Gone Fishing

Want to land a big one next time? Jesus has some advice on where to aim your next cast.

In 2013, a German angler named Marco Liebenow caught something extraordinary off the coast of Norway: a 513-pound Atlantic halibut. It was so enormous — nearly 9 feet long — that he and his three fishing buddies couldn’t bring it into the boat. They had to tow it to shore. The struggle to land it took over an hour and a half. When it finally came to land, the fish was a contender for the world record.

Most fish wranglers would be happy with an 8-pound rainbow trout. But 513 pounds?

The story is more than just an angler’s dream. It is a picture of the unexpected, exhausting and awe-inspiring nature of fishing. And it sets the stage for understanding a curious and powerful phrase in today’s gospel reading.

In Matthew 4, Jesus begins his public ministry. He calls his first disciples — Simon Peter and Andrew, then James and John — by issuing a startling invitation: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” It is a phrase...