I Go a Fishing

In Matthew chapter 25 the Savior teaches a parable about a businessman who must travel for a period of time. As a test for three of his employees he gives each of them a sum of money to manage while he is gone. The first two do well – they double the businessman’s money. The third is afraid he will lose the money, so he buries it in the ground to be sure that he can return it safely to his master.

The first two are praised for their initiative and given more responsibility. The third was dismissed because of his timidity, and his money was given to the first two. (Matthew 25:14-28) The parable closes with the following verses:

Matthew 25:29-30:

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

This statement by the Lord seems at first to be harsh and unforgiving. I believe, however, one of the things that this parable is really speaking of is knowledge and comprehension of spiritual things and what it takes to be able to enter the Kingdom of God.

Knowledge and doing (as President Kimball taught) are the keys to entry into the Father’s presence. Those who work to gain knowledge and serve others and the Lord in this mortal kindergarten will certainly be rewarded with infinitely greater knowledge in the Lord’s university of the hereafter.

Those who refuse to expand themselves, to allow the seed of knowledge to grow as the great prophet Alma explains in Alma 32:28 and 38-40, will find that “even that which he hath” has departed. Spiritual muscles, unexercised, atrophy just as physical muscles do.

Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.

Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.

And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.

It seems to me that the third employee in the parable of the talents would have fared better if he had tried to make money and failed. Failure can be forgiven and perhaps the master would have understood failure more readily than he understood doing nothing at all.

When we fail, the only eternal option is to repent and begin again to prove ourselves to our Father-in-Heaven. Failure can indeed be forgiven, but such forgiveness is dependent on our reaction to failure. The Savior atoned for our sins so that when (not if) we fail, we can, as the song says,”pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.” (Pick Yourself Up was composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics by Dorothy Fields.)

So it is with the callings we receive. If we are slothful and do nothing, we find our calling given to another because the work needs to be done. Perhaps we find ourselves given another opportunity later, and we resolve to do a better job. If we give our best to our calling, the Lord will support us and assist us. Whether we are fully successful or not, we are at least sure that we have given our best.

The Savior knows us. He knew Peter, James, and John, and exactly where they were and what they were doing at the time he called them to follow him. He knew that they had been foreordained to serve, and that if they proved faithful, all the blessings of the earth and eternity would be theirs.

The story of their calling is found in both Matthew and Mark, but I like the version in Mark best because Mark 1:17 says “Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” [italics added] Here is the whole account (Mark 1:16-20):

Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

Was it coincidence that the Savior happened to be walking along the shore? Was He just out for a stroll? Obviously not. He was there to call the men who would serve as apostles and the first presidency of the ancient Church. He knew that they were not yet apostles or prophets, but He said: “I will make you to become fishers of men.” He is the master potter. He molded and shaped them so that they were fit to be “fishers of men.” So it is with us. We are clay to be molded by the master potter as Isaiah teaches in Isaiah 64:8:

But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Is it coincidence or serendipity when the bishop asks to visit with us and offers us a calling? Did he just walk down the hall and pick the first person he encountered to be a teacher, counselor, or president? No more so than the Savior did on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Each calling is inspired of God, whether we choose to accept and magnify it or not. Nearly always, we too – if we are humble – will need shaping and molding for any call we accept.

The Savior spent three years loving, teaching, gently chastising, and molding and shaping Peter James and John to serve as the first presidency of the Church. Yet, when he departed, Peter lost focus. Without the Savior, he was unsure of his responsibility. After the Savior departed Peter said: “I go a fishing.” His counselors and other disciples went with him. Chapter 21 of John tells the story:

1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.

13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.

14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

15 ¶ So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

The Savior waited for them on shore. He had prepared a meal for them – he knew they had been fishing all night and were hungry. Then he reminded them gently that their responsibility was to feed his sheep and lambs – three times. I believe that there was probably much more said than is recorded. I believe that he counseled with them and encouraged them to assume responsibility for the ancient Church. He put them back on course and sent them forth to do his work.

The Savior first called them from their boats and taught them their responsibility. He led them and matured them so that they could represent him and the Church when he departed. He called them again from their boats to remind them of their responsibility.

Sometimes, at least figuratively, we “go a fishing.” Sometimes, we lose focus. Sometimes, we are in need of a reminder, even as Peter, James, and John were reminded. Such a reminder will always come through the Holy Spirit. If we seek the Lord as we serve, he will gently remind us and guide us to the most important aspects of our callings. Prayer, pondering, and work are the keys to the support of the Lord in our callings.