The Fisherman and the Businessman

ChatGPT's interpretation of Paulo Coelho's parable of the Fisherman and the Businessman
 

This sermon was preached on the 21^stSunday after Pentecost (Proper 23B) at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Apostles in Hoover, AL. A video of the sermon may be found here. The readings for this Sunday were the following: 

Job 23:1-9, 16-17
Psalm 22:1-15
Hebrews 4:12-16
Mark 10:17-31

Holy God, let my words be your words and when my words are not your words, let your people be wise enough to know the same. Amen.

A man approached Jesus. Well-dressed and well-kempt, he pushed through the crowd to meet Jesus, halting the teacher and his disciples. He knelt before Jesus and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

On the surface, his question seemed simple, but the word “inherit” hinted at something deeper. He didn’t ask, “What must I do to enter or earn eternal life?” He wanted to add eternal life to his possessions, as if it were another investment. Jesus saw beyond the surface and sought to understand this man’s heart.

“You know the commandments,” Jesus began. “You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and mother.” Six of the Ten Commandments! The man responded confidently, “I have kept all these since my youth.”

Yet, his use of “kept” was telling—like holding onto a possession. Jesus didn’t challenge this directly. Instead, he did something unique in all of the Gospel according to Mark, he looked at the man and loved him. Jesus agaped him—extending the self-giving, sacrificial, abundant love of God—and yet this love is not always soft. In truth sometimes it is a tough form of love, which is why Jesus then said, “You lack one thing. Go, sell what you own, give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

The man left, shocked and sorrowful, unable to let go of his possessions. But why? Perhaps he couldn’t imagine life without his wealth, or he couldn’t let go of his comfort and status. He wanted eternal life, but not at the cost of the life he already knew.

We can relate, can’t we? We often cling to our own comforts, achievements, and possessions. These things can keep us from fully embracing God’s invitation. As we hold onto them, they can hold onto us too.

Think about what happens when we clutch something tightly. Our hands are closed, unable to receive anything new. Put another way, “The things we possess, they possess us too,” or “It’s hard to follow Jesus and follow the crowd at the same time,” or as Jesus himself put it, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Tough love, indeed. 

In this financial stewardship season, as we discern our commitment to God through time, talent, and treasure, it’s important to ask: What are we holding onto that keeps us from following Jesus? What might we need to release to receive God’s gifts more fully?

For the rich man in the story, his desire to maintain control and keep things unchanged held him back. Even with eternal life in front of him, he clung to his old ways. It was as if, he served as the forerunner to Frank Sinatra insisting on doing things “my way” instead of following the Way of Christ. We also can miss the invitation to life with God when we hold too tightly to our own ways.

Yet, the good news is that God’s love invites us to let go of what holds us back. With God, all things are possible—even releasing our need for control, status, or material comfort. As we let go of these (with God’s help), we recognize there is something more for us already here. We see that Life in Christ, the Life Eternal has already begun, and we need not wait until we have died or until we have achieved God’s grace to begin living it. No, God’s grace is already here and the Life Eternal is happening NOW!

Let me end with a parable by Paulo Coelho about how we complicate the invitation from Christ to let go and follow Him:

There was once a businessman sitting by the beach in a small Brazilian village. He watched a Brazilian fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore, having caught quite a few big fish.

The businessman was impressed and asked, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?” The fisherman replied, “Oh, just a short while.”

“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?” the businessman asked, surprised.

“This is enough to feed my whole family,” the fisherman said.

The businessman then asked, “So what do you do for the rest of the day?”

The fisherman replied, “Well, I usually wake up early, catch a few fish, then play with my kids. In the afternoon, I take a nap with my wife, and in the evening, I join my buddies for a drink—we play guitar, sing, and dance throughout the night.”

The businessman, eager to help, said, “I’m a PhD in business management. I could help you become more successful. Spend more time at sea, catch more fish, save money, buy a bigger boat, and catch even more. Eventually, you can buy more boats, set up a company, and move to a city like São Paulo. After that, you could go public, become rich, and retire to a house by a fishing village.”

The fisherman asked, “And after that?”

The businessman replied, “You can then enjoy life—wake up early, catch a few fish, play with your kids, take a nap with your wife, and join your buddies for a drink, playing guitar, singing, and dancing throughout the night.”

The fisherman was puzzled. “Isn’t that what I’m doing now?” [1]

Christ invites us to follow him into eternal life right now. We can’t buy, earn, or control our way into this life. It requires letting go of what we hold onto, releasing what keeps us from God. It’s a bold and courageous journey, but it’s the invitation God gives to each of us as beloved children.

So, let go of what keeps you from following Christ, so that you may take hold of the abundant life that God offers now and forever. Amen.

 

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[1] “The Fisherman and the Businessman,” Paulo Coelho. Written September 4, 2015. Accessed October 12, 2018. http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2015/09/04/the-fisherman-and-the-businessman/.