Fishers of Men

“Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19


“Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.) Luke 5:10b


What wonderful and reassuring statements that our Lord proclaimed to his disciples. It was not, I hope you become or perhaps with lots of work you will become, rather it was “you will”.

Here we are as men of God perhaps at times wondering if we are really “Fishers of Men”. We have those moments of what seem to be lack of fish (the lost) or perhaps times of simply not wanting to fish for men. Such times come to us when our spiritual nets seem to have become worn out from time or even the lack of dipping them in the spiritual waters where Christ has prepared a catch. We simply do not acknowledge His hand at those moments.

We can berate ourselves or even speak of the lack of enthusiasm among others when we are judging the spiritual fishing abilities of ourselves or others. Yet, when it comes to our own lack of fishing for the lost, it might be a great time to remember that Jesus said “I will make”, “from now on you will”.

We should begin to think about how one learns to fish. For most of those who have learned to fish, someone taught them. I am not for sure who taught me, but I do remember a scene from when I was a little boy. An older man would get out a small shallow boat and paddle with one hand up and under the over- hanging front bow of a very large boat. Then he would show me the dirt dauber wasp mud homes that housed the little larvae. He would reach up and scrap them off and we would have our bait.

Someone else taught me how to look for an old willow tree near the bank’s edge along an old pond or lake. There I would toss my line close to that tree and wait till the red and white bobber would dip down under the water and I would jerk that line and set the hook in the fish’s mouth. Then it was a fight to the finish.

Did I paint a picture for you? Does this little example draw memories? Perhaps some of you have not fished. But you just got a mind’s eye view of what I had learned. And I am thinking how each of us has those moments when the Holy Spirit teaches us how to “Fish for Men”. You can look back and relive those moments when a man of God or a woman of God taught you how to “Fish for Men’.
Those were times of learning and growing in the knowledge of the Lord’s intention in calling you to become “Fishers of Men”.

I wanted to jog your memories and refresh you with the truth that each of you need to hear. “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And as well to know this promise: “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”

Trusting in His Promises, my Brothers, will set you free to be “Fishers of Men”. Brother James