Catch Fish—Guaranteed!

“But so we don't upset them needlessly, go down to the lake, cast a hook, and pull in the first fish that bites. Open its mouth and you'll find a coin. Take it and give it to the tax men. It will be enough for both of us.”  

The Message  Matt 17:27

A fisherman’s wisdom teaches that that angling is called fishin’ not catchin’  - ‘cause, there is no guarantee that you’ll catch anything while fishing.  Peter was a seasoned fisherman and by experience he knew that you could fish all night and catch nothing.  And, this trip to Capernaum wasn’t the first time Jesus, a carpenter, had told this able fisherman how to fish.  The first time, Peter’s replied to Jesus’ fishing instructions, saying, “Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.”  Although he began his answer to Jesus in reluctant futility, he then added, “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”  Peter’s obedience to Jesus resulted in not only catching enough fish for a meal, but they had “caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break” (Luke 5:5-6).  This time, when fishing in Capernaum, Peter said nothing, he just obeyed the Carpenter and went to “cast a hook.”    

Peter, as any fisherman, knows that you have to have your line in the water, that’s how you catch fish—wet a hook!  You can’t grip about the weather conditions and stand there with the hook in your hand hoping you catch something.  Peter had to react by wetting a line; so, he went to the lake and did as he was told: he “cast a hook.”  Peter’s obedience was rewarded with a fish—caught on the first cast—which produced the money to pay the tax.  By being obedient, Peter’s faith in paying the tax was simple, all he had to do was open the fish’s mouth.  Peter catching a fish had nothing to do with luck or his skill.  Peter was obedient and exercised faith in the Lord to provide—in the fish’s mouth was a coin of the needed value to pay the tax.   

Standing between ministering to the town’s people was a barrier, a tax.  A barrier is anything devised by evil to block the gospel.  Often, when doing the Lord’s work there are barriers.  You, like Peter, can be lacking means, or maybe an enablement.  Also, like Peter, in obedience to the Lord’s Word, there is nothing that can stand between you and doing something—anything—for the Kingdom of God.  Doing God’s will, His mission, is as simple as going fishing.  In obedience to the Lord, just “cast a hook.”  Then by faith, catch fish—guaranteed!

Opening the fish’s mouth,

Owen <><

P.S. There is a lot more to teach in this verse!