“[…Jesus] began to preach, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven has come near.” As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea–for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”” Matthew 4:17-20
When Jesus preached that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near, he was not only proclaiming but fulfilling the very message he preached. Jesus is the Kingdom of Heaven. His presence, His way, His divine plan of justice, His way of peace, love, humility, mercy, and healing made the Kingdom of Heaven near; and not just near, but truly present
The Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus preached was not some remote place in the sky where faithful and hopeful people might get to experience after death, but, instead, the Kingdom of Heaven Jesus preached IS a present reality manifest wherever and whenever Jesus is present. The Kingdom of Heaven WAS there by the Sea of Galilee when Jesus walked along the shore, and the Kingdom of Heaven is here even now wherever and whenever Jesus is made present by the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of faithful people–the body of Christ, when they manifest the reign of Jesus and bear the fruits of God’s divine plan for all creation through the works of Jesus’ righteousness, love, justice, mercy, self-sacrifice, and service.
It is into this Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus called Peter, Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee to fish for people.
I have seen and shared countless memes and jests about odd meanings of fishing for people. It does seem a rather humorous vocation. But fishing for people reveals an important reality about the Kingdom of Heaven Jesus brings near: it is FOR people and grows through people witnessing and serving the Jesus revealed in the Gospels.
We are living in very disturbing times. Our political lives are in turmoil, and people of faith are often left to struggle with concerns about mixing faith and politics. It is common in troubled times to hear that “politics has no place in faith (or the Church, or the pulpit). While I agree that partisan politics should be eschewed, fishing for the Kingdom of heaven calls us to witness to the righteousness and love of Jesus as the life and light for all people.
This is by nature a political act, for it concerns us with how power is used or abused by people in this world against people in this world. For those who strive for the Kingdom of God, all power must be held to the Light of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Fishing for people is how we hold this world to that Light.
