Lazy Fishermen and Dolphins

I was watching animals again on PBS last night, and I was amazed at these dolphins who have discovered a great way to catch fish.  They swim downstream in a channel at just the right time, and create a sort of temporary mud dam by stirring the ground with their tails.  The dolphins create a funnel or a “V” shape which directs the fish toward one point where they have no where else to go but up.  The fish jump out of the water and over the dam…and right into the waiting mouth of the dam’s architect.  Pretty cool.  That’s the equivalent of fish jumping right into the fisherman’s boat!

John 21 begins by describing a much less successful fishing expedition.

They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

⁴ When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore. However, the disciples did not know it was Jesus.

⁵ “Men,” Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?”

“No,” they answered.

⁶ “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” He told them, “and you’ll find some.” So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. ⁷ Therefore the disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

When Jesus called the first four disciples, he called fisherman.  And after Jesus rose from the dead…after they disciples had received the Holy Spirit and Great Commission from the risen Savior, they went back to fishing?!

AND THEY WERE REALLY BAD AT IT TOO!  It just doesn’t add up, does it?  It seems kind of obvious that their calling in life was not to walk with Jesus and change lives, and witness the greatest promise of God come true, and then return to a normal life.

“Fishing on the wrong side of the boat” ought to be a saying that describes Christians who try to act like they are not called to live differently.  The fact is that Jesus didn’t purchase us for nothing…The price He paid for us should motivate us to follow Him where He leads us, and not always where we feel most comfortable.

Well, getting back to my dolphin illustration in the beginning of this post, you can spot the genius in the dolphins’ strategy.  It reveals creativity and the ability to plan and execute.  And it really works.  Compare that to the disciples strategy for “catching men.” It reveals a defeated attitude, and a complete lack of understanding of people who need to be “caught” or told the Good News that Jesus is Messiah.  This strategy of just going fishing with the people you already know doesn’t work!

God gave us the ability to do far more than net a load of fish for supper.  He gave us creativity, strategy, and ability to spread the news of Jesus…the question is are we doing it or are we just trying to live our lives our way?