That's Why They Call It Fishin' And Not Catchin'!

 

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. (Luke 5:1-6 ESV).

 

I remember when my dad first took me fishing. I was always more interested in catching fish than fishing in those early years. I suppose all youngsters are. He would always remind me “that’s why they call it fishin’ and not catchin’!” I passed that same proverb on to my sons as well. I suppose it caught on. They all seem to enjoy being in the outdoors and “fishing.” However, I cannot deny that catching fish is a lot of fun too. The picture I’ve attached is of my youngest grandson as he and David took a birthday trip out fishing. He was helped in his catch by the captain of the boat. It may not seem significant unless you know your species from that area. It is a goliath grouper. This one is a very young fish as they can grow to be 700-800 pounds! He was both amazed and very happy.

 

Our reading tells a similar story. Simon had worked hard all night without catching anything, so going out again and expecting a different result would not have been a likely plan for success. By the time Jesus asked, Simon’s boat was moored and the nets had been washed. It was time to call it quits. So, it is easy to imagine Simon brushing Jesus’ request aside. What could a builder’s son possibly tell a fisherman about fishing?

 

But this was Jesus asking. Jesus had been teaching people from the boat while Simon was cleaning his nets. Perhaps Simon had heard something that made him pay attention. So, when Jesus asked him to put out into deep water and “let down the nets for a catch,” Simon said, “Because you say so, I will.” As we go forward from Easter this year, it can be easy to feel as if we’ve worked hard all night without catching anything. For all our efforts we still struggle with the same problems and temptations. Listen to the “Captain of the boat.” Keep fishin’ when He tells you too, and you will also do some catchin’!