Inspiration

Let’s Go Fishing!

By Connie Arnold

“Now Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him,” (Matthew 4:18-20, KJV).

On the surface, it sounds like Jesus is giving what we would call a spontaneous ‘altar call’ and getting instantaneous, positive reaction. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

Jesus even walks further down the seashore and sees James and John, sons of Zebedee, mending their nets. He extends the same invitation to these men, and they respond immediately.

These men were not looking for a new career; this was a family business, and they owned at least one fishing boat with all the necessary trappings, earning a living for their families. So, there must have been groundwork laid. It could not have been a ‘cold’ call, catching them off-guard.

I like to think that He was no stranger to the seaside or to those who worked there. He may have even helped them drag in their nets or mend them on occasion. He made Himself known to them in some way.

He had no outward human charisma that drew the throngs. Isaiah prophesized, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire Him,” (Isaiah 53:2, NIV). But inside, He was different: wholly human; wholly God. When they looked into His eyes that day on the seashore, their work as fishermen dimmed.

Jesus saw potential. He knew they would become steadfast and trustworthy leaders. These strong men would go from drawing fish from the sea to pulling sinful people from the world. For three-and-half years, His task was to teach them of the Father and His Kingdom.

When He tapped them for service, He saw the pathway that each would take. He knew their personality strengths, intelligence levels and their ability to follow. Perhaps when He chose Judas, He did so with a heavy heart, knowing the choices Judas would make from selfish motives. I believe that Judas, like Peter, could have sought and received forgiveness.

Jesus told His disciples, “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall everything I have told you,” (John 14:26).

When Jesus left them after the resurrection, these words were muffled by their mourning. He was gone from sight. But on the day of Pentecost the promise in His earlier words took on power and gave them hope, and the disciples could then begin to fulfill the commission given them: go into all the world and preach the Gospel.

No one of my acquaintance can walk the beach or sidewalks and see instantaneous conversions. Missionaries don’t show up on the mission field and experience immediate, positive results. So, should we become discouraged?

We might become overloaded with the burden of the task if we think it is all up to us. Paul said “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase,” (1 Corinthians 3:6-8, KJV). God energizes all our planting and watering when we pray.