Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Saturday, January 11, 2014 Read Luke 5:1-11 We are still contemplating the similarities and the differences in the gospel writer’s account of the formation of the first contingent of disciples. This is a good area for us to do some thinking because the issue is really not that important. It really doesn’t matter much how the formation of the first contingent of disciples happened. Luke’s account of the call of Peter provides us an interesting story to work with because Luke’s account “conflicts” both with Mark and with John. I have put the word “conflicts” in quotation marks because in the end there really isn’t a conflict – unless one wants to press for historical accuracy. Mark told his readers that right after Jesus was baptized and John the Baptist had been arrested Peter was the first to be called. He was by the Sea of Galilee presumably about his business of fishing. Jesus comes by, calls Peter, and immediately he follows. Luke omitted that part of Mark’s story and instead tells the story of the call of Peter by using a story that Mark either was not aware of or chose not to include. Luke’s story is more natural and even a bit more realistic than Mark’s. Peter encounters Jesus in a fishing episode on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus miraculously helps Peter to experience a great catch of fish even though Peter had been fishing all night without success. It is this encounter with Jesus that moves Peter eventually to faith in Jesus and to follow him. What makes Luke’s account even more interesting is that John knows the same story of Peter and the great catch of fish. Only John tells this story at the very end of his gospel after Jesus has been raised from the dead and in the re-commissioning of Peter who had failed to follow in the courtyard of the high priest. John’s story is slightly different but there are enough similarities to be sure that they are telling the same story. Of course, there are those would want to claim that the same thing happened twice and I suppose that is possible. But is that really likely, or are we just trying to support a prior notion that everything must have happened just as it’s written? I think that we are doing the latter and it is really an unnecessary attempt to bolster the Bible which stands well on its own. So Luke and John have each encountered a wonderful story of Jesus and Peter and a great catch of fish. Each chooses to insert the story into their gospel at a different point because it works well from them to do this. And the whole process of tracing their use of this story helps us to better understand how the gospels came into being. Discoveries like this are exciting! They can help us better appreciate the Bible. And better to hear its message! We are tempted to ask one more question – “When did this episode really happen?” But, that is a question of our own “scientific, give me the facts” preoccupation. It’s the wrong question. It’s an unimportant question. And it is a question we finally will never be able to answer. Tragically, it is a question that can lead us astray into a field of speculation and doubt and frustration. We are better off not asking it.