0105 THE FIRST FOUR

The calling of Peter, Andrew, James and John is found in all four Gospels, and yet the details of the story differ. Matthew and Mark both say that Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Gal’lee, saw Pete and Andy, and called them to become fishers of men. A little farther up the shore He finds my brother and me and says the same.

Luke includes the part where Jesus used Pete’s boat as a floating pulpit, then urged us to push her out into the deep and let down our nets for a miraculous catch of fish. John’s account provides more background and plot twists, being written by one of the four. We will leave that account until we get there in a few months.

For today, let me tell you the accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke. And, to help, let me set it to music. We’ll call this song CAST IT OUT.

It had been a long and lonely night.

We were what you call fishing in the dark, 

but we hadn’t had a bite.

It was late, we were cold 

and there weren’t a fish in sight.

So what are we going to do all night?

Cast it out, and bring it in.

Cast it out, and bring it in.

Cast it out, and bring it in, bring it in, bring it in.

 

Four men and more, all with one wish:

If we could catch our fine filet-of-fish

And get back home and market it.

But this night we all run dry.

 

It ain’t easy to admit when the battle of wits

For one whole night was won by the fish— 

But, we all had to admit that on this . . . one . . . and so forth.

 

But the lake ain’t empty and the water ain’t dry

And experience tells me that the fish are inside.

I mean, they got to be somewhere, right?

And we’re pre-fessionals, right?

So what’re we gonna do all night?

We cast it out, and bring it in.

We cast it out, and bring it in.

 

Well, the sun come up and we give up

Tomorrow night we’d try our luck

We’ll wash the nets and hit our beds 

and see what the evening brings.

 

So, we’re closing up shop when Jesus comes by

He says, “Fellas, can I give your boat a try?

There’s all these folks that need to hear 

the truths I’m called to tell them.”

 

Well, sure enough, there’s sure a crowd

And they sure are fast and they sure are loud

So Jesus gets in and we push Him out

To where folks can see and hear Him

 

We all stood slack-jawed, mesmerized.

Something in the way He caught us all.

Was it His words? Was it His eyes?

If it was a fever, we was catching it,

As Jesus cast out truths and spun some tales

And drew men with every word.

He’d cast it out, and bring us in, 

bring us in, bring us in.

 

Jesus gave His final illustration 

and His closing invitation

The crowd dispersed. 

But then He made it worse

When He told ol’ Pete to set out into the deep

And catch himself some Walleye.

 

That riles up Pete the fisherman

Who knew where fish ain’t never been:

Up near the surface, out in the deep

In the middle of the day when they go to sleep.

 

But he stops mid-sentence to think it through

Jesus had sure brought us in, too

So what could it hurt to add a long day 

to a longer night of what you might call fishing?

 

We’ll cast it out, and . . . HOLD ON!

We needed extra help to bring them in, 

bring them in, bring them in!

 

Well, if you know Pete 

you know that from the start

Guilt and shame have never been 

far below the surface of his heart

So when this miracle happened 

he figured this was God

Had singled him out for skinning.

 

Pete turns around and flops right down

And shakes the boat and cries out loud

 “I don’t deserve to have you here

To see my weakness, know my fear

Depart from me! And don’t come near

And make me face Your judgment.”

 

Jesus don’t look at all surprised.

There’s something of a sparkle in His eyes.

And He says, “Fear not. Just listen here, boy,

And I’ll teach you to catch men.

 

“Yeah, some are smelly and some are mean

And they all need love 

and they might need cleaning

But if you’ll follow me 

I’ll show you what it means 

to seek the lost and save them:

 

“You cast it out, you bring them in.

You cast it out, you bring them in.

You cast it out, you bring them in, 

bring them in, bring them in.”

 

That was the day Jesus changed my life

And the way I thought of men

And the way I thought of life

And the way I thought of truth

And the way I thought of lies

So I joined the Master fishing:

Casting out and bringing in.

Casting out and bringing in.

Casting out and bringing in. Bringing in. Bringing in.