Tuesday morning, David Booth led our men’s Bible study. We centered on Luke 5:1-11, where Jesus calls His first disciples. The fellowship around our table was fantastic, as always, and David began his lesson by recalling numerous childhood fishing trips with his dad. (I share this with David’s permission.) He described his father’s uncanny ability to catch fish after everybody else had caught none, given up, and gone home. David remembers many important details of those fishing expeditions, right down to the names of the best fishing lures, as we tend to do when life’s best insights have come our way.
As I surveyed my own mental images of fathers and sons fishing together, I fondly relived one of my most vivid childhood memories: my dad and I, off the Florida Gulf Coast, landed a 98-pound bull shark (yes, the maneater kind). That shark put up quite an extended fight, as you might expect, and you can imagine why the half-day experience was one that I will never forget.
Dads and sons fishing. It’s the stuff of great novels and movies. The scenes even don the covers of greeting cards. It’s more about the bonding than the sport, but the sport proves quite valuable in the transmission of some of life’s most critical lessons. All of us must come to appreciate the value of patience and perseverance, and learning to fish certainly provides some of the necessary hands-on experience.
Back to our Scripture passage, the crew of Simon Peter’s boat has fished all night, but has nothing to show for it. Prompted by Jesus to “put out into the deep,” the men’s nets become so full of fish that they’re on the verge of breaking. You’ve likely read of the miraculous catch.
Immediately recognizing that he is in the presence of the Lord of heaven and earth, Peter becomes so profoundly convicted that he begs Jesus to leave. We see in the text that James and John are similarly astonished. But Jesus gives a life-altering instruction, as well as a promise: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
“From now on!” Surely that assignment is broad enough to encompass your life and mine. These are also our marching orders, friends. Are you and I willing to give our all to fishing for people who need the grace and truth of Christ? They’re lost, and they’re everywhere. And we have the words of eternal life. Will we heed our Savior’s call? Will we recognize the exciting possibilities of this unique moment in time? Right now counts forever. “They left everything and followed him.”
So don’t lose heart. Keep your line in the water, and keep your eyes wide open. Not every nibble will become a bite, but every bite begins with a nibble. As you share the gospel of Christ within your sphere of influence, know that One goes before you to prepare hearts and minds for the words (and the Word) that you have been called to bring. You never fish alone.
“Do not be afraid.” We cast. He smiles.
Pastor Charles
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