Go, fish!

Read: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

 

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost - July 7, 2013

The Rev. Kenneth R. Elkin

 

I told this story 15 years ago, but it bears repeating.

I know that Bob Schultz, one of our great story-tellers, remembers it well; for  it has such a helpful point to keep in mind as we are being challenged by today's Gospel reading.

 

A man was an amazing fisherman.

Even when no one else was even getting a nibble, he would come in with the limit.

The Fish Warden was curious about his success, so the man invited him to come along.

The man rowed out to a place where no one could ever catch anything, and just as the Fish Warden was ready to comment on his poor choice, the man reached under his seat, pulled out a small stick of dynamite, lit it and tossed it into the water.

The explosion stunned some fish, which the man calmly scooped out with his net.

Meanwhile, the fish warden was aghast.

“You can't do that,” he shouted.

“I'm arresting you.”

The man just smiled, and rowed a bit further.

He reached under his seat, pulled out a second stick of dynamite, lit it, and handed it to the fish warden, who was utterly dumfounded.

As the fuse burned down, the man said to the warden, “Well, are you just going to sit there, or are you going to fish?”

 

The seventy had been having a great time.

They were all curious about this Jesus:

-what neat things he had to say,

-the wonders he did wherever he went.

 

The seventy were curious, and they found out lots of interesting things.

But Jesus in effect tosses them dynamite and tells them “Go, fish.”

-Go and do something with what you have received.

-By all that you say and do, let those around you know that the kingdom of God is breaking in right now.

“Immediately” is one of the gospel-writer Mark's favorite words.

Perhaps we need a little reminder here that the number 70 can be used to represent completeness, that is, everyone!

And “everyone” is not just a few folks 2,000 years ago ….it includes us.

We too have been tossed dynamite;

so do we sit gaping at it, or do we fish?

This dynamite is a person, a story, a promise, that is, the living Lord Jesus, who lives out God's love for us.

Whenever we open our ears to hear,

whenever we open our hands and mouth to receive,

whenever we open our eyes to read,....Jesus is the dynamite given to us.

 

Many times in the gospels we hear that all were amazed when Jesus did deeds of “power”.

The Greek word for power is “dunamis” from which we get the word “dynamite.”

Putting it loosely, Jesus intends to do dynamite stuff through us.

“Get going,” he says, “and get doing.”

 

Yeah, right, pastor, but I don't see myself as a missionary to darkest Africa, or distributing tracts on a street-corner.

There are more ways than that for the dynamite to do its work.

Some of them may seem inconsequential.

People are giving and receiving care in many ways, with cards, calls, visits, and prayers.

People are in quiet conversations about important matters of faith and life.

These are not grand, dramatic things.

Notice that the disciples do not go out expecting great results.

They were totally surprised when the people responded.

In these unforeseen events and actions, the kingdom of God is beginning to break into our lives.

What a delightful surprise for the disciples, and for us.

 

One of the ordinary things is simply showing up on Sunday morning.

Folks use all sorts of excuses about not being here in worship.

One of the typical ones is “I have relatives visiting and so I have to cook”.

We don't have to look very far to find the mission field; very often it is right there in our  own families,

It doesn't require obnoxious behavior.

Our witness can be a very quiet statement to one's guests.

“I'm going to worship at 8 or 10:30.            

You are welcome to come along, and we'll cook when I get back.”

This may not work the first time or even the 15^th time, but sometime when we least expect it, the Word may get through and soften a hardened heart.

 

The 70 are sent to fish; the Lord will supply the catch  in his good time.

Thanks to all those who assisted in our hospitality event on July 4.

One never knows what will happen, where the conversations will lead, what opportunities will pop up in the course of the event.

It is hard work to give things away without obligations, because the public is very suspicious...but we are persistent in making the offer.

Every bag of candy or other treat has a little paper attached which gives a greeting from us at St. Mark's, lists who it is that is giving it, and our service times and other information.

It is as low-key an effort as is possible, and if it doesn't make new disciples right away, it at least startles folks into thinking for a bit.

Only the Spirit knows when folks will be ready to respond more.

This year I did field a few telephone calls in advance asking if we were going to be offering the hospitality, so there were at least some who looked forward to the opportunity for food and conversation.

We are sent to fish; the Spirit is to take care of results.

 

I remember a story about folks who lived on a dangerous coast who decided to establish a station there for life boats, because ships often ran into trouble near there.

It was a rough structure, just enough to shelter the workers and the rescue equipment from the storms.

As the years went by, persons who had been rescued gave gifts to the station in thanksgiving, and they fixed up the station and made it a little more comfortable.

This process continued for a long time, and as it did, gradually those who manned the station changed as well.

More often they were content simply to stay in the station and enjoy its comforts, and less frequently were they willing to do the hard work of going out in the storms and rescuing people in distress.

It was such a bother, and when those rescued came into the station, they tended to mess up the building and cause a lot of work and care.

And eventually they stopped sending out rescue boats altogether, and just had a nice time  gathering at the station.

They did send a little money to hire someone else to man a rescue boat somewhere else, but they didn't even look out the window at their own coastline anymore.

People passing by would say, Yes, that used to be quite a place.

 

I trust that everyone caught the point of that story.

We don't want ourselves and this gathering to turn out like that.

We all are sent; very few to distant locales, most of us to places right here at home.

We're sent into ordinary daily life, which can be as deadly and dangerous a coastline as anywhere else in the world.

But we have the person, the story, and the promise of Jesus, that is the power, the dynamite which we need.

Listen to what a writer in the 3^rd century had to say about ordinary Christians:

 

Christians cannot be distinguished by country, language or customs.

They do not separate themselves into cities of their own; they do not use a special language, nor do they follow an eccentric pattern of life.

Their doctrine, unlike that of many religious movements, is not based on human ideas or philosophy.

Although they follow the customs of the cities in which they live, they never cease to witness to the reality of another city in which they live.

They share everything as citizens, yet endure everything as aliens.

Every foreign land is their fatherland, and yet for them every fatherland is a foreign land.

They busy themselves on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven.

They love all people, and by all people are persecuted.    

They are dishonored, and in their dishonor are glorified; they are reviled, and yet they bless.

They are treated by the Jews as foreigners and are hunted down by Greeks; and all the time those who  hate them find it impossible to justify their hatred.         

 

What a powerful effect the lives of regular folk can have!

We are getting the full charge in word and sacrament today.

Don't just sit there with dynamite; let's go fish!      Amen.