Fishers of PeopleSample

An Invitation and a Promise

When we are introduced to a superhero in a movie, we usually expect to see their origin story. In the first two passages today, we do not encounter superheroes but rather four ordinary fishermen concluding their day’s work on Gennesaret Lake.

Our characters are Andrew and Simon, both sons of Jonah, as well as James and John, both sons of Zebedee. Two pairs of fishermen brothers. How did their spiritual journey with Jesus Christ begin?

Jesus Christ enlists them as His disciples. From that point on, they forsake everything and follow Him. But how did this happen? What did He say to them?

In both Matthew and Mark, we note the same sequence:

1. Jesus approaches the fishermen and invites them to follow Him.

2. He promises to transform them into fishers of people.

3. The men follow Him.

The Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t add anything to the invitation to follow Him or to the promise of transforming them into fishers of people, so we must assume that His words made sense to them, as they immediately followed Him.

From the start, Jesus makes their roles clear: the disciples are to follow Him, and in return, He will mold them into fishers of people.

Pursuing Jesus entails a cost. They understood that they needed to relinquish everything to follow Him.

These four men did not abandon a low-paying job at a foreign supermarket chain. No. What they left behind could be seen as their inheritance. It was a family enterprise. Their very own business. Their future. The source of a livelihood for themselves and their families. Not only did they forgo their possessions, but they also left their own fathers.

For them, the act of following Jesus and the promise He extended to them was worth more than all of that combined!

Where do you stand in your spiritual journey? Jesus seeks disciples who will relinquish everything to follow Him. He is looking for individuals who regard Him as their Father, who see Him as their present and future. He promises to transform them into something entirely different that will profoundly change the world. He wants to do the same for you. He asks you to follow Him, and He will handle the rest. Are you willing?

Lord, I surrender to You all that I possess and all that I am. My present and my future. All my resources. I leave everything behind to follow You. Transform me into one of Your fishers of people.