Fishing for Men
Last Sunday during the serving of the Eucharist, there was such a precious site. From where I was sitting about the middle of St George's Anglican Church in Colorado Springs, I had clear view of the serving for the rear half of the nave. A young lady, perhaps fourteen or fifteen years of age receive the bread and then just stood in front of the chalice server not knowing what to do. Lynda, our chalicer, leaned over and whispered some instructions to this first time participant. What a precious sight. This is so much God's heart. God loves people. If God were to examine us in some area, this, I think would be the most crucial; how we deal with those "lambs" that he sends our way.
1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. 8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. 9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. 15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
John 21:1-17 (KJV)
The Apostle John's words, "on this wise shewed he himself," stages the verses to come. John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is showing Jesus as the Lord of the Harvest. Peter declared, "I go fishing," and then caught nothing. Have you ever had an evangelistic effort and caught nothing? What a conundrum. We are to reach the lost but so often our efforts bear no fruit. Then Jesus tells Peter to fish off the other side of the boat. How is that any different than what he was doing before? Was this a new fishing breakthrough? Was this some new method that worked better? No, Peter's success was due to God's blessing. If you have been fishing and caught nothing, maybe the method is not the problem, but that you are laboring without God's blessing!! That is when you go back to God and say, did we miss something here? God's desire is that we bear fruit and that our fruit remain (John 15:16). God judges two things in his people; sin and fruitlessness.
When God blesses with a harvest then there is another problem. How do we deal with all of these new fish? The net was so full they "dragged" it ashore rather than lifting it into the boat. How do churches deal with the incoming baby Christians? There is probably no more revealing question to a parish's vitality, than how do we deal with "the lambs?" Historically the ancient church was strong in what was called catechism. I fear, sometimes, we are too worried about keeping happy the spoiled Christians we have been serving for generations, rather than caring for baby Christians. Indigenous churches should produce indigenous Christians.
I do not think it difficult to get the fish into the net. Jesus said to pray the Lord of the Harvest. I have enough confidence in our prayers that if we pray for God to send them into the net he will. On the day of Pentecost many found their way into the net of Peter's preaching. Perhaps the reason we do not see more coming to the net of Christ is because we have not properly "feed his lambs."
So really to win the lost we always are looking at a two fold problem. One is getting the fish into the net and then getting the fish into the boat (integrating them into parish life). Getting them into the boat is most difficult. Again, Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest. Jesus' conversations with Peter are some of the most precious dialogs in scripture. Peter served as a sort of a forerunner for the group. So in speaking to Peter Jesus was conversing with all of the disciples and with us. Earlier Jesus discussed with Peter along with the other disciples about his identity as the Christ. Previously, Jesus had asked Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter had the right answer, because it had been revealed to him from The Father. And now Jesus is discussing with Peter becoming a "fisher of men." Jesus was not just talking to Peter, but to all of us. Peter had difficulty getting the fish into the net until Jesus was engaged in the event. Then the problem involved getting the fish into the boat. They never got the fish into the boat and Jesus' solution is to get Peter to "feed my lambs."
Whenever Jesus poses a question, you know something profound is coming, so get ready. Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?" Peter's love for the Lord had been purified in his denial of Christ and subsequent restoration. Peter said, "You know that I love you." "Feed my lambs," Jesus words to Peter remind me of Tevye's song to his wife Golde in the movie Fiddler on the Roof. Tevye sings, "Do you love me?" Golde responds with a list of things that she does for him, "I cook your food, wash your clothes...." Tevye comes back with, "Do you love me?" Obligation does not always prove love, but with feeding his lambs it is always out of love for Christ and indeed maybe is the measure of our love for Christ. Too many things clamor for our attention and resources, which causes us to loose sight of the lambs. It is our true love for Christ that brings us back to feeding the lambs.
Jesus said. If we love Jesus we will feed his lambs. Who are "his lambs?" They are the ones that just found themselves in the net but are not yet integrated into the parish. I would venture to say that America has many who once were in the net and made steps toward faith in Christ but because there was no "Peter" to "feed the lambs," they never made it into the boat. They are... in the net, but not in the boat.
I predict these "net Christians" will soon be showing up in a church near you. Right now it is like the beginning of a rainstorm. You hear the "tap, tap" of drops hitting the roof. Where will we be when the downpour comes? I predict the "tap, tap" of these "net Christians" that we are now seeing will become a cloud burst. What then? What will we do to get them into the boat, to make them "boat Christians?" Those churches that know how to get the fish from the net into the boat will prosper. Casting the net is easy, it's the hauling it in without capsizing the boat that is tricky. Many of our ancient Anglican buildings had the ceilings made of wood slats to show our relationship as the church to a boat. My heart cries out to God, "make us fishers of men," not just to get them into the net but to get them into the boat.
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