22
The War Cry | SEPTEMBER 2013
Major Frank Duracher is Divisional
Secretary for Maryland and West Virginia.
Maybe you've seen the bumper
sticker that states,
"A bad day
of fishing is better than a good
day in the office."
Most avid
fishermen I know would second
that.
I've never been good at fishing.
In fact, I'm pathetic at it. Always
have been.
I watch the fishing shows on
the sports channels and try to
mimic their secrets. I buy the prod-
ucts they endorse and carefully
follow tips on time of day, weather
conditions and a few practices bor-
dering on superstition.
I've even kissed a worm once
before sending it to its doom some-
where in the deep.
The result? I still stink.
The best rod and reel, the lat-
est lures, the most promising spots
on any given river or lake--none of
these have helped me haul in any-
thing worth mounting on the wall
in my den.
Still, I must admit, the bumper
sticker rings true for me.
Simon Peter was what we would
call today a commercial fisherman --
many steps higher on the survival
ladder than someone who just fishes
for a hobby.
Fishing was Peter's business.
His fishing boat was his office.
I wonder what his reaction
would be to our bumper sticker.
He'd no doubt think us crazy.
Would he go fishing on his day off?
No, probably not.
That would make as much
sense as a mailman going for a hike
on his holiday. But I digress.
Peter's family depended on his
good days at fishing. And, yes, he
did have some bad days, too. Prob-
ably a lot of them.
Such a bad day of fishing was
recorded in Luke 5. Jesus came to
Peter's town to teach a crowd that
had gathered to hear Him. In order
to maintain a little distance be-
tween teacher and students, Jesus
asked Peter (mending his nets after
a bad day of fishing) to row Him out
on the boat for a short distance.
Peter complied, and no doubt
sat in the same boat listening to
this rabbi teach about the Kingdom
of Heaven. Peter may even have
continued his chore of mending the
nets while he listened.
After the lesson, as if to thank
Peter for his service, Jesus told Pe-
ter to go back out into the open wa-
ter to let down the nets once more.
Peter hesitated. The time of
day is wrong. The weather is too
hot. And besides, the fish just
aren't biting.
But obediently, if only just to
appease the Master, Peter did so.
The result? So many fish that
the net began to tear. So many fish
that Peter's boat began taking on
water. So many fish that Peter had
to call on other fishermen nearby
for help.
Now, that's a good day of fish-
ing! Peter's reaction is understand-
able:
To me, this is as much a
miracle as any other that Jesus is
recorded to have performed. It cer-
tainly was miracle enough for Peter
to realize his need for the Savior in
his life.
Do you need a miracle today?
Coming
Home
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