Fishers of Men
By Emma Danzey
Matthew 4:18-20 says, “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left their nets and followed Him.”
They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
The life of a fisherman has a lot of reliance and trust in God to provide. Much like farmers who rely on rain for crops, fishermen rely on the Lord to bring fish to their nets. When Jesus was calling Andrew, Peter, James, and John, they were all in their regular daily routine. It was just another night out on the sea trying to get some fish to sell.
We first read here of Andrew and Peter’s call. These two brothers were working together in the family business of fishing. You are likely not a professional fisherman; however, you have some type of mundane job every day. Imagine Jesus coming to your place of work or your school. This is where He approached His disciples in the everyday.
“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Jesus invited Peter and Andrew to leave what they were seeking for success and to follow Him. Now, God is likely not calling you to leave your job, but whatever we are working towards, He is inviting us into the better. He is asking us to follow Him. When we accept His sacrifice for us on the cross and His resurrection on behalf of our sins, He gives us His Holy Spirit, and we commit to following Him with our lives too.
Jesus was showing Peter and Andrew that although fishing for fish was good, fishing for men would be greater. Sharing the gospel and being His disciples would be a more fulfilling journey than they could ever have dreamed. Jesus welcomes us into this journey as well. We trade out the good for the best.
And at once they left their nets and followed Him.
The response from Peter and Andrew was immediate. When they encountered Jesus, there was no question if He was the One worth following; they knew. They were willing to put their livelihoods on the line to give up what they knew for what the Lord had for them. How often are we this quick to respond and obey when God leads us to act on something? It is one thing to read about it, but when we reflect on our own lives and our own choices, it is convicting.
“At once” shares action towards God. Are we slow to obey the Holy Spirit’s leading? Do we take a long time to trust Him? Or are we quick to realize the moving of the Lord in our lives to follow Him? “They left” means that they were not afraid to sacrifice for the sake of Christ. Going to be Jesus’ disciples came at a cost. They just gave up their fishing business, left their net, left their boat, etc. Following Jesus does not come without sacrifice. We must be willing to let go of the lesser things for the greater ones found in Christ.
“Followed Him” means that they were all in. They made up their minds, and this wasn’t a momentary choice but a life-changing decision. I am not sure if they fully understood the weight of their choice that day at that moment; however, I know that they made the right decision. When we encounter Jesus, we have to make a choice. We can either reject Him or follow Him.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
How is Jesus meeting you in your mundane moments in life? How have you chosen good over Christ’s best? How can you choose to follow Him closer in the future? How can you be quicker to follow Jesus? What would it cost you to leave everything behind and go after Him? How can you follow Jesus with your heart and life each day?
Further Reading:
Photo credit: Unsplash/natsuki
Emma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, she focuses most of her time in the home, but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently, Emma released Treasures for Tots, (Scripture memory songs) and multiple books and devotionals for young children. During her ministry career, Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness, two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com
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