Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
First, Jesus calls Peter, James, and John to follow Him through a huge catch of fish. Second, in verse 12, He heals a leper. Third, in verse 18, He cures a paralytic. Fourth, in verse 27, He calls Matthew the publican from his tax booth to Himself, and to the murmuring Scribes He answers that He has come to call, not the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Fifth, in verse 33, when they ask the same question, He gives the reason why John's disciples fast often, but His do not.
I explained the first part at Matt. IV, 18; the second, at Matt. VIII, 2; the third, at Matt. IX, 2; the fourth, at Matt. IX, 14. Therefore, with a few additions, I will dispatch this chapter.
Vulgate Text: Luke 5:1-39
1. And it came to pass that when the multitudes pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He Himself stood by the lake of Genesareth. 2. And He saw two ships standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3. And going into one of the ships, which was Simon's, He asked him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting down, He taught the multitudes from the boat. 4. Now when He had ceased to speak, He said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch. 5. And Simon answering said to Him: Master, we have labored all the night and have taken nothing; but at Your word I will let down the net. 6. And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net was breaking. 7. And they beckoned to their partners, who were in the other ship, to come and help them. And they came, and filled both the boats, so that they were almost sinking. 8. Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9. For he was wholly astonished, and all who were with him, at the catch of fishes which they had taken; 10. and so were also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus said to Simon: Fear not; from now on you will be catching men. 11. And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed Him. 12. And it came to pass, when He was in a certain city, that, behold, a man full of leprosy, when he saw Jesus, fell on his face and besought Him, saying: Lord, if You will, You can make me clean. 13. And stretching forth His hand, He touched him, saying: I will, be made clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. 14. And He charged him that he should tell no one, but: Go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them. 15. But the report of Him went abroad the more; and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed of their infirmities. 16. But He withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. 17. And it came to pass on a certain day, as He sat teaching, there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18. And behold, men brought in a bed a man who was paralytic; and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Him. 19. And not finding by what way they might bring him in because of the crowd, they went up upon the roof, and let him down through the tiles with his bed into the midst before Jesus. 20. When He saw their faith, He said: Man, your sins are forgiven you. 21. And the Scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? 22. But when Jesus knew their thoughts, He answered and said to them: What are you thinking in your hearts? 23. Which is easier, to say: Your sins are forgiven you; or to say: Rise up and walk? 24. But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins (He said to the paralytic): I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go into your house. 25. And immediately rising up before them, he took up the bed on which he had lain, and went away into his house, glorifying God. 26. And astonishment took hold of all, and they glorified God. And they were filled with fear, saying: We have seen wonderful things today. 27. And after this He went forth and saw a publican named Levi sitting at the tax booth, and said to him: Follow Me. 28. And leaving all things, he rose up and followed Him. 29. And Levi made Him a great feast in his own house; and there was a great crowd of publicans and others who were sitting at table with them. 30. And the Pharisees and their Scribes murmured, saying to His disciples: Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners? 31. And Jesus answering said to them: They who are well need not a physician, but they who are sick. 32. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 33. But they said to Him: Why do John's disciples fast often and make prayers, and likewise also the Pharisees', but Yours eat and drink? 34. To whom He said: Can you make the children of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35. But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days. 36. And He spoke also a similitude to them: That no one puts a piece from a new garment upon an old garment; otherwise he both tears the new, and the piece taken from the new does not match the old. 37. And no one puts new wine into old bottles; otherwise the new wine will burst the bottles, and itself will be spilled, and the bottles will perish. 38. But new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved. 39. And no one drinking old wine immediately wants new, for he says: The old is better.
Verse 6: A Very Great Multitude of Fishes
6. THEY ENCLOSED A VERY GREAT MULTITUDE OF FISHES — because Peter had said: "At Your word I will let down the net." Behold, this is the fruit, this the reward of obedience. Jesus did this, first, in order that, by giving them food, He might prepare them for their calling and to follow Him, as if to say: I purpose to call you away from fishing to follow Me, and lest you excuse yourselves by saying that you must obtain your livelihood by fishing, behold, I freely supply you with a vast quantity of fish, that you may learn to trust in Me — that I will provide freely for your sustenance and other necessities of life without fishing, and that more easily and abundantly than you could provide for yourselves by your own diligence and labor in fishing. Secondly, that from this abundant catch of fish they might learn that they were soon to make an abundant catch of men, when they should be called to it by Christ.
Verse 7: They Beckoned to Their Partners
7. AND THEY BECKONED TO THEIR PARTNERS — because, on account of their wonder, joy, and astonishment at so great a catch, they could not shout or speak.
Verse 10: Fear Not — From Henceforth Thou Shalt Catch Men
10. FEAR NOT — (as if to say: Do not be seized by amazement, fear, and holy dread on account of this miracle of the catch of fishes. He adds the reason, promising a greater and higher fishing, saying): FROM NOW ON YOU WILL BE CATCHING MEN. — In Greek zōgrōn, from zōgreō, which first, from zōa and agreō or agreuō, that is, "I hunt animals," you may translate, with our Vulgate, as "catching, hunting, fishing": hence the Arabic renders, "from now on you will be a fisher who fishes men," as if to say: You, O Peter, henceforth will catch men, not as wild beasts with nets and wounds, but as fishes, which are caught uninjured in a net: in like manner you will catch and fish for men, not with arms, but with the power and efficacy of the Spirit.
Secondly, zōgreō is derived from zōn, that is, living, alive, and agreō or exagreō, that is, "I rouse alive, I call back to life, I vivify." Hence St. Ambrose, in Hexaemeron Book V, ch. 6, renders it, "you will be giving life to men"; the Syriac, "henceforth you will be a fisher of men unto life," as if to say: Fishermen catch fish with a net and draw them out of the water to death, that they may slaughter, cook, and eat them; but you, O Peter, will fish for men, not unto death, but unto life — indeed, you will raise those dead in sin to the life of grace, in such a way that those caught by you, like fish, may die to sin, to concupiscence, and to their former life, but may live to life, to the life of grace and divine life, and may be in a way incorporated into God through grace and charity, just as fish eaten by men are incorporated into them and live in them with a nobler life, because they are informed by the human soul. So Origen, hom. 16 on Jeremiah, and St. Justin in Questions to the Gentiles, Question XL.
Allegorically: Peter's ship is the Church, whose patron and, as it were, prince is Peter and his successors the Roman Pontiffs. The Pontiff therefore is the first and highest fisherman, to whom Christ says: "You will be catching men." Therefore it falls to the Pontiff, by himself and through his legates and the priests and Religious sent by him, to convert unbelievers, Saracens, heretics, and so on, just as the first Pontiffs Saints Clement, Linus, Cletus, Cornelius, Fabian, Urban, and the rest, converted the Romans, and sent Apostolic men into Spain, Africa, India, and so forth, who converted the natives to Christ. So St. Gregory sent St. Augustine into England, who converted it.
St. Ambrose notes that some fish — that is, men — are drawn by the hook, like the martyrs; others by the net, like ordinary faithful. And he adds: The Apostolic instruments are nets, for they do not slay those they catch but preserve them, and lead them, tossing about from the depths, up to the heights. For nets are so called as if "retaining" (retinentia) what they have caught, says the Gloss.
Verse 32: I Have Not Come to Call the Righteous
32. I HAVE NOT COME TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS TO REPENTANCE — and through repentance to grace and glory. Hence St. Ambrose acutely says: "If grace comes from repentance, then he who scorns repentance renounces grace."