FLOUNDERS AND FLUKES

I Was Just Thinking About – – –

When I was in my early teens, a close friend would invite me to go fishing at a place where he said we would come home with a boat load of fish. I had no idea where we were going but soon found out it was near Roslyn, Long Island, New York. The exact location of this fishing spot was supposed to be a “secret” so we would have this special spot to ourselves. The “secret” was that we were fishing in an area close to a Fish Hatchery where Flounder were being discharged into the Long Island Sound. Where we fished allowed us to have a catch of many Flounders. However, if we went into deeper water, we were better able to fish for and catch Flukes.

If you wonder about the difference between Flounders and Flukes, the basic description is that both are flat-sided fish and both inhabit mid-Atlantic waters. Yet fluke and flounder do not share every characteristic. While they look alike, there are differences. Flukes and Flounders are types of flatfish. That means that, while they started life swimming upright, during the larval stage, they lay on either their left or right side and the eye facing towards the bottom migrated to be top-facing. A careful observer can find more than a few differences between these flatfish Fluke and flounders are flat bottom-dwelling fish. They lie on one side and evolved their development such that one of their eyes migrates to the side that is up. Fluke is known as summer flounder because it is more abundant in warm weather. Flounder is sometimes called winter flounder to distinguish it from fluke.The position of the eyes is one of the major physical differences between fluke and flounder. Fluke is called the left eye fish and flounder is known as the right eye fish. The top side of flat fish are mottled and dark, making them blend in well on the ocean bottoms. And as they are bottom dwellers, this is a very good thing as they can surprise their unsuspecting prey. In order to catch either Flounders or Flukes, it was necessary to use a weighted line and to drag the line across the bottom. Once the fish was hooked, it made for an interesting time for reeling in the catch. It would jerk and flop. It would put up a tremendous struggle until it was brought into the boat. After being unhooked, it had to be placed into a container or sack because of its continuing flopping and jerking. The Fluke was larger and meatier than the Flounder but either one made for a delicious meal.

It occurs to me that there was an ancillary reason why Jesus’ first choices of disciples were fishermen. When He called them, He said: “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left their nets and followed Him…” (Mark 1:16-20). The disciples did not fish with poles, lines, weights and hooks. The subtle point being made is that the disciples would meet different kinds of people as they endeavored to fish for men. Some would put up a great struggle and offer considerable resistance, Others would be more compliant and cause the fishers of men some pause as to whether or not they had a willing person on their line and soon to be onboard their figurative boat. Illustrations abound of those who offered great resistance and who never were drawn in. Pilate as he washed his hands of those who were determined to crucify Jesus Christ. King Agrippa’s response to Paul (Acts 26:28): “Within so little time do you (think you can) persuade me to become a Christian?” The NLT: “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”

In some ways, people are similar to the Flounders and Flukes who instinctively offer great resistance and struggle. Sometimes they can snap the line or escape from the hook. The person who comes to Jesus Christ must surrender the instinctive resistance, flopping and jerking. It is a time for learning to be a compliant follower of Jesus Christ. Does this always quickly occur? No! Is it vital and necessary for surrender to occur? Yes! In Luke 9:23-24, Jesus said: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” Consider these things with me!