The words and actions of Jesus have once again intersected with my present reality and thoughts in such a way that I want to record publicly. This all kinda gelled together last night during our 20-somethings gathering’s discussion on the 6th chapter of John. In this chapter, Jesus walks on water out to the disciples in the middle of strong weather. For someone who has never experienced God by faith, this account is fairly far-fetched.
But for those of us that have been given the grace of noticing God’s redemptive work in our lives and all creation even, the fact that Jesus walks on water should be nothing. Perhaps the greatest miracle in life is the warming of human hearts, whose fires are prone to be stifled by the worries and troubles of this world.
When Jesus calls his 12 closest disciples (students, followers, life-coachees), he asks these two brothers who were fishing to leave what they were doing and follow Him. He says something peculiar: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
So I am trying to learn the art of fly fishing. The interesting thing about fly fishing is that you try and “match the hatch” or use flies that look like the ones that are hatching from the river or that are landing on it. Sometimes when you pick our which fly you want, it may not look exactly like the fly you want. However, from the fish’s perspective it may look exactly what you need.
So the glorious moment comes when fish strike the fly. The rise to the surface to grab it, sometimes breaking the plane of the top of the water. In the most dramatic and exciting cases they will leap completely out of the water. Glorious.
Sometimes when God’s grace is presented to people, we think that it will happen like when we are fishing on top of the water, expecting people to be completely hungry for God’s grace and jump out of their lives into a new life in faith. When that happens, it is glorious. However, when the world is a muddy river, the best and prettiest fly on top of the water will not always be seen.
However, Simon Peter and Andrew were fishing with nets on the sea of Galilee. It seems that Jesus’ and the disciples way of fishing meant going deep into the unknown with nets. Like the days after Pentecost when the “Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved”, it seems that results come from when people imitate Jesus, who risked everything to dive into our world to save us from our sins, and then risked everything again by putting a handful of broken people in charge of taking God’s message, love, grace to the world and forming His people, the Church. Wow.
Now with the power that raised Christ from the dead working in us, may we seek to do his will. Let us who have been walking on top of the water by faith consider holding onto life on top of the water something to keep for ourselves. Let us dive deep into the unknown and dare to love people where they are and show them the top of the water, being pulled up with them in the inescapable clutches of God grace.
May the Lord’s will be done,
CWillZ
Tags: church, dry flies, evangelism, Faith, faith and culture, fishing, fly fishing, grace, Jesus, walking on water
