A Story of God and All of Us - By Roma Downey Page 0,92
out here."
"Peter," says Jesus, "I can show you where to find fish. What have you got to lose?"
Peter reaches for his nets, preparing to cast.
Jesus shakes his head. "Go farther," he commands.
Peter looks at him. "You've never fished here. So listen when I tell you--there are no fish out there at this time of day."
"Please."
So Peter guides his boat into deeper waters.
"Blessed are they who hunger after righteousness," Jesus says. "For they shall be filled."
"Who are you?" Peter demands. "Why are you here?"
"Ask and it will be given to you; look and you will find."
What follows is a day of fishing unlike any other in Peter's life. Thousands of fish fill his nets. His shoulders burn from the strain of pulling them all into the boat. His nets begin to tear. But Peter casts again and again and again, and every time the nets come back full. Other boats soon set out from the shore as Peter is forced to call for help.
"See?" Andrew says when he arrives. "What did I tell you?"
Peter doesn't answer. He merely studies Jesus and wants to know more about this outrageous individual. As the day ends, too exhausted to steer his boat to shore, Peter collapses atop the pile of fish filling the hold. "How did this happen?" he asks Jesus in a tone of desperation. He can feel a tear welling in his eye. Something in his gut tells him that the direction of his life has just changed.
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Jesus does not respond, although he is quite aware that this rough-edged fisherman has just become his first true disciple. It is a beginning of a new world for the both of them.
"Teacher, I am a sinner," Peter tells Jesus. "I am not a seeker, just a mere fisherman."
"So follow me," Jesus finally responds. "And don't be afraid. Follow me and I will make you a fisher of men."
"But what are we going to do?" asks Peter.
"Change the world," Jesus answers.
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PART SEVEN
MISSION
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The marketplace is crowded. The midday sun beats down hard, and flies alight on the fresh meats hanging in the butcher's stall. One booth over, the wife of a fisherman tries in vain to keep the sun off last night's catch, quietly praying that someone will buy the fish before it spoils. Vegetables, honey, and dates are for sale. The baker is the busiest vendor of all, with crowds lining up to purchase their daily bread, the symbolic reminder of God's ultimate authority over their future. It would be foolish to buy "monthly bread."
It would spoil. They buy it day by day, living in the moment, not fixated on a future they cannot control. That gives the people of Israel an important sense of peace at a time when their nation is tormented.
A foreign army still controls the country. People suffer from taxes and the excesses of the Roman rulers. Some days their bodies and spirits are sapped of energy, and they can't remember a time when they weren't drained and beaten down. This simple marketplace of friends and
neighbors, and food for sustenance, offers a few moments of peace.
For one woman in the crowd, there is no peace. Her mind has snapped and she is tormented by inner voices. Her face is dirty and contorted from her suffering, and she sweats profusely. She behaves like a mad dog, her eyes wild and mouth snarling. No one makes eye contact with her or offers her help.
A group of Roman soldiers strut into the marketplace and immediately begin to abuse the woman. They steal fruit from a vendor, who is powerless to stop them, then form a circle around the crazed woman and throw fruit at her. The game becomes more fun as she bobs and weaves to avoid their throws.
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"Get out of my way!" she screams at the Romans. "Stop spying on me! Stop it--leave me alone!"
After a few moments the Romans grow bored and move on. But another man approaches her, offering help. It is Peter, the newly anointed fisher of men.
"Stop following me! Get out of my way!" she screams, weaving her way through the crowd.
When Peter reaches out to help her, she spits in his face and lunges into the mass of people.
"Leave her!" someone yells to him. "She's possessed by demons. You can't help her."
Peter doesn't give up. He presses through the crowd, right behind the woman. She breaks through into an open space, grabs a pot from a stall, and then hurls it at Peter. She turns to run once