, of which Peter is a type.

St. John Chrysostom: But notice their faith and obedience. For though they were eagerly engaged in their work of fishing, when they heard Jesus’ command, they did not delay, but forsook all and followed Him. Such is the obedience that Christ demands of us; we must not neglect it, even when pressed by some great necessity. Thus, the text continues, And having brought their ships to land.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Matthew and Mark state the matter here briefly, explaining how it was done, while Luke explains it more fully. There seems to be this difference, however: Luke records that our Lord said only to Peter, From henceforth you shall catch men, whereas the others relate that it was spoken to both of them. But surely it could have been said first to Peter when he marveled at the immense catch of fish, as Luke suggests, and afterward to both, as the other two have related.

Alternatively, we must understand that the event took place as Luke relates it, and that the others were not called by the Lord at that time. Instead, it was only foretold to Peter that he would catch men, not that he would no longer be employed in fishing. This leaves room to suppose that they returned to their fishing, so that what Matthew and Mark describe could happen later. For at that time, the ships were not brought ashore as if they intended to return; instead, they followed Him as He called or commanded them to come.

But if, according to John, Peter and Andrew followed Him near the Jordan, how can the other Evangelists say that He found them fishing in Galilee and called them to be disciples? The only explanation is that they did not encounter the Lord near the Jordan in a way that meant they joined Him inseparably. Instead, they only learned who He was, and after marveling at Him, returned to their own affairs.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But mystically, those whom Peter catches by his word, he does not claim as his own prize or his own gift. Depart, he says, from me, O Lord. Therefore, do not be afraid to also attribute what is yours to the Lord, for what was His, He has given to us.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Alternatively, Peter speaks in the character of the Church, which is full of worldly people: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. It is as if the Church, crowded with such people and nearly sunk by their vices, casts off, so to speak, the rule of spiritual things, in which the character of Christ shines most brightly.

For people do not tell the good servants of God to depart from them with their tongues, but with the testimony of their deeds and actions, they persuade them to leave so that they will not be governed by the righteous. And yet, they hasten all the more anxiously to pay them honor, just as Peter showed his respect by falling at our Lord's feet, but his true disposition by saying, Depart from me.

The Venerable Bede: But the Lord calms the fears of worldly people, so that no one, trembling at the awareness of his guilt or astonished by the innocence of others, would be afraid to undertake the journey of holiness.

St. Augustine of Hippo: But the Lord did not depart from them, thereby showing that good and spiritual people, when they are troubled by the wickedness of the many, should not wish to abandon their ecclesiastical duties in order to live a more secure and tranquil life, so to speak. Bringing their ships to land and forsaking all to follow Jesus may represent the end of time, when those who have clung to Christ will depart completely from the storms of this world.