Fishers of Men

“And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men’” (Matthew 4:18-19).

I love saltwater fishing. It’s been some ten years since my father-in-law took me on my first trip, and I’ll never forget it. I’ve learned a lot since then, including this: whether you fish for a living or just for fun, there will be days when you catch nothing. When that happens, you can give up fishing, or you can try again another day. One thing is certain: you’ll never catch anything if you’re not out there with a line in the water.

When Jesus called Simon and Andrew to follow Him, He used the image of their old work of fishing to describe their new work of saving souls. How is evangelism like fishing? We might think of all sorts of comparisons involving bait or tackle or techniques, but a different incident from the gospels suggests another likeness.

“And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the multitudes from the boat. And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ And Simon answered and said, ‘Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at Your bidding I will let down the nets.’ And when they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish…and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink” (Luke 4:3-7).

Like fishing, sharing Christ with the lost takes patience and persistence. There are some days—lots of days—when we catch nothing. But Jesus still asks us to try again tomorrow. When we, like Simon Peter, have “worked hard…and caught nothing,” we may feel discouraged and want to quit. But we need to trust that if we labor, God will give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Like Peter, we should say to Jesus, “At Your bidding I will let down the nets.” That next cast may bring in a great catch.

Even on days when I catch nothing, I still love to fish. And even on days when I see no visible response to the gospel, I still must keep on doing my part to proclaim it. That’s what it takes to be a good fisherman—and a good “fisher of men.”