Faithfully Fishing
By Rev. Kyle Norman
“Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19)
When I was 9, my family and I visited my uncle during our summer vacation. My uncle lived in a small town in northern British Columbia, the kind that boasted opportunities for hunting and fishing. During our stay, my uncle took us fishing along the Skeena River. I brimmed with excitement over my first-ever fishing trip.
We arrived at my uncle’s favorite spot along the bank of the river. No one else was around; the river was open just for us. We unloaded our gear while my uncle began setting things up. The first thing he did was tie a bell at the top of our fishing rods. He then cast the lines deep into the river and stuck the rods into the sand. With the fishing rods securely in place, and the lines dancing in the river, he sat back in a fold-out chair, cracked a beer, and began flipping through a magazine.
For my uncle, this was fishing. Fishing was a passive activity wherein he enjoyed the comfort and quiet of the shorefront. Fishing was a time for him to be alone, drink his beer, and read his magazines, all the while waiting for some wayward salmon to stumble upon his line.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus invites Peter and Andrew to engage in a new type of fishing. “Follow me,” Jesus says, “I will make you fish for people.” Peter and Andrew were fishermen by trade, so they recognized what Jesus was saying. The image was clear for them. Just as they cast their nets into the water, gathering the fish into their boat, Jesus now asked them to gather people into the community of discipleship. For the fishermen of the day, fishing wasn’t a passive activity. There was no lounging under the sun with a beer in hand. Fishing was arduous and demanding. It took effort and diligence. It also involved a team of people. Peter fished with Andrew. James and John fished with their father.
I sometimes wonder if we make Christ’s call to fish for people more passive than we realize. Do we ever approach the call to fish for people in the way of my uncle? We sit back in the comfort of our churches, awaiting any unsuspecting visitor who might stumble across our line. Perhaps this is the reason why the number of active Christians in North America continually declines. Have we failed to recognize the very activity Jesus asks us to engage in?
Intersecting Faith and Life:
re. In this small snippet, we can glean two important truths.
Firstly, fishing for others means we are called to go out to them. Jesus approached the would-be disciples. Jesus never rested with the temple elite; he never sequestered himself; he never sat idle by waiting for people to come to him. Instead, Jesus went out amongst the people. He approached Peter and Andrew, Matthew, and Zacchaeus. He walked toward Blind Bartimaeus and stood at Jacob’s well with the unknown woman. Jesus risked being in the very presence of those he called into faith. And even if the person rejected the call to new life, such as the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-22), the graceful presence of Jesus was there, nonetheless.
This radical approachability of Jesus is foundational to who he is. It undergirds the entire incarnation. Jesus continually journeys toward others, and we are asked to do the same.
If we wish to fish for people after the model of Jesus, we need to leave our comfort zones to push into the unknown. We cannot fish for people if we are never in the presence of people. Like pushing out into deep water to be in the place where the fish run, we must risk being in the presence of those to whom we call into faith. It does little good for us to sequester ourselves in holy silos and wait for people to stumble through the front doors of our church. This isn’t fishing. Instead, Jesus calls us to actively pursue relationships with others.
The second thing that Jesus models for us is the power of invitation. Jesus doesn’t force anyone into a relationship. Jesus never coerces people into discipleship. Instead, he simply holds out an invitation to experience new life. Jesus simply calls out, “Follow Me,” and whenever people ask questions, he invites them to “come and see.” Fishing for people isn’t about forcing people into the church by any means necessary. People must choose the way of Christ, freely responding to the grace and love of God they see expressed in us. It is as people see the effect of Jesus in us and hear our gentle invitations to experience the same that we grow the community of faith.
This isn’t as complicated as we sometimes think it is. We aren’t tasked with solving people’s problems or answering all their questions. We aren’t the Savior. No, we simply hold out an invitation, allowing others to see the light and life of Jesus shine through us.
Whom might you be called to invite into the community of faith? Whom might you stand beside or walk alongside? The call to fish for others isn’t complicated, but it is active. It calls us to journey toward others and to journey with others. And it calls us to be vocal about Christ’s presence in our lives. So, may we all, in the power of Jesus, go to those to whom he calls us and invite them to experience the rich blessings of the Savior.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/smiltena
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