“Often hear Orthodox people communicate with each other after a Sunday afternoon: “Well, I went, of course, to the service, communed…” Not “of course, I went and received communion,” and the Lord gave us to enter the temple, and He gave us the opportunity this time to commune of the Holy mysteries of Christ, waiting for our full repentance and change of lifeand” – the sermon of Archpriest Alexander Abramov in week 18 after Pentecost
One day, when the people crowded Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Come in one boat which was Simon, it asked it to sail a little from coast and, having sat, learned people from a boat. When has ceased to learn, has told Simon: sail on depth and throw the networks for fishing. Simon said unto Him, Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing, nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net. Having done this, they caught a great multitude of fishes, and they broke. And they beckoned to their partners who were in the other boat to come and help them; and they came and filled both boats so that they began to sink. Seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus ‘ knees, saying, depart from me, Lord! because I am a sinful man. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, and former comrades Simon. And Jesus said to Simon: fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And, having pulled out both boats on shore, left everything and followed Him.
LK. 5: 1-11
The Lord teaches the people from the boat. Why not teach on the beach, why He came in the boat?
Why such extravagance? Usually very little attention is drawn to the fact that Christ almost always afflicted people. He was almost not allowed to be alone, to be with the Father. It continuously involve in healing, answers to questions, in preaching and conversation with the people — to the point of exhaustion and exhaustion.
Nowhere, however, does not say that Christ refused with anybody to talk, citing fatigue, or forbade someone to come to Him. On the contrary: when the disciples worried about the health of his master, for His physical strength, to keep someone, He told them not to interfere. We remember this from the gospel narrative about children: Then were there brought unto Him little children, that He laid his hands on them and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the Kingdom of heaven (Matt. 19: 13-14).
And rarely, very rarely He pays to those who listens to Him and follows Him, the words showing us the full measure of human fatigue: Oh faithless and perverse generation! how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? (Matt. 17: 17).
The Lord sits in a boat and sailed some distance from the shore, not in order to get away from people, but that all could see and hear Him. It is well known that the voice on the water is spread much further than on the banks — especially in such close quarters, which the Evangelist tells us: the people crowded to Him.
Savior and thus gives Himself to those people who needed Him. Here in one shortest explanation answers the question very, very many Orthodox Christians who say, “how do we pray when we have a lot of Affairs, we the people, we are pressed by circumstances we cannot be alone, to get alone with God?”
Here Christ, constantly being with people, was with God the Father. Giving Himself, He collected others for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. This happens when He teaches the people from the boat so he saw and heard. This is the image of a true prayer, when you spend your life, or at least as much as you devote to other people, despite the fatigue, the irritation, and that you might be smarter than someone, or more prepared. You need to speak with all. Always be prepared to everyone who asks you to account for your hope, do it with gentleness and reverence (1 Pet. 3: 15).
Christ blessing to throw the network, although the previous day showed that the catch is not and cannot be. Simon Peter said , Master, We have toiled all night and caught nothing, nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net. Once You said I do. And that’s “since You said” we Christians should try as much as possible in my life to play. Like You said, Lord, what is fasting, I will fast, though to me it sometimes is hard. Since You, o Lord, saying: Take, eat, I will partake because it is good. I at Thy word I will let down the net, will do as You say. I’ll try to figure out and understand the heart and mind, but for me, the first — according to Thy word.
The fishermen, according to the word of God threw the net. And caught so many fish that the network is even beginning to tear. And the fishermen in the other boat came to help them, but both boats could barely stand the weight of this catch. The Evangelist says: and filled both the boats so that they began to sink.
Simon Peter reacts to it in a wonderful way. He crouches at the knees of Jesus and said: depart from me, Lord! because I am a sinful man. How can this be? He did what Christ told him to do. He, despite the disappointment of unsuccessful fishing, went to sea, came into the depths. He threw the net, although have probably not been any. Did everything right and for that “right” was rewarded with a handsome catch. Why is it so strange is responsible for the undoubted blessing of God? I think, for two reasons.
First: Peter saw a change in the usual course of events. A man who knows how to do something, doing something for a long time, has experience of observations, notice patterns. If there are waves, fish, most likely, will not. If it is hot, the beast from the lair will come and the hunt will fail. And Simon Peter knew that the catch will not, cannot be, talked about this whole experience. But fulfilled what Christ said, and got a catch, many times higher than normal. And he saw this as a sign of God, a sign of the omnipotence of the Creator. Peter still did not know Christ before him, did not yet know of His teachings. But already knew this, of course, a righteous man, a prophet of God.
And second. When the house of an Israelite came to the prophet, it was seen as a rare blessing. And pious people considered themselves unworthy of it. Simon Peter thought he was unworthy. It is not painted. He would not, of course, that Christ had left him. But feared for love, which it penetrated, that Christ might be awkward, not right, uncomfortable with such a sinful man. He asked the Lord to go away, to not dirty It with their uncleanness.
Often hear Orthodox people communicate with each other after a Sunday afternoon: “Well, I went, of course, to the service, communed…” of Course! Every time this is us talent, every time is a wondrous gift — the Lord allows us to begin to Bowl. Not “of course, I went and received communion,” and the Lord gave us to enter the temple, did not give way beneath us, the earth, and He gave us the opportunity this time to commune of the Holy mysteries of Christ, waiting for our full repentance and change of life.
One of my friend is an elderly priest told his spiritual children: “when You enter the temple, always come with such feeling, that let you Lord.” Not in the way you come, for example, in a store: you have the right to enter any minute to go, to pass by. And in the temple you let the Lord. Mary of Egypt, which later his entire life to have earned the right to take communion, the Lord did not let on the threshold of the temple, but you allowed.
And that’s how said to Simon Peter: depart from me, Lord! because I am a sinful man. But Simon Peter is the strongest man of the Church: ts thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16: 18; hwt.-seq.). So he could be strong enough to ask the Savior to come. And for us, probably more appropriate to call: “don’t leave me, Lord,” because otherwise I will be very bad and I will die at all.
From the book “whosoever will may come. Conversations on Sundays and feast the gospel reading,” published in the publishing house “Nikea”