Witness

Witness

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen. Jesus called out to them, “Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

Matthew 4:18-19

The phrase “fishers of men,” used in many translations of this passage, was not used for the first time in the Bible. Employed for centuries by Greek and Roman philosophers, the phrase described a person seeking to “catch” others through teaching and persuasion. Since the men involved in this account in Matthew’s Gospel were fishermen, it made a lot of sense for Jesus to use the analogy.

On our vacation at the ocean this past summer, one activity some of the males in the family enjoyed was fishing. Before our vacation the guys checked out a few books on fishing from the library. After glancing through one, I realized that there really is an art to fishing. It requires skill and knowledge, and the person who catches the most fish is probably the one who knows which fishing tackle to use, how to present the bait, where to find the fish, and how to go after them. No one ever becomes perfect at fishing—there’s always something new to be learned.

People who do serious fishing are courageous and patient. Because they can’t see the fish and are never exactly sure what they will encounter, they need faith to go out day after day and hope that they will catch something. Here’s how Warren Wiersbe describes the fishermen who became Jesus’ disciples: “They had been catching living fish and, when they caught them, the fish died. Now they would catch dead fish—sinners—and the fish would live!”^a

If fishing for fish takes skill, patience, courage, knowledge, and faith, how much more so does fishing for people! Yet it’s a responsibility and privilege God gives each of us.

God,

Thank you for pictures in your Word that point out some of our responsibilities as believers. Please help us to be concerned for the souls of people who don’t know you, and may our concern begin in our families. Amen.