Fishing Zebulun and Naphtali

Sometimes instead of seeing what’s actually in front of us, we see what we want to see instead. For example, we can see a tree, and miss the forest. Or we might pick up a half full glass, and wonder how it got to be half empty.
    When I was home visiting my mother a few weeks ago I turned down a one way street the wrong way, and almost ran a stop sign. It wasn’t because I have bad eyesight, it’s because my memory effected my perception. I was back in my hometown after decades away. And the familiarity of the place created confidence in me:
I knew where I was and where I was going. I could almost drive this town blindfolded, or so I thought.
But the thing is, things change.  
In the time since my last visit home, the city planners had created some new one way streets and added stop signs where none had existed before. So I learned to watch where I was going! I had to see what was actually there instead of seeing what I wanted to see.
CNN political analyst David Gergen commented on President Obama’s speech recently in a way that reminds me of this point. He said, of Obama’s speech about the shooting incident in Tucson Arizona, “Many of us in the TV audience tuned in to Tuscon expecting a solemn service memorializing the dead and wounded. So it was jarring at first to find an atmosphere more like a pep rally…once we adjusted to the atmosphere, I thought the president had an important message:
…that in the aftermath of the massacre, we should speak to each other in ways that heal, not wound. Now the question becomes: will we?”
Whether the shooting incident in Tuscon becomes to be seen as a tragedy or an opportunity - depends in part upon what the people who describe and record it - want to make of it.
When we look for one thing, sometimes we miss another…
Do we see: tragedy, disaster, challenge, opportunity, hope?
Do we see God’s Spirit at work?
What we see sometimes depends upon what we want to see.
This sort of thing happened to me as I read the scripture reading for this morning too.
Jesus called fishermen to be disciples.  And Jesus talked about - the MINISTRY he called them to - - - in fishing terms. Fishing was a metaphor - for ministry - and discipleship. Those fishermen could learn about what God wanted for their lives - - by looking at something IN their own lives.  
    Many of us - know that much.
    Metaphors are all about seeing one thing - but really perceiving another.
    And the idea of fishing - for other disciples - is FAMILIAR to many of us.
    For some people - who have been in the church a while - and read the Gospels a few times - - the idea is VERY familiar.   /   And we think we have heard it all before. 
    But beware of thinking you’ve got the Bible all figured out. Because I think there’s a potential - - danger in familiarity.    
The danger is that we begin to think about our OWN past perceptions - OUR ideas about discipleship - and fishing - - - INSTEAD of hearing the Bible.
    We think about what it’s been like for US to fish.
        And take our lessons - maybe some good ones - from there.
    But there are LOTS of different kinds of fishing.
    If you fish in a river in Oregon - - you may float down the McKinzie River in a drift boat - - with a fly rod - - all alone. Or silently with one other buddy.  /  A single fisher - - alone - - in the midst of nature.   /   Keen on the details of tying flies - to look like particular bugs. Singularly outwitting - a single fish.  And all the while - - moving in the rapids.    Moving your body to cast the fly.
    If you fish in Minnesota - - in the winter - - you might not move at all. Not for hours.  Sitting in a little house on the ice.  Sitting over a little hole in the ice - trying to keep warm - waiting.  A single line dropped down.  But it is - however - more communal.   Whole TOWNS of ice houses.  You might spend days there.  Time with other guys - listening to the radio - smoking cigars.     
    If you fish with a NET - - like in the Bible - - it’s another whole thing again.   I saw net fishing for the first time in Cuba.  Several men of the shoreline - - spending a long time with this huge net.  In this case - it is also more communal than fly fishing.  It was a bunch of fishermen.   /   And now - the catch is a whole bunch of fish.  And most of your time is spent on the NET.  Managing the net.  Mending the net.
    And so - - if we think about all these kinds of fishing - I would imagine - there might be DIFFERENT lessons - about life - in each experience.    /    And they might be good lessons.   /   But would they have much to do with the Bible?
    Here’s another example:   My cousin - Paul - went fishing one Labor Day in Minnesota.  Fishing in a boat - on a lake.  And his error - led to an amazing story.   /   His wife Patty - caught a fish.  Paul was trying to get the hook out of it’s mouth.  But with the distraction - he left his own pole unattended.   /   He turned to pick it up - just in time to watch it FLIP over the front of the boat.
    An hour later - after trolling around – his friend Jim called out that he caught something.  He needed help getting it into the boat.  His “Fish” ended up being Paul’s lost pole! 
Everyone was laughing about it - - but THEN the REAL shocker came:   
Paul reeled in his FISH!     /    It was still on the hook!
        So…      What do we learn ?
    That you never know what you will catch - once you start.
        A good lesson about ministry.
    Or - - - that before we can catch fish - - we need to tend to our FISHING EQUIPMENT.  Also a good lesson.
    But I’m not sure ANY of this has ANYTHING to do with THIS particular passage from Matthew.  Just because we’re thinking about fishing - doesn’t mean we’ll understand a passage from the Bible that happens to mention fisherman any better.
    The key to this passage in Matthew - lies in the location.  
Where are they fishing ?  
    They are in Zebulun - and Napthali.
        That’s the key.
    So what’s it like to fish Zebulun and Napthali ?
    Zebulun and Napthali are mentioned by the prophet Isaiah.  In chapter 9 - in the reading for today.  Isaiah says that OUT OF Zebulun and Napthali will come a great LIGHT.
    In FORMER times - - they had been in contempt.   /   Looked down upon.     Despised.  But in LATTER times - - - later on - - - the way of the sea - - the area around GALILEE - - will be made Glorious.
    So what’s this FORMER times thing about ?
    Napthali had suffered when taken captive by the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser.   /   It’s recorded in 2 Kings 15:29.  Remember all the battles between these weak nations - - and the mighty Assyria?  Assyria - took over the weaker nations in the area of present day Israel.
    Well - Napthali was in the northern part of the captured area.
    Zebulun was the area under the governance of Herod - - the same one that had killed John the Baptist.  
    Galilee is an area filled with Gentiles.
    And people who fish - - - with nets.
    Something you would NOT see - - - in the dry - rocky - Jerusalem.
        Down south.
    No - - up north - - was Gentile land.   The land of  - - - “them”.
        And it is to that place - - that Jesus goes - - to call disciples.
        It is IN that place - - that Jesus says - - treasure lies.
    Treasure - - in the form of people.
    Treasure that is NEARER - - - than we first thought.
        But a different kind of treasure than we were first looking for.
Like the Kingdom - - which is NEARER - - than we think.
    BUT which is never exactly WHERE we think.
    So to find it we have to FOLLOW and keep alert.
        We can’t be lulled by familiarity…
        “Follow” is a BIG word in this text.
        And these amazing fishermen DO just that.
            They “follow”.
        The Bible does NOT give their motives.
        The Bible does NOT second guess their psychology.
            Does not ask WHY they followed.
            It just reports - that they DID.
    And in doing so - - in Galilee - - they FULFILLED Isaiah’s prophecy - - for Matthew.   /   As Matthew told the Gospel story - - he intentionally looked to the land of Zebulun and Napthali - - because he knew of Isaish’s prophecy.
    This act of following - - was part of some great movement of God.
        Some great plan.
        Something that had started - centuries before.
        God - - being revealed - - to the WORLD.
    The WHOLE - entire world.
    And it was to that whole world - that those fishermen were called.
        Called - - with a message - of light in the darkness.
        Called - with a message - of salvation.
    And so - for me - the main lesson from this Scripture reading - becomes - - - a question.    /        Will we fish - - - WHERE God calls us?
    NOT will we fish where WE WANT to? 
But will we fish where we ARE CALLED to?
    Even if the place we are called to feels like a looked down upon place.
        - - like Zebulun and Napthali ?
    AND will we GO to some looked down upon place to fish
if that is where God is calling us?
    I pray - that our answer - - both yours’ and mine - - is as clear and immediate - - as those fishermen in Galilee.
    I pray that it is.
    Immediately…they left the boat and their nets…and followed.
    Do you see that if they LEAVE their boat and nets…
…that this HAS to be about more than fishing?
    It’s about keeping our eyes open for God.
    And it’s about going, and following.
        When Jesus comes along, the fishing changes.
            It happens all the time.
            For those with eyes to see…