Did you know that the key to life can be found in fish? Yes, really. And given that parrots and fish have next-to-nothing in common, this may come as something of a surprise to you. Of course, there are some fish which try to look as beautiful as parrots with their array of bright colours and rasping beaks, and these are known as ‘Parrot Fish.’ And there are also those which try to emulate a parrot’s ability to fly, and these are called ‘Flying Fish.’ But that’s probably all we’ve got in common.
No, I’m thinking of the story in Luke, chapter 5, when Jesus recruits His very first disciples. After a fruitless night’s fishing out on the lake, Jesus sends the fishermen out for a second time, and this time, they catch two incredible boatloads of fish. As they haul their catch up onto the shore, it’s as though these fishermen have just won the ‘Lake Gennesaret Lottery.’ Suddenly, these subsistence fisherman have plenty of food, money, security and maybe even some additional respect, power and prestige. This is undoubtedly the biggest moment in their lives so far. So what do they do? They decide to leave their catch on the beach and to follow Jesus instead. And all because they realise that the gift of Jesus is greater than anything else this world has to offer, including two boatloads of fish. And that’s probably why Jesus recruited these poor, humble and poorly educated humans to become His very first disciples. Because they could see what so many others couldn’t.
So, if Jesus were to return to the world today, who do you think He’d recruit for His team? Worldly ‘greats’ like the Presidents of the United States, Russia and China? The owner of Tesla and SpaceX? Folk that want to grab everything for themselves or for their nations at the expense of others? Or would He choose the ‘nobodies’ in the world like the fishermen, who prefer to give instead of taking? Humans that run soup kitchens, foodbanks, or who give up their lives to become unheralded carers? Where is the human world heading right now? Is it a world of selfish self-interest, or one of giving, sharing and improving? Are human leaders making the world a better place for all, or simply adding to its pain and suffering? And is the human heart growing and softening, or is it hardening and constricting? Whatever you decide, the way forward is signposted in that catch of fish. The question is whether other humans are too blind and ignorant to see it…...
“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in the Lord’s hands, that I still possess.” (Martin Luther: [1483 – 1546]: German priest, theologian, author, and key figure in the Protestant Reformation.)
“Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued above all.”
(Charles Spurgeon: [1834 – 1892]: English Baptist Minister, still referred to today, as ‘The Prince of Preachers.’)
“Jesus has not called us to be successful, but to be faithful. His love is not measured in our achievements, but in our devotion to Him and others.” (Mother Teresa: [1910 – 1997]: Catholic nun born in Skopje, who dedicated her life to caring for the sick and needy of Calcutta, India, and elsewhere.)
“Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make bad people good; He came into this world to make dead people alive.”
(Ravi Zacharias: [1946 – 2020]: Indian-born Christian evangelist minister.)
“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
(Mark 8:36)
N.B. We’re going on a little holiday now, so my next blog will be on Wednesday 19th March. Hopefully Spring will be abounding then! Take care everyone.
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