Fish for People

Jesus invites his disciples to follow him. He will make them fish for people. I visualize Jesus standing on the shore and speaking in a half shout to the disciples in their boat fishing for fish a distance from shore. I think what Jesus means by his cryptic reference to fishing for people is that, instead of pulling fish up out of the water, the disciples will be raising the newly baptized up out of the water. In another sense, we who have been fished out of the kingdom of darkness of the waters have been transferred into the marvelous light of God's kingdom. This interpretation of fishing for people fits nicely with the close of Matthew's Gospel: Go (THEREFORE!) and make disciples of [from?] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you [i.e., love one another as I have loved you, forgive one another, bear one another's burdens].

Definitive Lutheranism

The distinctive Lutheran claim is that sinners are justified by grace through faith; no ifs, ands or buts. If you can say that sinners are justified in the sight of God by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone without hedging with if... and... or but... then you might be a Lutheran.

To the extent that we are saved by grace, to that extent we can say we are Christian. To the extent that we say sinners must also do something -- even believe -- to that extent we are humanists and not Christians.

Make Christ your boast and put no confidence in the flesh...