Watch
Because Episode Three was a bit of a “stand-alone” chapter in the series, it would be helpful for the group to recap the plot developments in Episodes One and Two. And while it’s certainly fine for them to recount what’s happened for any of the characters they’ve encountered, it’s particularly important that they take a moment to recall what’s happened thus far in Simon’s storyline.
Discuss
Before you begin discussing the episode, take a moment to read the gospel account that inspired it: Luke 5:1-11.[1]
Near the end, Jesus says something jarring in an episode that has fish, fishing, and fishermen at its core: “Fish are nothing.” But to these men—Simon in particular—fish, fishing, and being a fisherman is everything. What are the many ways they are proven wrong (and Jesus right)?
Simon says he was “built for fishing,” but he’s given a deeper and truer calling: to fish for men and women. Anyone who follows Jesus has that same calling, which leads us to two questions:
● Unlike Simon and the other fishermen, most of us won’t leave behind our secondary calling—that is, our jobs. Why are some called to do so and others not?
● What does it look like for you to follow Jesus’s deeper and truer calling in your life even as you faithfully follow your secondary calling in life?
When Simon drops to his knees and declares himself “a sinful man”—someone unworthy—he’s a stand-in for us. Who are we to follow Jesus, let alone answer his calling? But why are we worthy? And how can we push back against our doubts?
Juxtaposed with the calling of these men are scenes of those with power who will fight against the work of Jesus and those who follow him. Just four episodes in, we know the opposition will be formidable—as it is for us. How do we persevere in our calling?
Pray
Here are two questions to guide your group’s closing prayer:
1. If you were to offer a word of thanks to God for something that comforted you in this episode, what would it be?
If you were to ask God’s help in living life in a new way in light of this episode, how would you sum up this new way of life?