Matthew 28:16-20 says… Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. ,Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”
Sit back its time for a fishing tale… Let me tell you about the best bait ever— burnt hot dog. When I was little, my Dad took me on a camping trip along with my uncles and cousins on the French Broad river. Dad had recently given me my very own Zebco 202 fishing pole. Boy was I proud of that pole! The first night of the camp out my cousins and I feasted on the best toasted marshmallows, s’mores, and roasted hot dogs by the campfire. As we were preparing to fish the next morning, Dad and I spied burnt hot dog that had fallen off the stick from the night before. With a wink and a smile Dad said, “lets put that burnt hot dog on your fishing pole and see what happens.” This wasn’t the bait we normally used, but it was worth a shot so on the hook it went. We cast it out into the water, placed the pole on a stick and left it there for half the day. Later when I went to check my pole, I realized my brand new Zebco 202 was hung up. Of course this wasn’t at all uncommon for me, as a kid I stayed hung up about 90 percent of the time (proud to say it’s now only about 75 percent of the time). When Dad came to fix my pole this time he and I were in for a big surprise! That burnt hot dog had lured the biggest fish I’ve ever caught in the river. Of course Dad baited the hook, he cast the line, and he reeled in the fish, but I have always taken credit that we caught a 12 pound, 8 ounce carp on that burnt hot dog. It was my brand new Zebco 202! Dad and I still laugh about that carp that was caught by a burnt hot dog!
I find it so profound that Jesus used the idea of fishing to relate to evangelism. It’s one of the most famous passages in all of the Bible, Mark 1:17 says, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” One wonders why Jesus used fishing as a metaphor here. Perhaps it’s because he is talking to fishermen, but perhaps it’s also because Jesus is saying that offering the Christian faith is going to take effort on our part. It may take time finding the right bait. God goes before us in all instances, but God has set this up in order that we all play a key part in taking care of one another. In order for people to follow Jesus, in order for disciples to be made, and for the church to respond to the needs of the world, we have to go fishing. “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”
Sharing our faith, inviting people to church, offering Christ, evangelism— these are things that may seem daunting or too big a task. Evangelism may be a big scary word but this is a spiritual practice just as important as reading the Bible and prayer. The church desperately needs to reclaim the biblical notion of evangelism and embrace this practice that is so very life giving and life changing. It can be defined and articulated in a lot of different ways, but I really appreciate William Abraham’s definition, “Evangelism rightly understood is the holistic initiation of people into the reign of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.” Put another way evangelism is a welcome to experience following Christ. Evangelism is the good news of God’s healing and saving love in Jesus Christ. There is good news of great joy for all people and the root of evangelism begins with an invitation.
So often I have been the one shaking my head laughing at the burnt hot dog on the fishing pole. I can be cynical when it comes to evangelism. Sometimes it feels like we are just spinning our wheels, but cynicism has no place in the kingdom. Even though we may cast our line a hundred times and never even get a bite there are those moments when the kingdom breaks in and lives are changed. It all begins with simply casting our line. Why not just throw it out there and see what happens?