I'd Rather be Fishin' The Wayfarer

I'd Rather be Fishin'
3/3/17

Matthew 4:18-20

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁸ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

¹⁹ And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

²⁰ And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

As the beauty and warmth of the spring season  makes its way once more upon  the scene that has been overshadowed by the cold stark reality of winter, thoughts turn once more to leisurely pursuits that have brought so much pleasure and peaceful enjoyment of that warmth and beauty.

Few have not been apprised of the simple pleasure of spending time on or beside water and the few that have not have missed out on one of the greatest blessings granted this creature .

Many solitary hours were spent on ponds and lakes, creeks and streams in complete loss of time as bass, catfish, bluegill, and a variety of other fish called to the child I once was, calling to test skill and meager equipment against their wiliness and ability to steal whatever bait was being offered.

I say solitary, because, it was indeed in soltitude the majority of these outings were spent.

That very soltitude presented the opportunity to consider the beauty of God's creation, and the vastness of that creation as my own place within it  was considered as well.

The fishermen considered in the opening verses of this particular offering were fishing as a profession, a vocation and avocation as well.

That vocation allows for the same enjoyment and consideration of the beauty of the reality of creation, yet bringing hardship and danger and even privation into that same picture described by the one who chooses only to pursue it as a hobby, a pastime.

They were devoted to their vocation, tending to nets and equipment in preparation for its use, mending what needed mended, cleaning what required cleaning, recognizing that their very existence depended on that equipment, their safety dependent on their boats as well as their skills.

Until having been approached and called by Jesus, their vision of future resided in those efforts, that vocation, and, as stated, avocation.

The endeavor they were called to, called for the same devotion to purpose,  and the same love of the task at hand previously expended in pursuit of  "fishin'"

They recognized that a far greater reward lay in acceptance of the challenge being offered them, the fulfilment being offered them, the chance to overcome the dangers that were inherent in a new vocation and greater avocation.

Many times have I heard so many make the statement contained within the title.

I have heard it during long and tedious hours spent in endeavor to complete the various requirements of vocations having nothing to do with "fishin'" both during the time I spent as a professional soldier, and later time spent in various civilian endeavors.

Without exception, those words were spoken wistfully, as the one speaking them returned to the peaceful environs and beauty of a world experienced elsewhere.

Great deals of time are spent preparing for expeditions, vacations, time taken from the normal pursuits of the day. Great amounts of money are expended in the attempt to get back to that place where the speakers of those words would rather be.

Many, too many, prioritize lives on the escapes offered forgetting the temporary nature of their pursuit, placing its importance above the greater need for the pursuit of the kingdom of heaven that may only be had by a greater effort  in its pursuit.

This is too often expressed in those same words, when invited to attend a church service or function that requires forgoing  the pleasure being sought by their speaker.

The original intent of this "pastime"  that was shared by our two fishermen in the opening , is the very nourishment and sustainment of life itself.

We find that after having followed Christ Jesus throughout His ministry, having seen and been a part of the miracles performed, having known, being with the Son of God, even Peter, one of the two called that day, wistfully returned to that initial vocation and avocation until presented with the necessity of pursuing that call to remain "fishers of men."

John 21

King James Version (KJV)

21 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.

¹⁸ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

¹⁹ This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

²⁰ Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

²¹ Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

²² Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

²³ Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

²⁴ This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.

²⁵ And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Peter forever chose that day to remain a fisher of men, feeding the sheep as was the intent of his call the day he first left those nets, and that avocation behind him.

As wonderful an experience as it is, and has been "fishin" for the fishes of the sea, and other bodies of water held no comparison to the experience of fishing for the very souls of men by providing them the sustenance required for eternal life.

At a time near the end of the life of a dear friend, he expressed the desire to get away from the confines of the indoors he was subjugated to by the ravages of cancer. He too expressed the desire to once more "go fishin".

Though the brief time spent on this outing exhausted him physically, it provided a strengthening spiritually for the inevitable, and it was indeed my pleasure to spend those few moments with him, both in the pursuit of the fish, and the conversation that accompanied that pursuit relating to the beauty of what God provided throughout his life and the beauty expected once a new life was begun.

I found myself being fed through his strength, as well as through the strength of my own faith.

Like Peter he returned, briefly, to the avocation established in childhood, but even so remained consistent in presenting the continuance of that blessing on a greater level throughout our conversation.

He caught a fish that day, and was nourished by that fish physically before succumbing to his frail body.

It is, however, not the catch that day that retains importance in my heart and mind, but the catch of those he influenced for Christ throughout the years preceding that day.

There are may vocations that may be chosen in life, many avocations that may be pursued,
but as for me, "I'd rather keep fishin'."

2 Timothy 1:12
King James Version (KJV)
¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer