Jesus put out an invitation to
the fishermen: "Follow me and I will make you fish for
people." He meant He was going to change the passion of
their lives, their life's work. He didn't say they'd
be using the same methods: they used nets to catch fish, but
fishing for people would be different. We see in the rest of
the gospel that Jesus ministered to people on a personal basis.
He responded to their needs, treated them with dignity and love,
enjoyed having meals and fellowship with them. So it was completely
different than hauling in a catch of fish. His method was personal
and caring.
"I will make you fish for people." It could mean, "I'll
force you to." A petulant child might sass Him back and
say, "You can't make me!" It doesn't mean
that. It means their hearts would catch the same enthusiasm for
people that Jesus had. When they saw how others could be helped
and healed and brought into the family of God, they'd want
to do the same. They'd catch the spirit—the enthusiasm—the
passion—of Jesus for people. And it would happen as they
followed Him. He wasn't the kind of leader who said, "You
go out and do this. I'll wait here for you." No,
he led the way.
If when you were growing up you had a mom or dad or sister
or brother who let you learn from them, then you were blessed
indeed. Whether cooking or camping, sewing or sailing, if the
adult presence in your life took you along, you had a true teacher.
Reading how-to books isn't nearly as effective as learning from an expert
with the patience to show you what they were doing. Some of us
had adults in our lives who were great at what they did but somehow
couldn't communicate it to us. Jesus was a great communicator.
I found a fishing book called Freshwater
Strategies by
a man named, suspiciously, Douglas Pike. He's a writer for
Field and Stream Magazine, and in the book he describes
his life-long love of fishing. A lot of what he says applies
to other sports and hobbies, and to our calling as people of
faith. "For
whatever talents I have with rod and reel, I thank my father,
who died in 1992. It was he who introduced me to fishing as
soon as I was old enough to hold a cane pole and put a worm
on a hook without drawing my own blood, or his. He started
me as any child should be started in the sport, chasing pint-sized
fish on easy-to-use tackle." Do you see what his dad
did for him? He started him at a level he could succeed at,
in a secure environment, with somebody he trusted completely.
He didn't begin by fishing for marlin in the Caribbean but
for minnows on golden pond.
Then he writes, "My first fishing memories are of trips that
took place while I was still young enough to be absolutely mesmerized
by the sight of a tiny cork twitching, dancing, and then vanishing
beneath the surface. Imagination ran wild with every bite and every
nibble, which it should in a child's mind." He developed
a complete enthusiasm for the sport. Nobody ever had to twist his
arm to go fishing. That's what Jesus would pass on to His
disciples. Once they had a taste of the joy of seeing others find
God, and find friends and new life in the fellowship, they were
hooked for life. Fishing for people wasn't a dreary task—it
was the greatest privilege.
Douglas Pike is open and honest about the mistakes he has made
along the way. A day when he came home empty handed was never
a wasted day—it was a day full of lessons, and learning
about what not to do. Discouragement never even entered his mind.
This too applies to disciples then and now, who have been known
to come home downcast from time to time.
Now the process of fishing for people requires all kinds of
support and divisions of labor. Listen to Douglas Pike again: "I
cannot begin this book without mentioning my wife Amy, whose patience
and tolerance may qualify her for sainthood. The enthusiasm she
once had for fishing mysteriously waned about a week after we were
married, and neither of us has tried particularly hard to relocate
it. She is not an avid angler. We both have accepted that, and
our relationship is stronger because of that understanding. She
knows enough about the sport to appreciate my accounts of my trips,
and to support me in what I do." In the process of reaching
out, not everybody is on the front lines. But everybody has a
part to play: in prayer, in serving, in welcoming others, in
teaching by example and/or by words.
The book is about one man's passion for fishing. What if
we developed that same passion for Christ's way of fishing?
It's the heart and soul of the Christian life. It's
not forcing others against their will to believe the same things
we do. It's caring enough about people to reach out to
them, invite them to the group that has meant so much in our
life, invite them to worship in church with us, or welcome them
when they get here, help them with a task in the yard.
One last quote from the book: "There probably will come
a day when I am no longer physically able to fish. When that day
comes, somebody had better drag my wilted carcass down to the nearest
lake once or twice a week so I can at least watch other people
fish." This man is dedicated—devoted—passionate—about
fishing. Are WE?
Let us pray: Lord, you call us to be avid fishermen and women,
with a heart for people. Give us true enthusiasm for loving others
into your kingdom, and into eternal relationship with you. In
Jesus' name.
Amen. |
