Galilee:  fishing at sunset

Luke 5:1-11:

One day as Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the people crowded upon him to listen to the word of God, he noticed two boats lying at the water’s edge; the fishermen had come ashore and were washing their nets.  He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore; then he went on teaching the crowds from his seat in the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”  Simon answered, “Master, we were hard at work all night and caught nothing at all; but if you say so, I will let down the nets.”  They did so, and made a big haul of fish; and their nets began to split.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  This they did, and loaded both boats to the point of sinking.

When Simon saw what had happened he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go, Lord, leave me, sinner that I am!”  For he and all his companions were amazed at the catch they had made; so too were his partners James and John, Zebedee’s sons.

“Do not be afraid,” said Jesus to Simon; “from now on you will be catching people.”  As soon as they had brought the boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Gennesaret:  Where is this? *

* Gennesaret:

Kinneret is the Hebrew name for the freshwater lake we usually call the “Sea of Galilee.”  Luke is the only Biblical writer who calls the lake “Gennesaret” (the Greek form of the Hebrew Kinneret), which is what Jesus and his disciples would have called it.