Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States

Two Boats Full of Fish


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Our Lord Jesus Christ was a very good teacher. He did not need a black board and chalk. He did not need a computer. The Lord did not need an ornate lectern or even to be within the comforts of the Temple to teach. The Lord did not need to surround Himself with the most educated and learned of men to teach.

Rather, our Lord Jesus taught from His heart and used for teaching whatever manner the region He had journeyed to provide unto Him. He humbly desired to teach God's Word wherever and whenever He was given the opportunity to.

One day the Lord Jesus sat in a fishing boat to teach the people sitting and standing on the bank of the Sea of Galilee. Sitting at the time of our Lord was the most common way to teach for a teacher. Our Lord saw the empty fishing boat as the crowds began to press around Him and got inside and sat down. The fishermen, whom the boat the Lord Jesus sat in, belonged to St. Peter and St. Andrew. They were not in their boat at the time, but were busy cleaning their nets from a very unsuccessful night of fishing on the Sea of Galilee.

After the Lord ended His sermon, He asked St. Peter to row his fishing boat out into very deep waters and lower his fishing net to catch fish. St. Peter and his brother St. Andrew got in the boat that the Lord was sitting in but before moving out into deep waters St. Peter hesitated. St. Peter before doing as the Lord Jesus requested told Him he had been out on the sea all night fishing and had caught absolutely nothing. Not one single small fish did St. Peter and St. Andrew catch.

But...St. Peter after speaking boldly what was on his mind, said if the Lord wished him to move out onto the deep waters and lower his fishing net, he would do so. St. Peter was definitely not convinced the effort was worth his time.

As is the Lord's way He drew the fishermen close to His side with fish. Fish was what the fishermen knew most and was very important to their livelihood. St. Peter caught so many fish his nets almost broke! He called to the brothers James and John who were in another boat to come and help. They came and soon both boats were so full of fish the boats began to rock from side to side in the water and nearly sank. Two boats full of fish! Thank you Lord Jesus!

When St. Peter beheld the sight of so great a catch of fish, he fell at the knees of the Lord Jesus Christ and asks Him to leave him. St. Peter recognized he had been a sinful man by not taking what the Lord asked of him seriously but with great doubt and lack of faith. It was at this time that St. Peter became aware of the true holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ and St. Peter's pronounced his feelings of unworthiness and He cried out to the Lord.

The Lord Jesus said to St. Peter, from now on he would be catching men not fish. The Lord Jesus asked those of the two boats to follow "Me". And they left everything and did just that. They became his followers. St. Peter, St. Andrew, St. James and St. John would become the first followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Through fishermen, He drew the whole world into His net.

Questions:

  1. Did the Lord stand, kneel or sit when teaching? Why?
  2. From where did the Lord give His sermon?
  3. What was the name of the sea that the great catch of fish came from?
  4. Name the four fishermen whose nets caught the fish.
  5. Of the fishermen whom were brothers?
  6. What did the Lord Jesus use to draw the brothers close to Him?
  7. The four fishermen did what when the Lord Jesus said "follow Me"?

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