FISHING AND THE BIBLE

Mark 1:16-20

Why God chose to use fishes, fishing and fishermen to teach us?

Thinking about the oceans, forgetting for a while the lakes, rivers... And more, thinking just about the fishes... The diversity is almost unbelievable! This variety reminds us about human diversity! Meditate about the examples bellow:

• Different sizes

 

0,05 meters

   

15 meters

• Different appearances - colorful and discrete

• Different behaviours - peaceful and agressive; popular and lonely

 

All these different fishes live there together in the oceans...

So different but yet so the same!

As we humans...

And more: there are many fishes swimming around, quietly, not afraid about the darkness of the sea, ignoring the dangers of the ocean they are living in... 

How do you fish? Fishing methods

Hook and line

• A safe way. You don't need to go into the water, even wet your feet. To catch the fish you don't need to be exactly where it is.(Likewise, you can reach a soul far from you.
• The fish hooked in the mouth feels minimum pain. (If you reach someone the right way, suffering will be minimum.)

• What about the bait? There are lots of baits: artificial, natural... Each fish requires an specific bait. (Think about that "big fish" you want to fish for Jesus...Ask Him, and He will give the right strategy to succeed.)

• Be careful fishermen! Stay alert with Puffers! These fishes seem to be heavy but actually they are full of air like a balloon. (People like Puffers claim to be full of the Holy Spirit but they are empty inside.)

Nets

• You must go into the water, at least up to your waist. (You must go closer to the person you have to reach for Jesus.)
• You can fish alone, in pairs or with more people. (The way you are going to fish is up to God.)
• Tend to hold everything in its paths, making no distinction between fish and other things, like animals, plants, garbage... (Jesus used this to illustrate the end times: Matthew 13:47-50)

Harpoon

• Requires more training: you must learn how to dive first. So you will need to go down the waters. But you can't forget to rise to the surface and breath or you will die.(You need to go down, in other words, approach somebody where this person is. It can be very dangerous. You can't forget where do you belong, otherwise you will die spiritually.)
• It is more difficult. But the most tasty and big fishes live in the deepest parts of the oceans. (You will need greater spiritual maturity, because you will be closer to the enemy.)

So, are you ready to be a fishermen? Are you training? Are you ready to face the most difficult and odd situations?

""Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people"."

(Mark 1:17)

(Briefing of the message shared by Ana.)