....And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." - Matthew 4:19
Okay, I love the outdoors. I love to hike, camp, bike, and do just about everything outdoors. Everything that is, except for fishing. Fishing is boring. There, I said it. My pastor is cringing as he reads this. He loves to fish. That's okay though. He's also a LeBron James fan. ugh...We disagree on some really important things like that.
In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus is telling the men he chose to join him in ministry that if they follow him, he will make them fishers of men. He is using a metaphor by comparing adding people to the kingdom of God to fishing, something the men could relate to since their culture was based upon the sea, and their food supply depended on the catching of fish.
I've been thinking about that metaphor in today's terms. Going fishing in my culture usually means either sitting on a dock, a bank, or standing in a river waiting for the fish to bite whatever you've thrown at them. If they bite, it's a good day. If they don't, you just chalk it up to bad luck because there's always tomorrow, right?
The metaphor just doesn't work in today's terms. That's why it's important for us to understand the culture of the people we encounter in the Bible.
Fishing was tough for the men back then and probably a lot more adventurous than what we've ever experienced on the water. If a storm came, they couldn't just hop in the truck or head for cover. They had to face the storm head on and hope the waves didn't capsize their boats. There was also much more importance placed upon their fishing trips. If the fish weren't biting, they couldn't sell them. If they had nothing to sell, they may have not had food to eat. I would think that if the fish weren't biting, they would have to take desperate measures and move to another spot or try techniques they've never used before. I bet they got pretty innovative with their methods when the pressure was put on them. Can you imagine the joy and satisfaction they got pulling in full nets of fish because they found the right strategy?
That's the kind of fishing I'd want to be a part of. It sounds exciting. There is importance placed upon it. It sounds vital to a thriving culture. It involves life and death situations. It's dangerous at times, but the payoff is HUGE.
I don't want to stand around in a river waiting for fish to come to me. I want to go after them.
I don't want to be a part of a church that throws out "bait" and waits for individuals to "bite".
I want to GO.
I want to use new strategies.
I want to find new ways to spread the message of Jesus to a lost world in order to add to the kingdom of God.
I don't want to be a part of a boring "stand in one spot and wait" kind of church.
I want to be a part of a dangerous church.
That's how I choose to fish.
Okay, I love the outdoors. I love to hike, camp, bike, and do just about everything outdoors. Everything that is, except for fishing. Fishing is boring. There, I said it. My pastor is cringing as he reads this. He loves to fish. That's okay though. He's also a LeBron James fan. ugh...We disagree on some really important things like that.
In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus is telling the men he chose to join him in ministry that if they follow him, he will make them fishers of men. He is using a metaphor by comparing adding people to the kingdom of God to fishing, something the men could relate to since their culture was based upon the sea, and their food supply depended on the catching of fish.
I've been thinking about that metaphor in today's terms. Going fishing in my culture usually means either sitting on a dock, a bank, or standing in a river waiting for the fish to bite whatever you've thrown at them. If they bite, it's a good day. If they don't, you just chalk it up to bad luck because there's always tomorrow, right?
The metaphor just doesn't work in today's terms. That's why it's important for us to understand the culture of the people we encounter in the Bible.
Fishing was tough for the men back then and probably a lot more adventurous than what we've ever experienced on the water. If a storm came, they couldn't just hop in the truck or head for cover. They had to face the storm head on and hope the waves didn't capsize their boats. There was also much more importance placed upon their fishing trips. If the fish weren't biting, they couldn't sell them. If they had nothing to sell, they may have not had food to eat. I would think that if the fish weren't biting, they would have to take desperate measures and move to another spot or try techniques they've never used before. I bet they got pretty innovative with their methods when the pressure was put on them. Can you imagine the joy and satisfaction they got pulling in full nets of fish because they found the right strategy?
That's the kind of fishing I'd want to be a part of. It sounds exciting. There is importance placed upon it. It sounds vital to a thriving culture. It involves life and death situations. It's dangerous at times, but the payoff is HUGE.
I don't want to stand around in a river waiting for fish to come to me. I want to go after them.
I don't want to be a part of a church that throws out "bait" and waits for individuals to "bite".
I want to GO.
I want to use new strategies.
I want to find new ways to spread the message of Jesus to a lost world in order to add to the kingdom of God.
I don't want to be a part of a boring "stand in one spot and wait" kind of church.
I want to be a part of a dangerous church.
That's how I choose to fish.
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