The Question of The Deep Water

My great fishing story continues.

(This is written more than six months later. I did not stop considering the fishing story, and things did not stop happening in my life. I have just begun to have time and/or inclination to start writing about them again.)

As the story goes in Luke’s account of the great catch of fish (Luke 5:1-11), when Jesus had finished teaching from the boat, he told Peter to take the boat out into the deep water and let down his nets. As was pointed out in the teaching I heard on this passage, the word used for nets was the word that referred to nets used for night fishing, which would stand to reason since they were on shore in the daylight hours cleaning them after use. Also when Peter answered Jesus instructions, he states that they had worked hard at fishing all night, but had come up empty.

Now we can assume one of a couple of things from this. One, it’s possible that Jesus, being a carpenter, didn’t know one fishing net from another and just used the word that came to mind. Or, it may be that somehow he did know what he was talking about and used the proper word for the nets that were available at the time. Whatever the truth about this, the important point is that they did have their night nets with them and that is what they were instructed to use, during the daytime. Myself, being a non-net fisherman, don’t have a clue what the difference was between a day net and a night net in first century Palestine. I do know the difference between a floating plug and a diving plug in modern day bass fishing, as well as the difference between a dry fly and a wet fly in trout fishing. When it comes to net fishing, I even know the difference between a gill net and a seine net, but that’s as far as it goes. The fact remains that it was daytime and a non-fisherman was instructing them to use the lesser effective equipment for the time of day, after they had given it all they had at the best time with the right equipment.

Jesus also made one more fishing faux pas that was not covered in the sermon I heard, but one that I believe was truly seen as poor advice by the professional fishermen present. Jesus told them to push out into deep water. The reason I mention this is that, being a person who has at times pursued the art of fishing quite seriously, I know that deep water is seldom where one finds fish, whether while fishing with a net or with a line. If they are in deep water, it is due to the need for a certain temperature, or that is where the food is, and it is very hard to make nets useful in very deep water. Fish are usually found around what is called structure. Structure is usually an object, or underwater geography that is pronounced and will provide some sort of shelter, food, or movement boundary that fish seem to desire.

I sail my boat around the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. There are a number of commercial fisheries there which set nets, and a sailor has to be able to see the markings and avoid them. These nets are set around certain types of shoreline and off of points that extend into the water. Fish tend to hang around these areas or cruise them looking for food. Fishing in the deep water is done with down riggers and totally different equipment.

(Note: In studying about the deep water in study materials, all they do is analogize the “deep water” into what it means for Christian Ministry today. In fact, I see too many times that this whole story is used as an analogy for Christian Ministry with total disregard for what it may be speaking to the individual Christian in their personal life. I find that very sad.)

So to restate the scenario, not only had Jesus told them to fish during the day after a night’s worth of fruitless efforts, he told them to use the wrong nets, and told them to fish in the wrong area. Sheesh what a carpenter!

What can we say about the deep water in this story and what it has to say about us and our lives? In the story, Peter doesn’t come right our and say it, but I can’t help but think that he was thinking very loud that, “You just don’t catch fish with a net in deep water!” I took improvisational comedic acting training at one time and one of my favorite things we did was called a rant. It is exactly what it sounds like; you pick a topic and “go off” on it. I loved the rant and seemed to do well with it. I still have a lot of fun with it today. I can hear the rant going on in Peter’s mind at this moment.

“Deep water! The carpenter wants me to fish in deep water. Hey, would somebody tell this “great fisherman” that you don’t catch fish with a net in deep water. Or maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m the one who’s been wrong all these years. I’ve only fed my family for fifteen years from the fish I’ve caught. I’ve only bought a house and clothed my family on fish I’ve caught. I’ve even done well enough to take my mother-in-law in. And I’ve done all of that by not fishing where the fish aren’t. In deep water!”

But this word had not come from just any old carpenter. It had come from Jesus. Peter wasn’t totally sure of who he was at this time, but he knew he was someone and something special. He had already heard about and personally seen the miraculous workings of this man.

One other thing shows up in this narrative, and that is the confidence that Jesus had when he gave the instruction. He didn’t give it as a weak suggestion, “maybe, if you went out there and let down your nets, you might catch something.” No, Jesus was definite and direct with his language. “Put out into the deep water and let down your night nets for a catch.” The word “catch” here has a connotation of fullness. It definitely meant much more than a few. So they did it, and of course the catch was truly a catch.

I continue to dwell on this story because of how it has pertained to me in my life recently. I related earlier how the opportunity came for the job. How I got the call and almost didn’t answer it, how it was for a place that had passed me over several times. And how it all happened so fast it made my head spin. I wrote that earlier part before I realized the catch was not yet complete. You see, I went there as a temporary contract employee. That is how you get your foot in the door of a lot of companies in my line of work. After being there eight weeks, they came to me and told me that the workload had diminished and they would have to let me go in a couple of weeks. I was truly disappointed, but feeling that God had truly provided the job, I trusted Him to handle the situation (This may sound like I’m a warrior of faith. Not hardly, but I do have my moments). One week later, they came to me and said they had enough work to keep me on for a number of months. That was good. Again I gave God the glory and honor for this one.

Then something truly amazing happened. I was told to put out into the real deep water for a catch. I thought I had already done the deep-water thing, but there was deeper water to be fished. Two job postings for permanent employment came up in my area of expertise at this company. Before I could act, one of them, the one that I felt more qualified for was filled. It was, by the way, the lesser of the two jobs. I was bummed, but I was encouraged by others to apply for the other one. To remind anyone who may have stuck with me through all of this, this company is the top in the area for what I do. It is in the top three in the nation and top five or ten in the world. I was totally blown away by the fact that I was actually working there, and now the opportunity of being a full time permanent employee with a higher classification and salary than I could ever believe possible was dangling in front of me. “I’ll never get it,” was my feeling. “Why should I even try?” I said to myself. Remember, I had been beat down by the outside employment world for a number of years. But, remembering this story about the catch of fish, about putting out into the deep water, about using the obviously wrong nets for the situation, I decided to put out into the deep water.

Yes, I put out into the deep water, let down the wrong (not fully qualified in my sight) net, and I landed the great catch of the job. I got the Job! After the three companies going out of business from under me, I got the job. The job. A little bit of listening to God and taking a step in obedience, if not fully convinced faith can open the doors that produce miracle upon miracle. Praise God!

So why is it that God will call us to do irrational things at irrational times only to produce unbelievably miraculous results upon our acting in faith? I can think of two reasons right off the bat. One, there are times when He wants to bless us and/or teach us something, and He wants us to realize that it is totally and completely from Him. Secondly, He wants to show us his power and/or His love, depending on the situation.

Peter could look back and realize that even the bad night of fishing was only set up in preparation for this miracle. I can look back and see that the struggles I had been having with my employment over the past few years was only set up for my miracle. Some times we need the frustration of the trying times to prepare us for the miraculous work of God.

The Anatomy of a Miracle

I said at the end of the lengthy first post about this story, that me getting a new job was a miracle from God. That takes me back to a question posed to one of my professors in Seminary. He was teaching a New Testament class and the question of miracles came up. Along with this came up the idea that has been tossed around in many circles that miracles don’t happen today. The people that hold this belief believe that the miraculous was meant for a certain time in history, possibly due to specific reasons, but not for today. My teacher, to his credit, did not hold to this belief. He stated that he honestly believed miracles do happen in modern times. So one of the class members piped up with the question, “have you ever had a miracle happen to you?”

The teacher answered with a definite “yes. I’ve had many miracles happen in my life,” he continued.

When asked to tell about them he gave an interesting answer. He said that they were miracles to him, but they may not seem like miracles to us. When pushed for an explanation, he went on to explain that the miracles that happened to him happened at a specific time in answer to a specific need or situation in his life, therefore, though they may not remotely resemble miracles to an outsider, they were definitely miraculous works of God to him. Obviously I have never forgotten these words, and the concept has helped me to see God’s miraculous work much more than I may have without this insight.


Timing; a vital ingredient in a miracle
I heard something once that said in effect, “the difference between a miracle and an everyday occurrence is a question of timing.” Though I don’t believe that is completely definitive, it does have a lot of merit. To go with that idea, one could bring up that oft-repeated scientific question concerning sound, “if a tree falls in the woods and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?” To combine this concept with a discussion on the miraculous works of God, “if the Red Sea parts and there are no Israelites fleeing from the Egyptians, is there a miracle?” To continue, “if there is a big catch of fish and it is not after a long night of fruitless effort, and it does not come in relation to the direction of a carpenter/teacher, is it a miracle?” And, one more time, “if there is a job offer, and it is not accompanied by a strong seeking of God, obedient action, and great obstacles, is it a miracle?” The answer to each of these questions is a qualified “yes.” All of these situations could, in fact, be the miraculous working of God, but without the timing and a specific met need or question, along with singled out witnesses, they are not identified and accepted as miracles in the lives of those concerned.

As I have mentioned, I went to Seminary in preparation to become a minister. In my seminary studies I was continually made aware of those who would try to explain that which has been accepted as miraculous in the Bible with natural occurring phenomena. Many of these surrounded the escape and wanderings of the Children of Israel. The seeming inability of humans to accept the miraculous work of God in their lives and those of others is astonishing to me in many ways. One of the “explanations” that I remember quite clearly is the feeding of the Israelites with quail. The story goes that they were getting tired of manna. What a bunch of whiners. It’s not like they ate hamburger helper everyday for a month, or lived on ramin noodles for a whole semester. It’s not like they had to force down generic mac and cheese and cheap hot dogs because it was the end of the month. They were living on a wonderful and miraculous food provided daily by God to meet their needs. But they were tired of it, and they began to whine. They wanted meat to eat. So God promised them meat, and in the evening quail came and covered the ground of their camp and they were able to gather them up and eat meat for a whole month. The thing that sticks in my mind about this “miracle” is that there are those who have tried to explain the miraculous away by saying that this coincided with a natural migration of quails which after flying across a great expanse of water collapse exhausted on the shore. Yeah? So, what if this is the case? The Israelites are still there in need and the Word of God had said he would provide in a very specific way for their need. And then the quail arrive. So, isn’t that a miracle?

This has brought up a second very vital ingredient in a miracle. Miracles are generally preceded by an unmistakable Word or instruction from God. There are some few miracles in the Bible that do not record a direct Word or instruction as preceding a miraculous work of God, however it is explained and/or understood that the miracle was brought about by a strong conviction that God would work in that situation of need. The woman who merely touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and received healing is an example. The Centurion who knew that all Jesus had to do was say the word and his servant would be healed (Matthew account) is another. Many times, and I will say more times than not, a miracle is preceded by an unmistakable Word from God. This Word usually contains two aspects. The first is usually recorded as God saying what he is going to do. God is usually pretty clear when He directly intervenes in human life and need, and the first thing that usually comes out of His mouth other than “fear not” or “settle down (paraphrased)” is an explanation of what he is going to do. The second thing that comes out to the waiting human is an instruction or direction

This brings us to the third essential ingredient of a miracle. That ingredient is an “action of faith,” based on the Word and/or instruction from God. The action of faith for the Israelites as they crossed the Red Sea, was first for Moses to stretch out his hands and staff over the sea. That action of faith caused the sea to part. The second action of faith was for the Israelites to cross the sea with water walled up on either side. I honestly believe that, though the Egyptian army was pursuing them, crossing that sea took faith on the part of each individual and on the people as a whole. Another parting of the waters came as they finally approached the Promised Land and stood on the banks of the River Jordan. God called the priests to take a step of faith. They, while carrying the Arc of the Covenant were to step into the rushing waters of the swollen river. This was no easy feat if you have ever tried to set foot into a rushing current. As they did what they were told, the waters parted and they and the people crossed into the Promised Land. Peter followed Jesus’ instructions and received a miraculous catch of fish. I answered the phone.

Another thing that comes to mind is this. While the miraculous works promised tend to exceed the bounds of believability as we humans know it, the actions required to obtain said miracles seldom fit into our realms of reason, either. To put it a different way, we as humans usually respond, “You’re going to do what? And you want me to do what?”

“You’re going to deliver us from the overtaking Egyptian army? And you want me to walk across that sea bed with walls of water on either side?” “You’re going to part the swollen, rushing waters of the Jordan? And you want me to wade on in before you part it?” “You’re going to give us a great victory over Jericho? And you want us to merely march around the city for seven days and play horns and shout?” “You’re going to give me a great catch of fish? And you want me to go out into the deep water, after a fruitless night of fishing, and let down the wrong nets?” “You’re going to heal me of my long lasting illness? And all I have to do is touch the hem of Jesus’ robe?” “You’re going to give me new direction in my life and vocation? And you want me to swallow my pride and answer the call from the company that embarrassed me, and hasn’t ever given me a real opportunity, for a position that I have already tried for many times with no results?” “It just doesn’t make sense!”

Finding Sense in the Senseless
The sense is found in the result. That result, however is never the mind-boggling miraculous action itself. The miraculous action is only a tool used by God. The result is what happens in God’s people when they listen to the instruction, carry out the action required, see the miraculous, and take it to heart. The miraculous is never the end. It is always a means. It is a means with which God teaches His child—His people . . . a means with which he grows His people in faith . . . a means with which he brings His people closer to Him.

Peter’s reaction was not that of a true fisherman. I dare say that my misguided minister friend may not have been able to handle this great catch. He, along with most of the rest of us would find a way to “humbly” make himself look good. A lot of people in Peter’s place would stand up and say, “Wow, I never realized that if you fish during the daylight hours, in deep water, and with nighttime nets, you would catch this many fish.” We all might be inclined to choose to overlook the miraculous and the lesson involved and decide that this is the way we will fish from now on. In fact, I can see some one in Peter’s shoes writing a book about it entitled Deep Water Daytime Fishing With Nighttime Nets. He could develop a web-based business and do speaking engagements to share his new found secret. He may even patent the process and charge for the rights to use it, and if lucky, he would get his own show or at least an Infomercial promoting his newfound fishing method. Another unbelievable reaction may be what my wife just brought up, and that would be deciding that this is how the righteous, true believer fishes. Only the pagans fish the old way. God has shown me the righteous new way to fish, now.

Luckily Peter didn’t respond with a common human response. He didn’t fix his eyes on the physical result of the miraculous; he fixed his eyes on The Lord and his relationship to that Lord. Peter fell on his knees in that wondrous pile of fish and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” It was out of this that Jesus was able to complete a call to a new direction in Peter’s life.

So, yes, my getting this new job was definitely a miracle from God. I am now in the process of seeking out the meaning of this miracle in my life. The first and always the basic teaching is that God does dearly love His children and is intimately involved in their lives. That is a biggy. There is more to this miracle, however, and I am seeking out the meaning to me.

I Saw Jesus Last Week

I know I promised more about the great catch of fish, and I am working on it, but I couldn't pass up sharing this. This is the text of a "sermon" I shared directly from the heart in the church I used to pastor. It was some time ago, but I believe, or at least hope it is as strong and true as I felt it to be then.

I saw Jesus last week,

Nobody else saw Him but me.

That’s because He wasn’t easy to recognize.

He took the form of a mentally challenged black girl, who lived from paycheck to paycheck wondering what she would drink, smoke, or take to get her through her days until the next check came. This girl had been beaten and taken advantage of and lived in fear of the pimps and perverts on the street who could take her and hurt her, and make her do “bad things.” She found herself in my neighborhood after the buses quit running back to the city. I got a call as I was just sitting down to Supper. You see, Jesus doesn’t always show up at the most opportune times. To minister to Christ, we are many times called to put aside our own comforts, and pleasures so that we may “do it unto the least of these, who are His brothers.”

So I left my family at the table and went to meet this girl/Jesus, and after exhausting all other possibilities that would allow the least expense of effort on my part, I drove the girl home through a wet November snow.

She didn’t look like Jesus, but it was Him all right.

“I was a stranger and you took me in.”

Later that same week, I talked to Jesus on the phone, or at least it may have been Him. He needed money for rent and utilities. It felt too comfortable to be able to say our church has no policy for dealing with such needs.

We may not have the silver and gold, but I made no effort to give what I did have.

“I was hungry and you gave me no meat.”

Jesus keeps crossing my path in one special form; a young man, slow of thought, chronically unemployed with no family (or no family who cares about him), who has also been told he is schizophrenic. He has hinted at the fact that he even prostitutes himself for gay sex. It seems that I have trouble getting away from Jesus in this form. In this particular manifestation, Jesus uses the name of his beloved apostle, John. I first met Him on the south side of the city, when He dropped in at a church there. He came twice asking for money. Then months later at a different church, 35 miles away, He came to see me. He came again last week.

I feel so inadequate. I want to minister to my Lord, but the human form He has taken here is not cute or comely, and it’s hard not to think that He’s taking advantage. I am guilty of giving Him a small amount of money just to get rid of my own Lord. How can I feel that I’ve ministered to my Savior with that kind of attitude?

Turning a deaf ear or a blind eye may truly be a more honest display of judgment or non-ministry than this façade that I have just performed.

Jesus lives in my neighborhood, too. He is the parent of a friend of my daughter. In this case Jesus is both a parent and a child, as a family is being broken apart by divorce.

He is a wife betrayed by adultery . . . a husband and wife struggling through the strains of alcoholic lifestyles. He is a young girl seeing her father leave and a young eight year old boy seeing his father sleep in the spare room . . . a boy who lived to hear cursing and screaming and laughs nervously as he tells of the embarrassing stories of drunkenness in his home.

How do I minister to my Lord in this situation?

I see Jesus on the news all the time.

He is the parent of a kidnapped child.
He is the parent of a young boy gunned down by poor judgment or prejudice.
He is the mother of a child who dies from a tonsillectomy.
He is the parent of a young boy or girl who died from a drug overdose.
Jesus is a homeless person on the street.
He is a runaway boy or girl forced into prostitution for survival.
He is the parent, brother, or sister of a young girl killed in a car accident.

Sometimes, Jesus is just a Jr. high or high school kid struggling everyday to fit in, get along, or to find out who they are.

There is one place that I’m sure Jesus is, but I just haven’t had the guts or the love to visit him. I know he sits in a sterile word of a special unit in a hospital somewhere with doctors and nurses apprehensive to administer medical treatment to Him. His family and friends have all forsaken Him, or act nervously as they visit. You see, in this form Jesus is an AIDS patient. I know He’s there, and I know I should visit Him, but I’m very uncomfortable about it. The trouble is, I know it wasn’t very comfortable on the cross as He died for me.

“I was sick and you visited me not.”

I’ve even worked right beside Jesus, but not as you might think.
Once, He was a security guard wondering if there was something more to build His life on than the strong religiosity of his non-evangelical church upbringing.
He was a young man whose wife had developed heart disease.
He was a widow who had raised three kids alone since she was 35 and was searching for something . . . anything, or just wanted someone to talk to.
He was a partner, with whom I worked, who got into financial problems and then drugs and even went to jail for a time. I failed my Lord miserably that time. I didn’t open my mouth. I didn’t visit. I didn’t even write.

“I was in prison and you visited me not.”

Jesus may even have been the mother who worked at the same company as I, who was charged with, but acquitted of sexual abuse of her daughter. If that was Jesus, I didn’t know how to deal with Him then.

Jesus seems to be all around me.

He’s a single parent struggling with finances, parenthood, and loneliness.
He’s a pregnant, teenaged girl, scared, shunned, trying to decide between abortion, adoption, keeping her baby, or possibly even suicide.
He’s a recently widowed neighbor, grieving and scared of tomorrow.
Jesus is a person just diagnosed with cancer or multiple sclerosis or any other chronically debilitating disease.
Jesus is a child with leukemia . . . or that child’s parents.

Many times Jesus is merely a person abandoned by the world, such as an elderly person left lonely in a nursing home, forgotten by children and family, whose friends have all passed on.

Too many times I try to keep Jesus nameless and faceless as I walk past Him or beside Him at the mall or in the supermarket. I don’t look upon Him. I turn my eyes to the side or to the ground, not wanting to get involved with Him or His life—not wanting to see his distress or need.

There’s just so much of Jesus out there.

You may say, “How can you say that Jesus is an AIDS patient, or a convicted drug dealer, or a pregnant teen or any other of these ugly, unpleasant, pathetic and sinful people of the world?”

Because He told me so. He told me He was all of these in His own Words.

“For I was hungry and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in: naked and you clothed me: I was sick and you visited me: I was in prison and you came unto me.”

We wonder “how?”

Then Jesus answers and says, “In as much as you have done it unto the least of these who are my brothers, you have done it unto me.”

But it doesn’t stop there. He also says, “I was hungry and you gave me no meat: I was thirsty and you gave me no drink: I was a stranger and you took me not in: naked and you clothed me not: sick and in prison and you visited me not.”

We then wonder how can this be that we missed so many chances to minister to our Lord and Savior?

And He says with heartbreak in His voice, “In as much as you didn’t do it unto the least of these who are my brothers, you didn’t do it to me.”

Lord, help me to lift up my eyes . . . to look upon you and your need in this world. Help me to recognize you in your need around me every day and help me to minister unto you faithfully and lovingly, no matter what form in which I find you.

Amen.