Wednesday Bible Blurb “New Fisherman” 1 1 2025
Ken Lawson, this one’s for you.
It was July of 2023 and a warm summer afternoon as I walked down to my fishing hole. It only takes me a few minutes to walk down to the river from my fishing cabin to throw my line in and start another day of summer fishing bliss. I am a cheap fisherman in that I wear last years tennis shoes, cut off blue jeans with a shirt and a hat. My rod and reel are Walmart and inexpensive. Yet I catch an abundant number of fish and have no qualms about wading into the river and getting myself soaked. As I reached my fishing hole, I found it had been absconded by a group of fly fisherman. Well, one was obviously a fly-fishing instructor and the other six were his students who had hiked in from the public fishing access about one mile away. I sat down and watched as the instructor tried to teach these folks how to use a fly rod. They were dressed in expensive waders, used expensive fly rods and were spending a tidy sum of cash to learn how to fly fish…in my fishing hole. Having fished this hole since 1968 I took a bit of an exception to them fishing in my “private” fishing hole. So, I sat down on the bank of the river about 50 yards from the fly-fishing class and watched them. It was interesting to see the students cast backwards onto the bank and get their little fly hooked to a tree or a bush. They were NOT catching any fish. I admit, I might have had a bit of a smile as I watched these new fly fishermen (and woman) trying to learn how to fly fish. They were spending a lot of money to catch trees and bushes in the wilderness of Montana.
The brothers Peter and Andrew were professional fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. One day Jesus walked by and struck up a conversation with the brothers. He watched them cast their net into the sea for a while and “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him” (Matt. 4:19-20 [NKJV]). Apparently on the same day Jesus saw two more brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee fishing. “He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.” (Matt. 4: 22). When Jesus calls us to do His fishing are we willing and ready to give up everything and follow Him?
Peter, Andrew, James and John followed Jesus as He “went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.” (Matt. 4:22-23). Jesus was teaching them to become “fishers of men” for the kingdom and for healing. Learning to preach the gospel of the kingdom and to heal takes time and practice. It can be like getting your fly-fishing hook stuck in the tree or bush behind you as you learn to fly fish.
Jesus gives us a remarkable detailed view of fishing for men and women in Luke nine and ten. Jesus sent out His 12 disciples to “…preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (Luke 9:2). This was the pattern used throughout the gospels; preach the kingdom and to heal the sick. While feeding the 5,000 who were following Him “He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healed those who had need of healing.” (Luke 9:11). Soon after this Jesus sent out 70 of His followers on a fishing expedition, Opps I mean a discipling expedition, Opps I mean a mission trip. He sent out the 70 to preach the gospel of the kingdom and to heal the sick and to do it on faith alone. They were not even to take money with them. The cost of their fishing poles was irrelevant. They were fishing for men on faith and the Word of Jesus. (Luke 10:1-12). Most of the time when we are fishing, we cannot see the fish in the water. We must take it on faith that the fish are in there looking for our hook. We keep casting and hoping for a bite on our line. Repeatedly we see Jesus sending out his fisherman to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. This had to be done on faith as one cannot always see the fish but one must continue to cast their hook into the water (If you can get your hook out of the tree behind you).
As I sat there and watched these fly-fishing students, I wondered about all the money they spent on gear they had. I am sure they are now able to catch some fish, and most will be happy with the hundreds and hundreds of dollars they have spent to get out on a Montana wilderness river and spend the day fishing and dodging bears. Some will turn back to other worldly pursuits, and some will become good fisherman. I could not help myself as I watched these students untangle their lines. I stood up and with great fanfare cast my spinner across the river to a deeper part of the river. BAM, one big trout hit the line, bent my pole over and began to jump out of the water. I certainly had the attention of six novice fly-fisherman as they watched me play with my fish and slowly reel it in. Pretending not to notice my fishing hole intruders, I held up the 16-inch trout and carefully put it back into the river. Old and experienced triumphed over new and expensive equipment. One cast into the river and one big mountain trout hauled in.
Jesus had died, Peter and some of the other disciples had decided to go back to fishing. They were up all night and did not catch a thing. Tired, cold and hungry they looked on shore as a man yelled at them. “Children, have you any food?” (John 21:5). “He then said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’” (John 21:6). Jesus was showing them how to not get their line tangled in the proverbial trees and bushes of life. Peter recognized Jesus and immediately jumped into the Sea of Galilee and swam to His LORD. The other disciples followed in the boat and were treated to a wonderful breakfast of Jesus roasted fish and chips (bread). The disciples were becoming true fishers of men.
Down at my private fishing hole the novice fly fisherman were still trying to use their expensive gear and spending time untangling from the trees and bushes and still not catching any trout. I moved myself a bit closer (Now only about 30 yards from them) to this novice class of fishing hole intruders. This time, sitting down on the bank I cast my spinner to the other side of the river. BAM, another 15–16-inch trout hit my line and bent my pole over. Two casts, two nice trout and folks staring at me. With great fanfare and fun, I let the fish jump out of the water as I reeled it in. Once again, I had the attention of the fly-fishing students and probably the chagrin of the fly-fishing instructor. Who is this guy with the cheap spinning reel who is out fishing my students and me? Carefully, in full view of the class, I set the trout back into the river to swim free. Then I sauntered back up stream to my little fishing cabin in the Montana wilderness never to see the fly-fishing class again.
Fishing the river and fishing for men to preach the gospel of the kingdom and healing are very similar. Both can be fun and both can be frustrating. We can’t always see the fish and often they don’t bite. I usually count my casts when I am out fishing the river and have often made over 100 casts without catching anything. Fishing is simply what we are to do to preach the gospel of the kingdom and of healing. Jesus tells us to be like Peter and the apostles and to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… (Matt. 28:19a). In whatever manner we are called to go fishing for men, go. Flyfishing, spinner fishing, net fishing are all still fishing. Not every attempt is successful. In fact, there will be many more unsuccessful attempts than successful. The tangled lines of society can hinder our discipleship fishing. Let us just go fishing in faith for God and His kingdom.
Note: No fly fisherman was hurt in the writing of this blurb.
