1. Two Calls
Anyone who has compared the four Gospels knows that the Bible is not written in strict chronological order. The events described in Matthew, Mark, and Luke are likely accounts of a single incident. However, for the sake of narrative clarity and to maintain as much chronological flow as possible, I have chosen to present them as two separate events. Another reason is that I wanted to explore the meaning behind Peter’s words in Luke—“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord”—from my own perspective.
When we compare this scene with John’s Gospel, it’s clear that Peter already knew Jesus and had followed Him before. Yet here, Peter suddenly confesses his sinfulness and asks Jesus to leave him. It feels abrupt if you simply accept it at face value. At first, I wondered if Peter might have left Jesus once before, disappointed by Jesus’ reluctance to reveal Himself, but that seemed too far removed from the biblical narrative. Instead, I chose to focus on the practical struggles people might face when following Jesus—issues like finances and family responsibilities.
We often expect that believing in God will solve all our problems, but in reality, faith does not guarantee worldly blessings. Sometimes God leads us down paths that bring blessings, and sometimes not. What matters is how we choose to live each day in the Lord. I believe that even these practical concerns are seen with compassion by God and by Jesus. For example, in this story, Jesus responds to Peter’s worries about providing for his family with an abundance of fish.
“Give the fish to your family, and follow me.”
To me, Jesus’ words “Do not be afraid” carry this meaning. Thinking along these lines, I imagine what happened to all those fish the disciples left behind. Although the Bible doesn’t say, I like to picture Zebedee, the father of James and John, finding the two boats, selling the fish, and sending the money to Peter’s family. Since the Bible is silent on this, why not imagine a positive outcome?
