Another Fish Tale

I grew up with a fellow named Tom, who was quite a fisherman. To hear him talk you would think he had caught more than his share of whoppers. But to be honest with you—I think the truth of the matter would be that he told more whoppers than he caught. For you see, Tom was a liar. And we all knew he was a liar. And he knew that we knew that he was a liar. But that didn’t prevent him from lying. And it didn’t prevent us from enjoying the entertainment of a good fish story. There is a good reason why people look suspiciously on a fisherman’s tales. There is something about the sport that lends itself to big stories.

I wonder….how do you think people would have reacted when Simon Peter and the other disciples came back from their fishing trip telling the story of seeing the risen Jesus?

After the death and resurrection of Jesus, their world had been turned upside down. Their entire worldview was topsy turvy and they did not know what to do. So, they went back to their comfort zone. They went back to fishing. But then Jesus showed up, told them to throw the net on the other side of the boat, and they hauled in the catch of a lifetime.

This was Jesus’ way of re-calling his disciples to follow him. He was re-commissioning them to go out with renewed commitment to spread the good news of God’s kingdom. And so, it was decision time for these fishermen. They are on the edge of returning to their old way of life. Their hopes and dreams have been dashed. They returned to their comfort zone. And now, it is time to decide. Will they go back to fishing, or will they commit to being “fishers of men?”

It is always easier to stay in our comfort zone…to do the things we are accustomed to do…the things we feel comfortable doing. But there is a more satisfying way of life if you are willing to seek something greater. If you really want to be Christ’s disciple, then it’s time to put down the fishing pole and become a fisher of men and women. The future generations of disciples are depending on us. So…let’s go fishing!

Tim Hobbs, Pastor