Introduction
Today’s Gospel message is a continuation of the readings we’ve heard in the previous weeks, and a work toward Jesus’ ministry here on earth. Starting with Christmas, we heard the message about the joy of our Lord coming into this world for our benefit. The story continued with the visitation of the Magi as they searched long and hard for the child born to be their savior. Later, preparations began for Jesus’ coming ministry with John the Baptist’s proclamation of repentance and the baptism of our Lord. Today the message continues. In the reading from Matthew that we heard a moment ago, Jesus continued John’s call for repentance, then started recruitment of the first of His twelve disciples. Now, the real work begins.
After being tempted in the desert for forty days, Jesus has beat the Devil at his own game. He’s beaten temptation that we’ve all succumbed to, and did it while quoting God’s words of wisdom. Now it was time to build His team of assistants. The Gospel message tells of the story of Jesus calling Peter and Andrew to be the first two of his twelve disciples. This was the beginning step to call these men to His side. In verse 19, we read the phrase that many of us are so familiar with. Jesus said, “Come, follow me… and I will make you fishers of men.” (NIV) This morning, I want to look closer at this phrase that has been repeated throughout Christian history. This short phrase is one of Jesus’ most popular evangelical themes, yet we don’t always pay attention to what He’s trying to tell us.
Come, Follow Me
The first part of Jesus’ message is short, but very important. “Come, Follow Me”. He was speaking to two men who became His disciples, but the message speaks equally well to us today. When he said these few, short words, He was reaching out with clear and direct guidance.
When Jesus said to “Come”, he was doing more than just designating a direction. He wasn’t looking for someone to follow him around like a puppy dog, but someone to work with Him in the ministry that was soon to begin. He was looking for workmen to enter the mission field; grooming them for the work that was soon to follow.
The word choice He used did not give allow for a grace period or a time to wait. The words were immediate and required action right now. Come now. Do not delay. Drop what you’re doing this very instance.
More than just a direction, He was calling these men to a new career. He called them with an urgency. Come this very second. Don’t wait. Jesus knew what kind of followers He needed, and He knew these were the right men to pick for the job. He needed to mold them for the missionary work that was to come. But, before they could begin this transformation, they needed to be willing to leave behind the lives they currently lived, and embrace the new life that Jesus would teach them.
Packed into this command are many implications. Jesus was saying, “Live with me and learn by watching me. Own my values and priorities. Learn to become passionate for the things I live for. And follow my example by doing the ministry I have come to do. (Stuart K. Weber, vol. 1, Matthew, Holman New Testament Commentary; Holman Reference, 44-45. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000.)
Both Mark and Matthew list this same story in their Gospels. In both we see that Peter and Andrew doing exactly what they were told. They dropped what they were doing, and immediately put down their nets to follow Him. Similarly, James the Son of Zebedee and his brother John stopped their work, right in the middle of repairs. They laid down the nets that they were mending, left their father and his hired servants in the boat, and immediately followed their newly found Lord.
This is how sudden the choice was made. You’re right in the middle or repairing a net that your family will need for tomorrows fishing business. Your father is depending on your help to get ready for the next day’s work… and you and your brother decide to just get up and walk away to follow a stranger you’ve never even met. That is the immediacy that Jesus required. I have a task for you. But, I don’t have time to wait for you to finish what you’re working on. Come, follow me, and do it without delay.
Fishers of Men
Following His call for immediacy, He continues with a plan of action. He used words that would have meaning to men from their specific lifestyle. He used terms that would relate to their work, and their experience. They knew how to gather fish out of the water. They knew how to plan to fish, how to prepare their boat for the journey, what type of nets to use, where to go on the water, what time of day to go out, and how to be patient and wait for the catch. They knew all about fishing in the water. Jesus also knew this and calculated the exact words to help them understand. These newly found disciples’ were soon to enter upon a new set of duties.
Similar to their previous occupation, they would learn how to gather people out of this world. Where they previously knew how to use nets and boats, now they would need to learn how to use parables, stories and relationships, and learn about the fulfillment of the promises of scripture. Where bait selection might be critical to catch the right species of fish, the right relationship of trust would be necessary to get men to listen, before a real message could be delivered. Where they used a boat to go to where the fish were, now they walked among the towns to find the lost.
Some of the same things were going to apply equally well for both fishing on the water and fishing for men. The places they went, the tools they used and preparations they made ahead of time, would be key to successful fishing whether it was for water-life or for men.
Just like waiting on the water, they weren’t always going to find a catch on their first trip. Patience was required for both duties. You needed to bring the right tool, to the right location. The tool changed from nets to scripture, but both needed to be brought to where the fish were. Both needed to be delivered to your catch. Both required a wait to see what was biting.
The concepts were applied in different ways, but the same principles applied to fishing in the sea, or an ocean of unbelievers. The disciples would need to find a way to relate what they knew to this new missionary field. And so they hung up their nets, and became missionaries catching their fill of converts in the tools of evangelism.
The twelve worked with Christ to bring the message of the good news to the people. They worked to bring the message of grace and forgiveness to people who were waiting for a coming savior. They spent the remainder of their lives working to spread the words of salvation to a people looking for answers.
We Are Today’s Fishers of Men
Today, we are the fishers of men. Like the disciples were so many years ago, the duty belongs to us.
In some ways, we’re better equipped for the task. The disciples didn’t have access to the scriptures we have today. Since they were living the story of Jesus, they didn’t have the benefit of hind sight to see how our Lord’s ministry fit into the grand plan for salvation. We have a better set of tools to help us prepare for entering the mission field. We have a better way to prepare ourselves for fishing in a sea of unbelievers.
Where Jesus picked out the path and destination for the twelve, we have a location right around us. With so many unbelievers here, we have the opportunity of the sea of non-Christians in our neighborhoods, in our work locations, and in our public schools. The location is where we are. We don’t need a boat to go to find fish, we’re already swimming in the sea.
And just like any other fishing trip, patience is an important ally. Any fishing trip requires the skill of being able to wait. The fish will come, but we need to continue to use the bait of relationships. We need to establish trust with those around us so that they can understand that our intentions are pure. We need to get to know them to learn the language that makes sense to someone of a different culture, language, nation or occupation. Jesus showed us that words have value, and that lesson is just as true today.
Also like the disciples, we’re not doing it all on our own. Jesus is right there next to us giving us the support we need to eventually succeed. Scripture is one way to connect with Jesus and his direction. Prayer is another tool, and that tool can’t be used often enough.
But, many times, we don’t view fishing as part of our duties. We don’t view mission work as part of our daily routine. Instead of looking for opportunities to show our faith and the message that Jesus has delivered to us, we tend to do the opposite. Instead of trying to fish, we wait for them to jump into our boat.
The author Don Marquis described this quite well. He wrote, “Our idea of fishing is to put all the exertion up to the fish. If they’re ambitious we will catch them. If they’re not, let them go about their business.” ( http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/f/fishing.html)
That’s really how we treat evangelism sometimes. We wait for people to walk into our church, rather than seeking them out. Fishermen go to where the fish are. We wait for the fish to come to us. Is that strategy working? Well, with most churches in the United States actually getting smaller, I think the facts show us that we need to find a new way to reach out to our communities. It becomes incumbent on us, all of us, to be fishers of men, find where they are, and deliver a message that will help lead them to Christ.
Closing
So what can we learn from Jesus’ simple message? It’s one that goes hand in hand with the great commission at the end of Matthew which told us to “Preach to all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) The nations mentioned are what Christ talks about when he says fishers of men. That’s the sea of unbelievers that we’ve been told to fish. That’s the missionary field that we’ve been recruited to harvest.
But, we often delay, waiting for a time that’s more convenient for us, a location that’s more acceptable to approach, a group of people that are more familiar with what we already know. Jesus didn’t give the disciples the opportunity to wait a few minutes, let alone a few days. That urgency applies to us today. The message that Jesus has for us is the same message the disciples received. He wants us to react, without delay. He doesn’t want us to wait any longer. It’s our turn to enter the mission field and fish in the sea of non-Christians, now.
Here in Hawaii, we have some very unique opportunities. There are huge populations of people who have never even heard the message of Jesus. There are great numbers of people that have no idea that there is a promise of salvation waiting for them. There are great multitudes that are unfamiliar with the promise of forgiveness.
Buddhist and Shinto faiths, for example, are quite prevalent here on Oahu. When they leave this world for the next, their faith has no promise of salvation, and no guarantees of what will happen. Christianity brings the unique promise of hope that many are seeking. They just need to know that message is out there. This is part of the sea of unbelievers that is waiting for us to fish. This is the mission field that Jesus expects us to enter into.
Our Lord has placed this responsibility on our doorstep. It’s our turn to pick up the message, find the right bait, establish the right relationship, and go to where the fish are, so that we can reap the catch of the day. It’s our turn to reach out to the lost, and deliver the message of Jesus that we’ve already heard. There is no time better than today to embrace the words of our Lord, “Come, follow me… and I will make you fishers of men.”
Embrace the mission task in our daily life. Express your faith with those around you. Use the tools of relationships, scripture and prayer that God has already given you.
