My dad and brother used to go hiking into the woods to fish for trout in the mountain streams of California. The water that came from melting snow was freezing, but the fishing was usually good. Dad would clean the fish by the river then pack them home in an ice chest. That night you could hear the fish sizzling in the frying pan.
My dad’s cousin owned a fishing boat in Alaska. Every year he paid for a commercial fishing license and went out to sea. They specialized in gigantic king crab, the tender white meat soaked in melted butter graced the table of expensive restaurants. They were gone from home for weeks at a time. It was a way to support a family on a homestead.
Jesus called such men to follow him. Mathew tells us they immediately left their fishing boats, (ice chests, mountain streams, Alaskan waters). Look closely at Jesus’ words. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 3:19).
What did he mean by fishers of men? He meant that they would work hard at catching the attention of people so that they could tell them the good news of the arrival of the Messiah. In other words, they would catch men for the kingdom of God.
Don’t miss one of the most important phrases in Jesus’ invitation to these fishermen. “I will make you…” Learning how to reach people with the gospel is a process. We don’t automatically know how, we must be taught. That is accomplished in three ways, trial and error, learning from others who have been fishing for a long time and by learning to lean on the Holy Spirit.
