“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)
Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate – The Church of Alexandria

St. Mary & St. Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church
Reaching out to Somerset and Hunterdon Counties in NJ

2nd Sunday of Paope

On this Sunday (10/22/23), the second Sunday of Paope, the Church reads from Luke 5:1-11. This Gospel begins by describing how the crowd was pressing in on Jesus “to hear the word of God” (Lk 5:1). Do we have the same urgency to hear the word of God? More importantly, do we have the same urgency to be united with the Word of God in the holy mystery of the Eucharist?

The urgency from the crowd propels Jesus to get into a boat and ask Simon Peter, the owner of the boat, to move it a little out from the land so that He can teach the people. This imagery reminds us that serving others is not accomplished by us or by God only. However, God allows us to partake of this remarkable grace so that we may serve those in the world through and with His Word. This is also illustrated throughout the life of Jesus. God calls the disciples to follow Him, not forcibly, but freely, and throughout the Gospel, we see that God truly works within and besides those who truly accept His call, who did so not just by merely following Him around, but by living according to His word.

It is no coincidence then that the Gospel mentions the lake of Gennesaret by name while witnessing to the faith of Simon, who hears the command of Jesus and does it. Gennesaret (Lk 5:1), Hebrew for “garden of the prince’ or ‘valley of riches,’ is known for its very fertile land and rich soil. Rich soil in the gospel refers to a person “who hears the word and understands it;” and the result of this understanding is bearing fruit a hundredfold, sixty, or thirty (Matt 3:23). Moreover, we see Peter’s reply to Jesus demonstrating the richness of his soil, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word, I will let down the nets” (Lk 5:5). We, too, must have rich soil, which, according to St John Chrysostom, refers to a receptive soul always ready to enact the seeds the Sower sows in his heart.

Out of fear and awe from the miracle he had just witnessed, Peter says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). This can be seen as a confession from Peter because while he did loosely follow Jesus before this miracle, at this moment, he realized Christ’s dominion and power and humbled himself before Him. However, his confession was not mere words; instead, he took action by heeding Christ’s message to follow Him (Lk 5:11). It is the same with us. When we humble ourselves before the Lord and realize His boundless love for us and His hands intricately coordinating our lives, we will respond like Simon and the other disciples. We would leave behind the things of the world, not necessarily by living a solitary life, but by prioritizing Him daily and having our Beloved in the forefront of our minds.

In the words of St. Jacob of Serugh: “Humility is the home of divinity; God will abide in it wherever it is!” May we plant God’s words in our hearts, humbling ourselves so He may dwell within us.

Sources:

  • Arthur Just Jr. and Thomas C. Oden. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament III, Luke
  • Bible, English Standard Version
  • Catena Bible, Commentary on Luke