02
Fishers of Men
Matthew 4:18-22
It all started as an ordinary day of hard work. The previous night's fishing on the boat had yielded very little, so Simon and his brother, Andrew, were forced to try their luck from the shore with their casting nets. It was gruelling work, requiring years of practice to master the skill of bundling up the large round net, weighted along the edges, and then throwing it in a wide arc so that it spread out neatly before hitting the water.
Any slippery creature caught beneath the net would be trapped when it was pulled in again, with the weights drawing the opening shut. They stood waist-deep in the water, rhythmically casting their nets over and over again, hoping to entangle a few small fish. Yet, after hours of exhausting labour, they had little more than a handful of tiny fish to show for it.
"Hey, you there! Come here!" someone called from the shore. At first, they ignored the voice - who would be calling them? "Come here, men!" the voice now sounded more urgent. They turned to look. A stranger stood on the shore, beckoning them to come out.
"What does he want?" they asked each other, but Simon and Andrew were only too happy for a short break. Gathering their nets, they waded towards the shore to find out what this stranger's problem might be.
"I am Jesus - I am from Nazareth," said the man with a warm smile. "I need you."
"For what exactly?" They couldn’t do anything other than fish - what could anyone possibly need them for?
"I want to make you fishers."
Simon burst out laughing! But he also felt a little irritated - could this man not see that they were already fishermen? What else had they been doing when He called them? They had been fishing, of course!
Yet, there was something about this man that was different, something that made it impossible for Simon to be annoyed with Him. It was as if something radiated from Him - His friendly smile? No, it was much more than that! It was as if love itself was pouring out from deep within this stranger.
"Sir, I don’t understand - my brother and I, we’ve been fishermen for years, since we were children. Our father taught us..."
"No, no, that’s not what I mean," the stranger laughed. "I want to make you fishers of people!"
Now they understood even less. "What is a fisher of people?" Andrew asked.
"If you come with Me, I will explain. But it will mean you must be willing to leave everything behind and become My disciples. What do you say?"
Simon was still a little sceptical, but Andrew was instantly excited - a light suddenly dawned on him. Herod had imprisoned John, and then this new Prophet had begun preaching in his place. Everyone was talking about Him! "It must be that new Prophet!" he whispered to Simon. "I definitely want to be His disciple!" Right then and there, he dropped his net onto the sand.
"I'm coming!" His voice quivered with excitement. "Come on, Simon, let’s go!"
Reluctantly, Simon laid his net down next to Andrew’s, and they walked with their new Teacher, Jesus.
A little further up the shore, their two notorious friends, James and John - the so-called "Sons of Thunder" - were in their boat with their father, busy repairing nets. These were tough men - not ones to be messed with!
"Hey there, men!" Jesus called to them. Andrew eagerly explained that he and Simon were following Jesus as disciples. "He is that new Prophet preaching in Galilee!"
"Come along!" Jesus invited them warmly. The two didn’t hesitate - they had heard much about this Prophet. Without delay, they leapt over the side of the boat, leaving their father, Zebedee, with the nets. He was far from pleased about being left alone to finish the work. He tried to stop them, protested even, but his words fell on deaf ears. Helplessly, he watched them walk away, heading towards Capernaum, where Jesus had recently settled.
For Simon and the others, this day marked the beginning of an entirely new life. And no, it was not all smooth sailing - at times, it was incredibly difficult! Two things were required of them: first, they had to make a conscious decision to accept Jesus, and second, they had to take the physical step of following Him, no matter the consequences.
Today, we face the exact same choices. You have surely already taken the first step - accepting Jesus as your Saviour. However, the second step is the difficult one because it can bring many complications to your life. This second step is different for each of us, and following Jesus can mean widely varying actions. For one, it may mean literally packing up and leaving everything behind to serve as a missionary in a remote place. For another, it may mean fully living out their Christianity in the workplace. Neither is easy!
What is your choice?
Prayer:
Lord,
today I choose to follow You unconditionally, no matter what happens!