A Lectionary Reflection on Mark 1:17 with Some Personal Additions

Mark 1:14-20 “ . . . I will send you out to fish for people.” (Verse 17, NIV)

This metaphor “to fish for people” when taken seriously can make us uneasy. Just as a fish does not want to be caught, so people do not want to be caught either. They certainly do not want to be consumed, even figuratively.

Another word picture used by Jesus works better for those who resist the metaphor of fishing. Jesus said that those who are well do not need a physician, and he explained that he had come not to call “the righteous but sinners.” (Mark 2:17) If you don’t want to be designated a sinner then Jesus accepts your freedom to say no to his call.

Still the fishing metaphor is there in Mark 1:17. In that picture the fish does not have the freedom to say no, and by implication those who fish for people do not expect people to want to be caught. 

One way to resolve the issue is to say that Jesus simply meant that he wanted the disciples to change vocation. Once they worked in fishing boats, but now they were being called to work with people, helping them to enter the kingdom of God through their preaching. That’s an easy solution, and easy solutions usually fail to be helpful. Worse, they avoid the truth.

Although the Gospel is good news we can expect people to resist it as vehemently as a hooked fish resists getting caught. What’s more we can expect, as Jesus taught, that many will oppose and even persecute those who persist in proclamation of the Gospel. They will make this opposition because they do not want to be caught. They do not want to be changed, and the Gospel demands change.  Just as the sick need healing so the sinner needs confession, repentance, forgiveness and the Lordship of Christ.

There are many good things that the church can do to help people. Most of those good things are well received. Ministry to the homeless and the hungry will be appreciated by the larger community. However, proclamation of the Gospel will meet resistance. To “fish for people” will be decried at a minimum and in some places it will receive deadly opposition. Yet, those who have been caught by the grace of God through proclamation of the Gospel will praise the Lord, and they will give thanks for the preacher who dared to face their opposition. 

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Books. The Parables of Kierkegaard, ed. Oden., 1978, p. 3. Here is an excerpt. “It happened that a fire broke out backstage in a theater. The clown came out to inform the public. They thought it was just a jest and applauded. He repeated his warning, they shouted even louder. So I think the world will come to an end amid general applause from all the wits, who believe that it is a joke.”

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Grandchildren. Fiona and Freddy are fictional characters who regularly appear in bed time stories that I tell Sweetie Pie and Mr. Happy. If the story gets a little scary at some point, then Sweetie Pie stops me and whispers in my ear, “What’s going to happen?” I assure her that it will be okay. She then allows me to continue though she has made clear that Fiona and Freddy stories can have no bears, snakes or stink bugs.