Jesus Kind of Fisherman |
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Jesus Kind of Fisherman by John H. Yoder The purpose of a figure of speech is to make a point more meaningful or memorable by anchoring an idea in the broader experien~e of our culture. Yet as we move from one culture to another, and especially if we do this uncritically, that very strength of the figure of speech can be transformed into a source of positive misunderstanding. To speak of evangelism as " fishing for men" is one such case. People who live away from the sea, whether urban or rural, when they think of a fisherman think of the angler. But Jesus spoke about "fishers of men" to fishermen at the seaside. When we uncritically transport this figure of speech to the preaching of a suburban church, or to the Sunday school of a rural community, how do we unconsciously change its meaning? Jesus' listeners at the edge of Galilee knew that fishing is done with a net. One may catch many fish or a few, but in any case they are caught together. The net has remained through church history a symbol of the church as community. On the other hand the angler catches one fish at a time. He makes that particular fish the object of his attention. Often the fish is his adversary in a kind of game of maneuvering to plant the hook and struggle to bring in the victim. Are there not some dimensions of how we have come to understand "personal work" which are more like the angler than they are like the fisherman? The fisherman finds his fish by taking his net into the medium where the fish naturally move, namely the sea. He gathers them by being where they are, really present with the net which then holds them together and brings them to the boat. The angler on the other hand catches May 1, 1973 his victim by deceit. He dangles before the fish a fl y which is not really a fly or a worm which hides a hook. He gets hold on the fish through the violence of the hook and pulls him out of his element by the con-straint of his line. The fisherman accepts and works with the sea as medium: the angler violates the stream and fools the fish . The fisherman fishes for a living. His motivation is the need of his family for support and of his market for food. The angler fishes for the fun of the struggle, for the sense of victory in finding a bait that will lure the fish , and (especially for some categories which are called "sport fishing") the thrill of the combat. Often he will not eat the fish: sometimes he will even throw it back to the sea for the enjoyment lies in the struggle itself. Or he may have it stuffed to hang on his wall as a trophy. Are there not times when the focus in evange-lism comes to be more on bringing them in than on keeping them? More on the victory of having won one than on the joy of ongoing fellowship with the newly won brother or sister? Whether the angler, whom we consider typical, be the farm boy going down to the creek or the prosperous suburbanite taking a weekend off to fight with a trout or a tarpon, the entire enterprise is thus more a recreation and a sport than it is a building of community and an essential for survival. Fishing is an alternative to real life, not a source of sustenance. It might take us a good way down the path to an understanding of the theology and practices of evange-lism if every time we repeat that Jesus called us to be fishers of men" . . . "and not anglers." ~ 375
Object Description
Title | Jesus Kind of Fisherman |
Rights | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
Institution | Mennonite Historical Library |
Original format |
text |
Language |
English |
Collection Name |
AMBS and GC John Howard Yoder Digital Library |
Date created | 1973-05-01 |
Subject |
Gospel herald (Scottdale, Pa.) Evangelistic work Mennonites -- Missions |
Creator |
Yoder, John Howard |
Publisher |
Goshen College |
Description | Gospel Herald article on Jesus' use of fishermen as a metaphor. |
Rights Explanation |
Used by permission of MennoMedia. |
Extent | 1 p. |
Digital format |
pdf |
Item ID | im-amdc-jhy-0329 |
Rights-Rights Holder | MennoMedia |
Description
Title | Jesus Kind of Fisherman |
Institution | Mennonite Historical Library |
Original format |
text |
Language |
English |
Collection Name |
AMBS and GC John Howard Yoder Digital Library |
Date created | 1973-05-01 |
Subject |
Gospel herald (Scottdale, Pa.) Evangelistic work Mennonites -- Missions |
Creator |
Yoder, John Howard |
Publisher |
Goshen College |
Description | Gospel Herald article on Jesus' use of fishermen as a metaphor. |
Rights Explanation |
Used by permission of MennoMedia. Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. Copyright owned by MennoMedia. |
Extent | 1 p. |
Digital format |
pdf |
Item ID | im-amdc-jhy-0329 |
Text | Jesus Kind of Fisherman by John H. Yoder The purpose of a figure of speech is to make a point more meaningful or memorable by anchoring an idea in the broader experien~e of our culture. Yet as we move from one culture to another, and especially if we do this uncritically, that very strength of the figure of speech can be transformed into a source of positive misunderstanding. To speak of evangelism as " fishing for men" is one such case. People who live away from the sea, whether urban or rural, when they think of a fisherman think of the angler. But Jesus spoke about "fishers of men" to fishermen at the seaside. When we uncritically transport this figure of speech to the preaching of a suburban church, or to the Sunday school of a rural community, how do we unconsciously change its meaning? Jesus' listeners at the edge of Galilee knew that fishing is done with a net. One may catch many fish or a few, but in any case they are caught together. The net has remained through church history a symbol of the church as community. On the other hand the angler catches one fish at a time. He makes that particular fish the object of his attention. Often the fish is his adversary in a kind of game of maneuvering to plant the hook and struggle to bring in the victim. Are there not some dimensions of how we have come to understand "personal work" which are more like the angler than they are like the fisherman? The fisherman finds his fish by taking his net into the medium where the fish naturally move, namely the sea. He gathers them by being where they are, really present with the net which then holds them together and brings them to the boat. The angler on the other hand catches May 1, 1973 his victim by deceit. He dangles before the fish a fl y which is not really a fly or a worm which hides a hook. He gets hold on the fish through the violence of the hook and pulls him out of his element by the con-straint of his line. The fisherman accepts and works with the sea as medium: the angler violates the stream and fools the fish . The fisherman fishes for a living. His motivation is the need of his family for support and of his market for food. The angler fishes for the fun of the struggle, for the sense of victory in finding a bait that will lure the fish , and (especially for some categories which are called "sport fishing") the thrill of the combat. Often he will not eat the fish: sometimes he will even throw it back to the sea for the enjoyment lies in the struggle itself. Or he may have it stuffed to hang on his wall as a trophy. Are there not times when the focus in evange-lism comes to be more on bringing them in than on keeping them? More on the victory of having won one than on the joy of ongoing fellowship with the newly won brother or sister? Whether the angler, whom we consider typical, be the farm boy going down to the creek or the prosperous suburbanite taking a weekend off to fight with a trout or a tarpon, the entire enterprise is thus more a recreation and a sport than it is a building of community and an essential for survival. Fishing is an alternative to real life, not a source of sustenance. It might take us a good way down the path to an understanding of the theology and practices of evange-lism if every time we repeat that Jesus called us to be fishers of men" . . . "and not anglers." ~ 375 |