This pericope pulls together two main ideas. The first is the miracle of overflowing fish nets, and the second is signing up several of the disciples.
This account draws many parallels with the call of these disciples recorded in Matthew, although they may well refer to two different occasions.
Matthew 4:18-22
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret,
This is the same as the Sea of Galilee in Matthew 4:18.
NASA Observatory
Israel’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Tiberias, is also known as the Sea of Tiberias, Lake of Gennesaret, Lake Kinneret, and the Sea of Galilee.
and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
This process is lengthy, as nets must be soaked in hot water, then scrubbed with a brush on both sides multiple times.
The purpose of washing nets is to remove debris, reduce odor, and make the nets safe for fish who might otherwise be harmed by stinging organisms or sharp debris.
Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."
And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets."
It is a theme that human effort is insufficient without God's help.
Psalm 127:1-2
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Luke 12:27
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
The miracle is very clear: there is no way these two boats with only one net produced so many fish. They had been empty, washing the nets; and Simon had put out to the deep to cast when he had to signal to the others on shore. The people can see clearly this was nothing but the activity of God.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."
Luke records several times Jesus shows mercy to "sinners" in his teaching.
Luke 5:29-32
And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
Luke 15:2-4, 7
And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." So he told them this parable: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it...?
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."Luke 18:9-14
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,
and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."
These same four (including Simon Peter's brother Andrew) are mentioned in Matthew 4:18, 21. Four of the 12 disciples know each other personally and are business partners in fishing.
And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
These four took the same action in Matthew 4:20, 22.