The Parable of the Big Fish

I had been working for two straight years after graduating from Ambassador University in 1997. I hadn't taken a single sick day nor had I indulged in a vacation either. So when Royal Host pitched the idea of a timeshare to me, I was hooked. I should have known better and followed one of my personal rules: "Never go grocery shopping when you're hungry." Huh? Allow me to digress for just a minute so I can explain. You see, as a poor college student, I would often go to the local Wal*Mart to stock up on ramen noodles for the week. But if I went grocery shopping while hungry, you could never tell what would end up in my cart: party-size bag of nachos, 2-gallon drum of chili, 12 microwavable pizzas ... you get the point. Well the same rule should have applied to this timeshare deal; I was starving for a vacation since I hadn't had one since our honeymoon in Jamaica.

So needless to say, I was an easy target at the timeshare presentation. I was determined to simply eat the free steak dinner, grab the $50 gift voucher, and get out of there with my wallet intact. I forewarned Kristy not to be swayed by the hype. But when the presenter showed one picture of white sandy beaches with crystal-clear blue water, I slapped by checkbook down at the cashier's table and exclaimed, "I'm IN! Where do I sign?" There's more to that story, but I'll save it for another parable.

Taking advantage of the timeshare a few years ago, Kristy and I took a vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. After departing the plane, all visitors are accosted in the airport baggage claim by more timeshare salesmen offering everything from "free" Mexican blankets, to "free" transportation, "free" breakfasts, "free" tequila, you name it. I knew there had to be a catch and I was right. The freebies actually came attached to a 90 minute timeshare presentation that you'd have to endure before the gifts were presented. Since I was sure this time I could say "NO" to purchasing a timeshare, we decided to take one of them up on their offer in exchange for a "free" deep sea fishing charter.

Cabo is well known for their marlin and mahi-mahi so that's exactly what we were angling for. Kristy became sea sick almost immediately and spent the majority of our 3 hour tour in the belly of the 48' fishing vessel. I had fished for small game fish growing up on the east coast, but when a fish finally struck my line in the deep blue waters of Cabo I had no idea what kind of battle I was in for. It felt like my line was caught on the bottom of the ocean floor but the captain assured me it was most certainly a fish. I used my entire body to pull and then reel ... pull and then reel ... for what seemed like hours. But actually after only 45 minutes I was finally able to see what I was fighting for: a large mahi-mahi repeatedly sprang out of the water attempting to spit the hook. But by this time he was starting to tire (and so was I). When I finally got him up next to the boat, the captain knocked him on the head and we brought him on board. We caught a few other fish that day, but this one was by far the largest. See for yourself.

Now you may be thinking this is just another big fish story, but as Christians we have a far more meaningful calling to be "fishers of men". In Matthew 4:18-20, Jesus calls his first disciples, Peter and Andrew, who also happened to be brothers and fishermen. He challenged them to follow Him and become fishers of men by ministering to them and sharing the gospel of the kingdom of God. He presents the same challenge to us as well in The Great Commission.

Later in Luke, Christ used another fishing trip to further illustrate our Christian calling. In chapter 5 of Luke (verses 1-11) the disciples we're calling it a night after a full day's worth of trolling with nothing to show for it. Jesus persuades them to try one more time - in the exact same place they had been trying (and failing) all day! Reluctantly, the disciples agree but have very little faith anything will be caught at all. To their surprise, they catch such a multitude of fish that their nets begin to break and the boat nearly capsizes (they even need help from other nearby boats to keep from going under). What an amazing turn of events! In addition to learning a great lesson on faith, this story also illustrates how we can reach our full potential by answering God's calling in Matthew 28:18-20, "Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'"

So I encourage you to share your own personal story of how God has changed your life, share your faith, and share hope with the people you come in contact with everyday. Ask God for "spiritual lasik" to see those He puts in your life to minister to; pray for a Godly appointment daily. And one important thing to remember ... a major difference between my fishing trip in Cabo and our "fishing trip for the Lord", is that it's crucial that we don't beat people over the head with our Bibles when we get them along side the boat. Show compassion and patience and in time God will fill your life so full of Christian victories that you too might just be riping at the seams with joy.

Stay the course, finish the race ... AB

(Next Week: The Parable of the Deep Freeze)