Saturday mornings I usually catch the “Fishing Report” on WWL AM 870. The host offers all sorts of fishing tips for the area -- advice on what kind of lures or bait to use in certain water temperature and depth. He talks about when it’s best to fish and where to fish -- all good advice. I need all the advice I can get because I’m not a super fisherman. Our Savior understands the fundamentals of fishing better than anyone. He’s the perfect fisherman. What’s amazing is that he invites us to learn from him as he sends us out on a unique fishing expedition. So, LET’S GO FISHING! 1) Not Because We’re So Good, but 2) Because He’s So Gracious.
1) Not Because We’re So Good
The one thing that strikes me about this section of Scripture is that Jesus is telling professional fishermen how to fish. These men knew how to fish. Fishing was their livelihood. Above all, Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John, knew the bitter reality of fishing: sometimes you catch something and sometimes you didn’t.
Have you ever watched one of those sports fishing shows? I’ll stop to watch a few minutes of one, but then I have to change the channel. It makes me sick to see them pull in fish after fish, one lunker after the other. It’s then that I have to remind myself that a lot of editing goes into producing one of those shows. There’s a side that you don’t see – cast after cast without a single bite! How many hours those professional anglers must spend on their bass boats waiting to record a few minutes of footage of them landing the “big one.” It leads me to wonder what makes someone a professional fisherman.
What about these disciples? Why would Jesus choose them? Were they that good? Let’s look at what Jesus saw. “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.” It’s pretty obvious why Jesus chose these men, isn’t it? They were fishermen. They weren’t pro anglers. Instead, they were commercial fishermen. They had a different perspective on fishing than us recreational fishermen. These men were not concerned with catching the trophy bass. They were simply focused on filling their nets. They didn’t care much for the size or species. These fishermen just wanted to catch fish! And Jesus didn’t choose them because they considered themselves the best. He chose disciples who were simply willing to catch fish. He chose these men to go out and share the good news of salvation with all people. That was his fishing trip!
Consider how that applies to your life as a disciple of Christ. Christ has sent us to do some fishing as well. Often we’re tempted to look at ourselves as the “pro-angler” when in reality we’re the awful novices. We might be tempted to join an Evangelism Committee or invite our neighbor to church because we’re looking for the trophy fish. That type of thinking might have an impact on the kinds of people we invite to church. Perhaps you’ve found yourself saying, “Wow! That family across the street sure is in need of help. Quite frankly, they’re a mess! What problems they have! I don’t think I’d want to invite them to church. What would other people think?” Maybe you were tempted to not catch anything at all. You may have helped your church make visits to others, going out and knocking on doors, and secretly you were hoping that no one would be home. You’d rather go back without a nibble for fear of wrestling a “whopper” into the boat.
As fishers of men we can also be very selective about our fishing holes. I’ve heard the argument that it’s a waste of time trying to reach out to families in Abita Springs. It’s dry. There aren’t any prospects around here. We should be focusing our efforts in Mandeville or Covington – after all that’s where the keepers are. We’re tempted to think that only certain fish ought to meet our criteria, and that we’re only going to share our faith with people who share a common interest, or with people who really seem worthy of our time. What pathetic fishers we are!
That’s precisely why our Savior likens service in his Name to fishing. He does this to show us that we aren’t as good as we think. People are not just going to come and jump into your net. It’s agonizing work – sharing the gospel. It’s tough to beat down the sinful flesh long enough to get out the door with the right motivation. It’s even tougher to get to the “fishing hole” and keep the right perspective. Yet, Jesus sends us out. He allows us to share the gospel whether people will listen or not. And that changes everything. We realize we aren’t pro-anglers. And our Lord never meant us to be. We, too, needed someone who cared enough to consider us a “keeper” in the faith.
2) Because Our Savior Is So Gracious
Our Savior went fishing for us and caught us by his grace. Jesus considered you and me keepers. He didn’t want to throw us back into the murky waters of sin and unbelief. He kept fishing for us and snagged us with his love. Jesus didn’t use a cane pole or a graphite rod with Zebko reel. Jesus used a rugged plank of wood and some rusty nails for his pole and hook. And he used himself as the lure. He allowed himself to be hung on the cross for the entire world to see, so that all might witness the power of his love!
Someone took the time to share that powerful message with you. The Holy Spirit worked in your heart, creating faith in Jesus your Savior, and you were caught! It has very little to do with you or me, and it has everything to do with the amazing grace of our Savior-God. We can learn something about this truth from the fishing technique these disciples used. When Jesus found the men in our text, they were casting a net into the Sea of Galilee. This was most likely a round net with lead weights attached to the ends. When this net was thrown into the water it would spread out in a circle and sink, capturing whatever was below.
This kind of fishing didn’t require a huge tackle box full of shiny lures or a collection of rods and reels. The net was simply cast out and whatever was caught was dragged in. This is exactly what Jesus had in mind when he sent out his disciples to be fishers of men. It’s exactly what he has in mind when he presents you with the same opportunity. Don’t rely on yourself to share the gospel. And don’t rely on other people to be ready to receive it. Think about it. How many fish really want to be caught? It’s the same thing with people. By nature, we are sinful and hostile to God. We’re afraid of him. We despise him. We disobey him. We fear him. There’s nothing we can do to condition ourselves to be ready to be caught. We can’t take any credit for our faith in Jesus any more than we can take the credit for leading someone to faith. It has little to do with how good we are, and it has everything to do with how gracious our Savior is.
Peter, Andrew, James and John were not the greatest fishermen. They didn’t have a formal education. Time and again, they proved how spiritually ignorant they were. They made a lot of mistakes. They said a lot of foolish things. Think of Peter. He was so impetuous. He was the one, on the night of Jesus’ betrayal, insisted that he would rather go to the cross with Jesus rather than deny him. And just a couple of hours later, we find Peter crying in the dark because a little girl challenged his faith. And this is the one called the Rock? James and John were also arrogant and foolish. They foolishly thought they could sit at Jesus’ right and left in power and authority. They had no idea of what kind of kingdom Christ was establishing. These men had a lot of misgivings concerning Christ. Yet, Jesus was gracious he sought them out to be fishers of men. And he has done the same with us.
Someone once said that God has called us to do the fishing, but he cleans and keeps them. How true that is! That underscores the beauty of our Lord’s grace. The Holy Spirit has caught us with his gospel – leading us to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior – Son of God and Son of Man. He’s cleansed us in the waters of baptism, showering us with his redemption. God has cleansed us and he can certainly use us! And the opportunities to share the gospel with others have nothing to do with how good we are, but how gracious our Lord is.
Whenever I go fishing I usually take a couple of rods along with me because I don’t like having to tie knots or untangle string. That way I’m always ready to fish. It’s necessary to have the right equipment. The Holy Spirit has placed the perfect fishing equipment in our hands. It’s not a tackle box full of baits. It’s the sweet message of sins forgiven in Jesus’ name. The Bible reveals such a message to us. And that’s all we need. Above all, we have God’s promise to bless our efforts as he sees fit. All we need to do is spread our nets and share the gospel of Jesus. God will do the rest. So, let’s go fishing! Amen.
