Profile 3: Peter (1)

The Fisherman and the Carpenter’s Son

Fr. Jijo Kandamkulathy CMF
Claretian Missionaries

The sun had barely risen, casting a soft glow over the waters of Lake Gennesaret. Simon sat in his boat, exhaustion evident in the lines on his face. His hands, rough from years of hauling nets, gripped the worn edges of his vessel as he stared at the empty sea. The night had been fruitless—not a single fish caught. The cruel silence of the water mocked his efforts.

Then came the voice.

A carpenter’s son—young but commanding—stood at the shore. Jesus of Nazareth, they called him. Simon had heard murmurs about the man—a healer, a preacher—but what would he know about fishing?

“Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch,” Jesus said.

Simon let out a frustrated scoff. Did this man not see the empty boats? Did he not understand that the fish simply weren’t there?

“Master,” Simon grumbled, rubbing his sore palms together, “we worked all night and caught nothing. But…” He sighed, forcing himself to comply. “…if you say so, I will let down the nets.”

With reluctant hands, Simon cast the nets. His mind still resisted—this was foolish, pointless. But then, suddenly, the boat lurched. The nets tugged violently, straining under the weight of an impossible bounty. Fish—more than he had ever seen at once—overflowed. His heart pounded as he called for James and John to help. Their boats nearly sank under the haul.

Simon fell to his knees before Jesus, staring at him in wide-eyed wonder and terror. The skepticism in his heart collapsed under the weight of the miracle.

“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Simon whispered, overwhelmed. This was no ordinary teacher. This was someone who saw beyond sight—someone who commanded the very depths.

But Jesus smiled, his gaze steady, filled not with judgment but with a calling.“Do not be afraid,” He said. “From now on, you will catch men.”

Simon knew, in that moment, that he could not go back to simply being a fisherman. He left his nets behind, abandoned his boat, and followed the man who had changed everything.

At the outset, Peter is a realist—a man whose life has been shaped by the gritty labor of fishing. He is practical, hardened by experience, and not easily swayed. When Jesus tells him to cast his nets after an exhausting, unproductive night, his initial response reflects skepticism and frustration (Luke 5:5). His reluctance isn’t rooted in defiance but rather in deep-seated pragmatism—he knows fishing, and logic tells him this effort is futile.

He was a skeptic and believed in practical things. Peter doesn’t blindly accept new ideas; he demands proof before believing. He was his natural self when he reacted to Jesus, His response is tinged with weariness and mild exasperation, showing his unfiltered, expressive nature.

This was Peter when he was called. When we meet him in the last scenes of the gospel, he was a different man. Think of that scenario.

It was the same location probably and the morning was earlier than the first time he met Jesus. The sky stretched wide above the Sea of Galilee, painted in hues of orange and gold preparing for the birth of the sun. Simon Peter gripped the edge of his wooden boat, feeling the calluses against its grain. He had spent his life navigating these waters, knowing its temperaments, understanding its silence.

Then, Jesus had come. A man who spoke like fire yet moved like water— unpredictable, relentless, gentle.

“Follow me,” Jesus had said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

Peter had obeyed. He had seen miracles unfold before his eyes—the blind seeing, the dead rising, the hungry fed with a mere handful of loaves. He had walked on water, even if only for a moment. Yet, faith had wavered, and he had begun to sink.

Now, years later, the resurrection had come—the impossible had happened. Yet, instead of certainty, Peter felt a gnawing emptiness.

Had he truly been worthy? Had he failed too many times?

The weight of denial still clung to him—the bitter taste of that third betrayal when the rooster crowed.

So, he returned to his old life. Fishing. Familiarity. Routine. He cast his net into the deep, watching it sink into the cold water, but it felt heavier than before—not with fish, but with doubts.

Was he truly meant for more?

Then, from the shore, a voice.

A voice he knew.

“Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some,” the voice called.

Peter’s breath caught in his throat. His heart pounded. Could it be…?

With trembling hands, he obeyed.

The net pulled taut—a miracle repeating itself. The fish overflowed, just as they had in the beginning. And in that moment, Peter understood.

It was never about the fish. Never about the water. Never about the storms.

It was about the calling.

With tears in his eyes and urgency in his stride, he threw himself into the sea, swimming toward the shore. The boat was too slow, and he could not wait.

There stood Jesus.

A fire crackled, and fish sizzled over the flames. Waiting. Welcoming. Restoring.

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Jesus asked.

The words broke him. Not in condemnation but in restoration.

“Yes, Lord,” Peter whispered.

“Feed my sheep.”

And just like that, he knew. He was not meant to return to the sea—not as a fisherman of fish. He was meant to cast nets for hearts, to gather souls, to lead the flock.

The sea had been his home. But his purpose lay beyond the waves.

He stood, the fire’s warmth against his skin, and made a decision that would change the world forever.

He would follow. Again.

Peter’s greatest moment of surrender comes after his denial of Jesus. When the rooster crows, he remembers Jesus’ words—and weeps bitterly (Luke 22:61-62). His failure crushes him.

He thought: “I swore I would never deny Him. I swore I would stand by Him. And yet—I failed. I failed Him. I failed myself. I am no leader. I am no disciple. I am nothing.”

After the resurrection, Peter returns to fishing—not out of passion, but disillusionment. He believes he has lost his purpose. But then, Jesus appears on the shore, repeating the miracle of the overflowing nets.

When Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” three times, Peter understands—this is his restoration. His surrender is no longer defeat—it is acceptance. He lets go of his pride, his fear, his need for control. He embraces his calling.

Peter’s journey is one of reluctance, resistance, and surrender—a deeply human struggle. He is skeptical, impulsive, protective, and flawed, yet his transformation is profound. His surrender is not passive—it is an active choice to trust, to lead, to follow Christ fully.

© Claretian Publications, Macau
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025