FISHING APOSTLES


    

     Ever wonder why Jesus called so many fishermen to follow Him? From what we read in the Bible and history, we know that Andrew and his brother Peter, James and his brother John (the sons of Zebedee) were fishermen from the Galilee region. It was in that region that Jesus found them and called them to follow Him.  I can’t help but wonder . . . why would a carpenter call fishermen to be the first disciples?
     Popular understanding about fishermen (and women who fish, for that matter) are known to . . . er . . . ah . . . exaggerate just a bit.  That may not hold true for all fisherfolk, but there is an old saying “All fisherfolk are liars; except you and me. And I’m not so sure about you.”
     I seriously doubt they were called because of that particular trait.
     Fisherfolk are, for the most part, optimists endowed with a double measure of patience and persistence. Perhaps Jesus called them for those reasons knowing that it would be an uphill battle to convince the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.
     Successful fisherfolk know that you can’t catch fish where there aren’t any fish. It just doesn’t make sense to fish in a puddle that does not hold fish. Instead, fisherfolk spend time getting to know where the best fish hang out. Then they fish in those spots. They also know the habits of the fish well enough they can use the right bait/lure/fly.  Certainly, these disciples would be familiar with the people of the area and they would know where they hang out and what they would listen to.
          Whatever Jesus saw in these disciples, He invited them to follow Him with the promise he would make them “fishers of men.” That is enough to convince me that there was something special about these fishermen.
          I’d like to say that I am a fisherman worthy of being a disciple, but that is something God will have to judge based upon how well I exercise my faith.
          In the meantime, I will keep fishing, with an eye out for a carpenter looking for a fisherman to follow Him.
          May God bless us all!
          Doug

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Welcome!

This is Phase 1 of my new blog. The stated purpose of this blog is to share spiritual reflections that arise from fly fishing. Having just completed a two-year interim as pastor at Holiday Island Presbyterian Church, I have returned to retirement and the pursuit of fishing. Although I would never compare myself to the Apostle Peter, I remember a passage from  John 21:1-7a (NIV) Shortly after the death of Jesus, Peter returned to fishing.  "I t happened this way:   2  Simon Peter, Thomas  (also known as Didymus [ b ] ), Nathanael  from Cana in Galilee,  the sons of Zebedee,  and two other disciples were together.   3  “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.  4  Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.  5  He called out to them,   “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”  “No,” they answered. 6  He said,
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