Fishing has never really been my thing. I've done it, both fresh and salt water, but it just didn't click with me. I do however understand that there is a stark difference between fishing and catching. I have fished enough to know how, but catching... well that is another story. Fisherman will tell you it takes an enormous amount of patience to fish, and be good at it.
I'm the type person who can't stand to be still, or be quiet. Neither of those is a good combination to fish. All it takes is one good catch and your hooked, I'm not quite sure that I ever had significant catch, therefore fishing never became my thing.
In the mid 1990's a friend of mine, Joe, and I took a fishing trip down to the gulf coast. Though it has been 20 years I still remember it. We did have a good time. Caught some interesting creatures out of the gulf, one sea trout, and a car load of salt-water catfish. Little did we know that salt-water catfish (unlike fresh water) weren't really worth keeping. I can remember long days on the pier doing, nothing. I guess that's ok for a day or two, but more than that... not for me. Patience is not my strong suit. I can remember sitting there all day and not catching.... one.....single.....thing.... and being frustrated and wanting to quit. Then something happened, I got a bite, hooked it and reeled in a fish. For the moment it was exciting, it was invigorating, it was a little of an adrenaline rush. It was enough to come back the next day.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. (Lk 5:4-6., NIV)
Simon and his fishing buddies had been out fishing all night long. This was their livelihood, how they fed their families. You can imagine that a long night out with no catch is frustrating. Simon gets back near shore to hear Jesus out in a boat teaching the fisherman and onlookers. Jesus teaches for a few then turns to Simon and tells him to go back out and drop the nets. Simon of course being a career fisherman, probably didn't appreciate much this Rabi telling him how to fish, so he tells Jesus they have worked hard all night. I'm quite sure he is tired, frustrated, and ready to call in the day. However, he responds by saying, ok I will. Then something amazing happens, they catch so many that their nets are breaking.
Here is Jesus' point. He tells them from there to become fisher's of men. Being a minister, being a believer we work long and hard trying to catch the fish (people). Sometimes the ministering is good, sometimes it is bad. Sometimes the people come, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes the people respond, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes you feel like you have worked so hard for....nothing.
Jesus tells us that when we feel like we have worked so hard and had no response, no catches, to go back out into the deep waters of humanity and drop the nets again. Maybe not everyone is going to haul in so many people that things will be bursting at the seam. We all want that, but it doesn't always work that way. To be a fisher of one man, one person, one child, and to have them respond to the Gospel makes it all worth it.
The sea around us in Enka/Candler is deep there are 22,000 people here..... It's time to go fishing..
Chris.
