Fishing

July 8, 2018

There once was a group of people that called themselves fishers.  All around them were many streams, lakes and seas filled with many fish, and the fish were hungry. 

Week after week, month after month, year after year, those who called themselves fishers met and talked about their call to fishing.  They continually searched for a new and better definition of fishing.  They sponsored costly nationwide and worldwide conferences to discuss fishing, to learn about new fishing equipment, fishing bates, lures, etc.
The plea was everyone should be a fisher and every fisher should fish.  One thing they weren’t doing was fishing.  All fishers agreed what was needed was a committee or board to challenge fishers to be faithful to fishing.  The committee was formed with those who had the greatest vision and courage to speak about fishing, who could define and promote fishing.
Matthew 28:16-20 

Large, elaborate and expensive training centers were built to teach fishers how to fish.  Those who taught had doctorates in fishology.  They didn’t fish, mind you, they only taught fishing and sold encouraging books about fishing.  Some spent much study and traveled extensively to learn the history and theology of fishing, and visited the faraway places that the founding fishers did great fishing in centuries past.  They exalted the faithful fishers of years past who had handed down the idea of fishing. 

In fairness, it should be said that many fishers made generous sacrifices and dealt with many difficulties.  Some lived very near the water and were subjected to the awful smell of dead fish every day.  Some received ridicule by those who thought their fishing club were silly and antiquated.  But, many in the club anguished over those who weren’t committed enough to the club to come very single week to talk about fishing, and some even suggested that those who failed to catch enough fish shouldn’t even be able to call themselves fishers, which brings us to the question…if someone doesn’t catch any fish, are they still a fisher?

Gospel Lesson

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go.  When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted.Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”