Cast the Net Again: Being Fishers of Men

Abundance in the Lunchbox

“Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets.  He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”  Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”  When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst.  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.  But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”  For he and all who were with him were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken,  and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”  When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.” Luke 5:1-11

One morning last week, I started to pack a lunch for my preschooler.  I noticed there were some leftover crumbs in his lunchbox, and I dumped them in the trash.  My son saw me do this, and asked, “why are you dumping my food in the trash?”

I reassured him, “it was old”, but his response was a defeated declaration: “I guess I just won’t eat any food.”  I brought him over to the sink, washed the lunchbox, and let him choose which food he could have for lunch that day.

Have you ever felt like that, when something appears to run out or be empty, and we fear that it won’t be filled again?  It might be a lunchbox, but it could also be a bank account, a gas tank, a dream that didn’t come to fruition, a pregnancy, or even faith itself.

I wonder if the fishermen felt this way in Luke 5.  They were up all night and caught no fish.  Even though they were tired and didn’t have anything to show for it, they still had clean their nets afterward.  I imagine that cleaning the net was another reminder of the emptiness.  I wonder if they made a defeated declaration, “I guess I just won’t eat any food.”

We all have the fear of scarcity.  What if there’s not enough?  What if there is never enough?

I think these are some of the fears that Jesus is addressing when he asks them to cast the nets again.  When Jesus asks them to put the nets down into the deep water, I think he is seeing if they have hope left, and if there is a place in their imagination for abundance.

Even in the places where we think there is emptiness, Jesus teaches our hearts to hope.  He grows within us an abundance of faith so that we can cast our net again.  Jesus is revealing something about God’s abundance.

Abundance in Community

When Jesus tells his disciples that they are going to fish for people, He is expanding their view of what it means to cast the net.  Being the church and making disciples is a lot like Peter’s experience of fishing.  You can put a big effort into ministry, and spend all night working… and then nobody responds, or it doesn’t go according to plan.  Sometimes it feels safer to keep quiet and not make waves, because being in relationships is hard.  Even still, Jesus invites us back to the deep water, to cast the net wide together.

In the Episcopal tradition, the rhythm of our shared spiritual life is a lot like fishing.  Through our common prayer we cast the net together.   Through our common worship and singing hymns we all have a hand on the ropes, and we cast the net together.  Through our commitment to our baptism, to love God and renounce evil, our service to the community and our care for the poor, we cast the net together.

This is how we are fishers of men.   Not through baiting or ensnaring people, but through seeking the deep water together and casting the net wide with prayers, songs, and service for what God gives in abundance.  There is an inner abundance, which is the gift of faith that God grows within us through love and service.  There is also an outer abundance, which is God’s creation.  God’s abundance includes the people whom God has made and the people whom God loves.  You are God’s abundance.  The people who attend our food pantry are God’s abundance.

Even if just one person feels welcomed and loved enough to come alongside us and put their hands on the ropes, that is abundance.  Within every human heart is an abundance of potential for growing in love and faith, and every person who joins our community adds to our diversity and abundance.

You’re probably not a member of your faith community because somebody dragged you there with a net, you’re probably there because somebody made you feel welcomed or safe or loved.

An Abundance of Resilience

This is the how Jesus teaches his disciples to reach other people.  He used the existing rhythms of their life to teach them how to welcome others, while being resilient enough to return to their faith when the nets are empty.  Faith is hope in that which is unseen.  It’s holding on to that hope in your heart, and trusting Jesus when calls you to cast the net again.

Sometimes that looks like praying and not hearing anything from God, and being up all night.  Don’t give up.  Cast the net again.

Sometimes it looks like reaching out to a friend or inviting them to church, and then you don’t hear back from them.  Don’t give up.  Cast the net again.

Is there a place where you have been tempted to give up, or where your nets have been coming up empty?

Have you been discouraged from making waves or casting the net again?

An Abundance of Attention

When I think about my son and his lunchbox, I’m reminded that he doesn’t usually participate in the packing of his lunch.  As far as he knows, the lunch magically appears.  On this particular day, he saw me dump out the crumbs and he started to pay attention.  Because he was paying attention, he got to co-create his lunch with me.

I don’t think God causes our experiences of loss or emptiness, but I do think those experiences open our eyes to pay attention to what God is doing.  If Peter had caught all of the fish that he needed, he might not have stayed there all night.  Or he might have said “no thanks Jesus, I don’t need any more fish”.  But because of the empty net, he was paying attention.  And we all need to be paying attention to what God is doing right now.

Peter’s attention was drawn to his own smallness and sin in comparison with God’s abundance.  “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” he cried.

We might think that we are a big fish in a little pond, until we start paying attention to what God is doing.  This is one way that Jesus gives us a new lens to see ourselves and others.  He draws us in to show us that we are wounded and in need of a great physician.  In recognizing that, Jesus teaches us to stop wounding others and start welcoming others.

An Abundance of Tradition

Evangelism and being fishers of men is not just about proselytizing or telling other people they are wrong.  In the Episcopal Church, we carry and contribute to a living tradition of prayers, practices, and vows. They are woven into our worship and mission like a tapestry, or a prayer blanket, and that is our net.  It’s the promises we make to love and serve.  It’s a real existing safety net for those without food.  It’s a hedge of protection for those who are persecuted and oppressed.

Jesus told his first followers, and he is telling us now: “Do not be afraid.”  “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”

Sometimes we feel like Peter, when he said, ““Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst.”

Do not be afraid.  Let us go back to the deep water together, and let us cast the net wide.

To read more posts, visit my column here.  Check out my published writing in “Soul Food: Nourishing Essays on Contemplative Living and Leadership”.  If you are interested in contemplative leadership and are between the ages of 25-40, visit Shalem.org to learn about Crossing the Threshold: Contemplative Foundations for Emerging Leaders.