Mark 1:14-20
When we read that Simon and Andrew, James and John cast their nets into the Sea of Galilee to catch fish, we in our 21st century understanding of fishing probably glide right past these descriptive words and form instead a mental image of fishermen standing on a dock with fishing rods and reels, of men in hats sitting contentedly in boats waiting for fish to bite, of fly fishermen in tall boots standing in a flowing river. By contrast, Simon and Andrew, James and John stand on the shore or get in boats, yes, but armed with nets, nets they cast into the sea. Fish small enough to wriggle through the mesh of the nets swim on their way while larger fish remain caught inside. In the gospel of Matthew, you may recall that Jesus tells a parable about the kingdom of God, how the kingdom is like a net thrown into the sea that catches fish of every kind. Fishing by casting nets does not allow the fisher-person to discriminate. Contrary to a lure strategy with rod and reel that aims for only certain fish, a cast net captures fish of (almost) every kind. The small ones get through; it’s not a perfect metaphor. Jesus, Simon and Andrew, James and John were as thoroughly immersed in their contemporary culture as we are in ours, so when Jesus calls them to follow him and promises he will make them fish for people, he is not alluding to a rod and reel, lure-driven strategy of fishing for certain people. In a culture where fishing means casting nets, Jesus promises they will cast nets for people, dredging up people of every kind.
My whole life, I have heard many people of goodwill articulate strategies for luring certain people into the church. The intent behind such strategies is completely understandable as we seek to maintain our institutions. I too feel the pull of luring younger people, wealthier people, people who fit our definitions of vibrant and healthy into the congregations that make up the ELCA and into Grace specifically. But this week, as I hear Jesus call Simon and Andrew, James and John into a ministry of casting nets, our lure-based strategies turn sour. For they are not really consistent with Jesus’ vision of community. We know this not simply because of Jesus’ words here in Mark chapter one but because of the wide swath of people included in Jesus’ own community. Fishermen and tax collectors, common, everyday people, both healthy and sick, faithful Jews and even Gentiles, crowds of hungry and hurting people. Jesus dines not just with Zacchaeus the tax collector but with Simon the Pharisee. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, comes to Jesus at night, and religious authorities of every stripe gather close enough to hear Jesus’ teaching—and complain about his disobedient miracles and disreputable friends. Jesus casts nets in his ministry, teaches his disciples to cast nets, and calls us to also cast nets.
When we cast nets and invite people at large to join our community, people of every kind surface. We have a tendency, me along with the rest of us, to consider some people a good catch and others people we would rather throw back into the sea. You know what I mean. We would rather throw back those who are difficult, needy, and struggling for reasons we judge. We would rather throw back those who think differently than us. We would rather pass particular people onto some other community, a community more like them. Quite frankly, when we gather in certain people, we don’t even consider them part of our community even when they are here day in, day out or week in, week out.
Probably the trickiest part of Jesus’ mission for us to understand, for me personally to understand, is that Jesus neither pities people nor discounts them. In the church at large, we have seen some people as members of our church and other people as those to whom we bring the good news of Christ in many and various forms: food, water, clothing, visits in prison. We are the “real” members while others are simply recipients of our goodwill, of our “mission.” Some of us give while others receive...and never shall the two share in genuine community, giving and receiving freely between them, loving one another. This, my beloved friends in Christ, this is a false dichotomy. Jesus calls people of every kind to follow him. Jesus empowers people of every kind for ministry akin to his. Jesus loves people of every kind—just as they are. In today’s story from the gospel of Mark, Jesus calls fishermen to stand at his side, to be his closest, most intimate friends, to assist him in proclaiming and revealing the good news of God. He finds them worthy of sharing his ministry. These smelly, backwater fishermen are as “real” members of the church as any group of life-long Lutherans.
We are here, part of the church and part of the Grace community specifically, because someone cast a net, and we surfaced. The question of the day is: Who or what brought you to church for the first time? To read the community’s reflections, go to the Facebook live stream worship feed from Sunday, January 24. Someone brought us or invited us, perhaps a parent or grandparent, maybe a neighbor or coworker. Someone built a website we found. Someone held an event here that led us to come to worship. Maybe the Spirit of God worked in ways that go beyond human action. Someone cast a net, and we surfaced. We belong here, in God’s church, just as everyone else does. God has given us to each other to love and serve and share life. We are people of every kind, called to follow the One who casts nets and gathers us all in. Thanks be to God! Amen.