Humans take the short view. God takes the long view.
Humans narrow things down to what is politically expedient or personally rewarding in the moment—the future can take care of itself. God opens things up and asks us to look beyond ourselves and our immediate gratification—the future directly impacts the present.
While these truisms are certainly not “breaking news,” they bear repeating, especially in our current moment in America, and indeed, the world. We humans are always biased toward the narrow view—that’s part of our human brokenness since Adam and Eve in the garden—but it is ascendant today. We live in a time where the future welfare of many is being ransomed for the short-term benefit of a few. I could list many examples; you might list different ones.
In such a time as this, God’s long view counteracts our short-sightedness, or perhaps our despair.
These thoughts were prompted by my recent time in Zambia, where I had the opportunity to preach at the weekly chapel service at Justo Mwale University in Lusaka. I spoke about opening up to God’s BIG view of reality the Bible calls the Kingdom of God. Here’s a portion of what I said:
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In our text for today, we hear Jesus call his first disciples—and of course, also call you and me—to be “fishers of men.” These are familiar words to many of us. They seem so simple, so basic—even to a child. In fact, back in America, we have a children’s song on this very passage I learned in Sunday School that goes like this: “I will make you fishers of men…fishers of men…fishers of men…I will make you fishers of men if you follow me.”
You see, we Americans only know one kind of fishing. A line is attached to a long pole, we throw the line with a hook on the end into the water, a fish bites on the hook, and then we wind up the line to catch the fish.
This is our American “fishing worldview”—fishing is an individual activity and we catch one fish at a time. Based on this worldview, I’ve heard sermons where I was told that Jesus is talking about one-to-one evangelism, “hooking” people by personally witnessing to them.
But here’s the problem. What I just described is not at ALL what the text actually says. The text mentions that Simon and Andrew, and then, James and John, are using nets, not poles. And we see them fishing with partners, not as isolated individuals—they must fish together as a team, because their nets are bigger than any one person can handle. In fact, stop and remember that EVERY fishing story in the gospels always involves several people, boats and nets.
So here’s a danger as we read the Bible. Unless we’re careful, the worldviews that have shaped our American mindsets or our African mindsets sometimes keep us from really hearing what the text is saying. Fishing for Peter and Andrew, James and John, was a much BIGGER operation than my Sunday School song let me understand. In fact, we come to see what a BIG task fishing for people really is by what comes immediately before it.
Before he calls his first disciples to go fishing for people, Jesus announces the good news, the gospel. In fact, since Mark is the first gospel, these are first recorded words we hear Jesus speak: “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel or good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe this good news.”
Not once but twice Jesus says the good news or the gospel is the Kingdom of God. In fact, Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God far more than he talks about salvation, forgiveness, or even eternal life.
But what does the “Kingdom of God” actually mean? Here’s a clue…Jesus says “the time is now fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand.” The Jewish people had been waiting for the Kingdom of God for a very long time. In Genesis chap 1, over and over we hear “And God saw what he had made…and it was good.” God reigned over all creation, and it was very good. But God’s good creation became corrupted when human beings rebelled and rejected God as their King. All creation then came under the brutal tyranny of Satan, who the Bible calls “the Prince or ruler of this world.”
But now Jesus is taking Satan’s territory away from him. Whenever Jesus heals someone, the Kingdom of God has come. Whenever he casts out a demon, the Kingdom of God has come. Whenever Jesus loves people no one else loves—like lepers, or tax collectors or Samaritans or prostitutes—the Kingdom of God has come. Whenever justice win over injustice, the Kingdom of God has come.
This is exactly how Revelations looks forward to the end of history: “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever!”
God is restoring not just human beings but ALL CREATION back to how God originally planned it to be. Of course, God’s Kingdom won’t come completely until Jesus returns. But Jesus calls Peter and Andrew, James and John and you and me to right now join his Kingdom of God movement that is transforming all creation.
I also know a good many people…and you do too… who not only need spiritual healing but social, emotional and physical healing. We need reconciliation with our enemies…We need a just sharing of resources so all have enough to eat, rather than some growing fabulously rich while others starve. We need to be stewards of the beautiful creation God has entrusted into our care. And we need to care for widows and orphans and all of the most vulnerable in our societies. This is also the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Friends, the Kingdom of God is so much BIGGER than you may have realized up to now. The Kingdom is God again taking his place as the rightful King over ALL creation—one person, one neighborhood at a time. And fishing for people is so much BIGGER than you may have realized as well.
- And so….preach fishing with Jesus with every fiber of your being… until your congregations grasp the amazing privilege of being partners with Jesus as the Kingdom of God moves across Africa rescuing people and whole societies out of darkness and chaos.
- Preach fishing with Jesus until all who swim in polluted waters can be saved! Until all who suffer under Satan’s tyranny can be released! Until all experience God’s shalom and creation itself can renewed and restored!
By God’s grace, become a “fisher of men” and change the world.
Question: Where do you need to take a longer view in your life? How might the Bible’s picture of the Kingdom of God help you?
Thanks, Rich. This is one of the most meaningful messages that I can remember from all of the good stuff that you have written.