Following in His Dust

Do you have any good fishing stories? How big was the fish really? We all know there tends to be some exaggeration. Perhaps the story is about the big one that got away. Or we all know if you hold the fish close to the camera, you can make the fish appear larger than it is. Regardless of the story, fishing is a beautiful analogy that Jesus intentionally used when calling His disciples.

When we read Mark 1:16-20, we find four young men doing the trade of their father and seemingly settling for a life of hard work and having been rejected from the “Ivy League” life of following after a rabbi.  The “have nots” and “rejects” were exactly who Jesus chose to turn the world upside down. I’m grateful for the standard He chose because that means there is hope for me.  For any of us who think we are not good enough, we can be reminded that Jesus fills us with purpose and calls us to a meaningful relationship. But it does come at a cost. It means we have to follow in His dust and identify with His suffering.

Romans 8 teaches that the joy in suffering reminds us of our inheritance and a deeper understanding of what hope is really all about. We endure with groaning for a glorified body and redeemed Creation. In the meantime, we endure while on mission as fishers of men.

This is an ancient Old Testament concept (Amos 4:2 and Ezek 29:3–5) of fishing as it relates to God’s judgment. Intriguingly, Jesus uses this analogy of fishing for men at a time when He would reveal God’s plan to redeem humanity from judgment. He is the way and path to life (John 14:6) and we are invited to shine His light brightly as we follow Him.  Fishing for men is not a place for exaggeration but for faithfully casting the net for “whosoever will” heed the call of Christ. Happy fishing!