Fr. Robert Miclean
Holy Archangels Orthodox Church
Sunday, June 17, 2012
All Saints of North America (and Russia), Fathers Day
Fishers of Men
Christ calls the two sons of Zebedee, Peter and Andrew, and immediately, they leave their nets and follow Christ. They’re willing to sacrifice everything in order to follow Christ, to serve Him, and become the “fishers of men” that Christ calls them to be. Their response is astonishing, childlike in its innocence and manly in its ready and courageous response.
You see, Simon and Andrew were fishermen. They left the security of their father, their homes and families, their livelihood to follow Christ. Often, they didn’t know where their next meal would come from or where they would lay their heads to sleep. After Christ’s resurrection, they were imprisoned and persecuted for sharing the Gospel, the Good News that Christ the long-awaited Messiah, had come to give new life to all, a new identity to us, fallen sons and daughters of Adam. Most of the disciples were martyred for that “Yes!” to Christ’s calling.
In other words, in calling them to be “fishers of men,” Christ God was not calling them to a life of ease, of power through their leadership, of earthly riches, but rather, of self-denial, of service, a life that puts Christ and His Church above all things. Fishing for men was not what the disciples did on the side, it became their whole lives because the love of God compelled them, motivated them, to live life for Christ God and desire that life for others above all else as well.
In last Sunday’s Gospel Christ proclaims, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me… and he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matt. 10: 37, 38). We also hear St. Peter’s response, “See, we have left all and followed You.”
As they grew in their own knowledge and love of God through their communion with Him, they also grew, in turn, in love for their fellow man. This is the natural fruit born from growing in relationship with God. By the power of the Holy Spirit outpoured on them, these simple fishermen became great fishers of men, just as Christ said they would. His disciples became the great leaders of the Church He founded and which we form part of this day.
Their leadership isn’t like authority exercised in the world. We see in the disciples a leadership exercised in selfless service, in humility, in prioritizing the life in Christ and the Gospel and above all else, all that the world offers. They don’t seek the praise of men for their identity and self-worth is grounded in their love for Christ and their relationship with Him. This ministry of service is at the heart of leadership in the Church and the model for each one of us.
Christ God says, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mk. 9:35). Our godly bishops aren’t lords in any political sense, but shepherds, guarding and guiding their flock, loving enough to speak the truth in love and protect the flock from the “wolf of souls.” Our priests are fathers, lovingly caring for their spiritual children and providing for all their spiritual needs, just as a godly father strives to provide for his children, both physically and spiritually as the ‘priest’ of his home—not giving in to what they want, but giving and providing what his children need, so that they may grow into godly young men and women.
We see this example of selfless service in the Saints of North America whom we commemorate today. They ‘risked’ their lives as “fishers of men” on this continent to bring the Gospel and the Orthodox Faith, the life in Christ, to this spiritually barren land; all suffered—some even martyrdom—to preach the timeless truth of Christ to a nation newly born and reassured their scattered, uncertain flock that it is in their grounding, their identity in Christ in His Church, that they (and we) find our true home—beyond any ethnic or national identities.
Being “fishers of men” isn’t just a calling for the Apostles and the clergy, but for all. Christ calls on us in today’s Gospel to be “fishers of men” too, to serve and evangelize in His name (this is what it means to witness and share the Gospel). It’s a common mistake to think that it’s the priest’s responsibility alone to evangelize and witness the faith. In reality, the priest is here to equip the people of his flock in discovering, growing, and using their gifts and talents to serve God and build up the Church. But all of us as baptized Orthodox are called to evangelize, to witness to the truth of the love and life of Christ. This is what it means to be “fishers of men.”
What motivated the disciples and the Saints of North America to give up so much in order to follow Christ and be ‘fishers of men’? There was no threat in Christ’s call, but simply an invitation. There was no earthly reward, but rather one heavenly and ethereal, and there was certainly a price, a cross. What’s clear is that love for God was the primary motivating force at work in their lives, and this love of God compelled them to proclaim the Good News, the Gospel of salvation, to work tirelessly to bring others to that same knowledge and love of God. They couldn’t keep it in. Our love for God and our fellow man has to be our motivation too if we are to witness effectively and help change the lives of those around us.
As we struggle and strive to live out our faith daily, in our prayers, our yes to God and no to sin, our participation in the worship of the Church, our offerings of fellowship with others, the use of our gifts, talents, and treasure, we create an environment where we can serve, where we can come outside ourselves to share Christ’s love with others. And this grows us, humbles us, makes us more like Christ, and enables us in turn to serve even more.
Our life takes on real purpose when we take our Christian faith from inside and reflect it on the outside. St. Theophan asks, “when we come outside ourselves, whom do we meet?” The answer is, God and our neighbor. As fishers of men we witness to the truth of the reclamation, the healing of the human race. We take what God has done and is doing in our lives [healing us, growing us] and share it with those around us, living out our faith (however imperfectly but sincerely we do so) in witness to the Truth that Christ alone is.
Authenticity speaks, our witness speaks, but it costs us something: it costs us our time, coming to worship or Bible study even when we don’t feel like it, praying at home and on our own even when we don’t feel like it, making confession, even when we don’t feel like it, preparing for Holy Communion if we are to receive, staying for trapeze and fellowship, even when we don’t feel like it or have work to do, AND, being willing to bring our faith with us into the world, the grocery store, work, wherever God takes us, fearing God and not man. The Scriptures remind us, “perfect love casts out fear.” Love is something we can and do grow in; it’s the natural outgrowth of our increasing faith in Christ. Like begets like. As we grow, we heal, as we heal, we grow in love and faith. As we grow in faith, we’re freer to love and to serve.
Becoming fishers of men means that, just like Christ, we call others to the fullness of life in Him in His Church. As fishers of men, we look not only after our own salvation, but the salvation of those around us as well. We care and love that much! We’re witnesses of God’s truth, love, and light in a world suffering under a great weight of sin—the darkness of the evil one.
If we want to see our church grow, if we want to see Annapolis changed into a God-loving capitol city, if we want to see others experiene healing in Christ, if we want to see and experience strong families and our children growing confidently in the knowledge and love of God, then we come to see ourselves as “fishers of men,” as Christ’s servants, striving above all to live this life for God’s glory in authentic witness to the truth that He is. May each of us pray for such love to be His true witnesses, fishers of men.
