Jesus and Fishing

"Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people."

Jesus speaks to us, into our situation; he also envisions a new life for us, one that is birthed out of our current situation.

There's nothing sacred or special about being a fisherman. Jesus didn't pick Peter because he was a fisherman, Jesus didn't need to pick a fisherman so that he could use it for a memorable metaphor. There's nothing sacred about being a "fisher of men", as the old phrase goes.

Jesus might have said something to Levi like: don't be afraid; from now on you'll be a collector of people. To the teachers of the law: don't be afraid; from now on you'll be a teacher of people. To the synagogue leaders: don't be afraid; from now on you'll be a leader of people.

How about you in your occupation? Don't be afraid; from now on you'll be a _____________ of people. What is it you do for a living? God can use that as both a launching point and as a description of the kind of work he wants to do through you. Does Peter literally catch people in a net as his means for fulfilling God's mission for him? No. But God uses Peter the fisherman, with all the tradition, skills, personality, and attitudes of a fisherman to further his work of restoration in the world.

What's your occupational training? What makes you different from most other people because of your line of work, the skills, attitudes, perspectives, insights you have about people and situations because of your work? God wants to use you and those experiences to further his work of restoration in the world.

Peter realized that with Jesus, he could be an awesome catcher of fish! He could become wealthy and secure and powerful. Or he could realize that though Jesus could help him succeed in his occupation, what Jesus really wants to do is use his occupation as a way to succeed in a bigger mission: furthering God's work of restoration of people.

If you belong to Jesus, continue to consider how God could use you in your occupation to further his work of restoration - where you work, with the people you work with/for, and how God could also bring further restoration to you as you let him restore others through you and your occupation.

God takes you as you are, where you are, and begins to use you immediately to further his work. Granted, like Peter, we may mess up a lot in the beginning - sometimes in really big ways. But that is part of the restoration work that God does in us, and that restoration work he does in us is also what he is using to bring restoration to others through us.

When Peter was presented with this opportunity, his response was most appropriate, and one we ought to consider:
"Go away from me LORD, for I am a sinful man!".

It's that honesty that allows God to get to work in us and through us.

Let God get to work in you and in your work, and through your work.