“Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” (Matthew 4:19 NLT)
Two men, sitting in the waiting area of a local healthcare facility were talking about a variety of subjects. They both seemed to be experts on everything. The topic of fishing came up and one of the sub-topics was related to what one should do when they catch a small fish. They both agreed that when you catch a small fish, the right thing to do was to throw it back in the water. They each told stories that revealed their multiple experiences of catching small fish and sticking to their practice, their guiding, self-imposed rule of throwing them back in the lake or pond where they were fishing. A third man sitting nearby joins in the conversation. He concurred, “Yes, you throw the little ones in and go for the big ones.” A woman sitting in the waiting area was like me, meddling or shall we say “listening” to the conversation, while waiting to be called for their scheduled appointment. I just listened, but not this woman. She got in the conversation and told the men about the time she took her sons on a vacation in Florida and the seaside hotel where they stayed had an area set-up for the guests to fish. She described how fishing poles were spread out, leaning on safety railings, and she pointed out that the bait was also provided in small containers. As she recounted her vacation experience with her boys, one of the men asked, “What did you do with the fish?” Her reply, “We did the same thing you did. We threw them back in the water.” I never heard one of the individuals who engaged in this informal symposium on fishing ever talk about how they went on to catch bigger fish.
While I was entertained by the conversations taking place, I was also envisioning fishing from an evangelistic perspective. I did not say anything, but I was thinking, “Fish is fish.” Yes, there are baby fish, juvenile fish, and fish that are just little in size by design, but fish is fish, at least when we go out doing personal evangelism. You can’t disregard “fish” based on their size, their social status, the space that they were reared, or your speculation that the little fish is not worth your time. Fish is just fish. I guess what I am trying to say is that too often we look for a certain type of fish when we are doing outreach. We look for the big catch, the “fish” that will fit in nicely with our local congregation. We look for the big “fish,” persons who by their appearance, look like individuals who have certain qualities needed by our churches. We look for the ones who have grown to the point that they have had exposure to the word of God, but just don’t have a church home. We look for the big ones, the fish who just entered your pond, moving from a far away pond, and they just need a place to worship. We look for the fish who have matured to the point that they appear to be good citizens by their conduct and their speech which is free from profanity and where there is nothing that identifies them as some type of social outcast. But is that right? Fish is fish. Jesus did not specify the size, stature, or social status of those we were to reach as fishers of men. Fish is fish. Jesus reached those that were diseased, defective, debased, demon-possessed, and “fish” disowned by others or thrown back in the pond more than once. I’m still processing the conversations I heard and taking them through my God-conscious prism. I’m wandering about the “fish” that swim in “waters” that we never venture. I’m thinking about the “fish” at the barbershop or beauty shop that by saying nothing as one of Christ’s witnesses, we are just like the men in the waiting room, guilty of throwing the small fish back into the waters where they are never taken out, left to mature or grow being impacted by their natural surroundings. Let’s ask ourselves a couple of questions. Are we ignoring the potential of the “little fish,” waiting for the big catch? Are we operating proactively and faithfully as fishers of men and women, governed by the operating principle that fish is fish?
You answer these questions and then just don’t think about it deeply, but respond, launch out into the deep, go fishing, be an evangelist and look at every lost or wandering soul you see in the sea of life as a potential catch. Remember, fish is fish. Be blessed!
“Peter fairly exploded with his good news: “It’s God’s own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel—that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again—well, he’s doing it everywhere, among everyone.” (Acts 1-:34-38 The Message Bible)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King