Find Hope: Matthew 1-4Намуна

Fishers of Men

I've never been much of a fisherman. I was never really taught as a kid, and my fumbled attempts as an adult have not been particularly productive. As a result, this idea of being a fisher of men has always felt like a metaphor that didn't excite me that much. Thankfully, I'd kind of missed the point.

When Jesus calls his first disciples, we need to pay attention to who they were before he called them as well as who they were to become once he had called them. He was walking along by the sea and unsurprisingly found fishermen there. If he had been walking somewhere else, there is a good chance he would have found people with different jobs and hobbies—which he does later on when he recruits a tax collector and a zealot, among others.

But it is to the fishermen that he says, "I will make you fishers of men." This is more than just speaking the language they are used to, although it's at least that. This is an honoring of who God had already created them to be. It is a redemption and redirection as their natural inclinations and gifting are now employed in the service of God's kingdom and Jesus' earthly ministry.

When Jesus calls you into his service, as your creator he has already placed within you inclinations and abilities (some you may not even be aware of yet) that are there to serve his purpose for your life. The thing missing before he called you was his Holy Spirit empowering those things for his work.

This isn't just about the job you do; it might be about hobbies or passions that you have being redeployed in service of Jesus.

The first disciples of Jesus heard this call and immediately left what they were doing to follow Jesus. That is a call that has captured their hearts. Jesus is worth it.

Today, ponder this: What gifts or passions or abilities has God given you that could be a blessing to the church community that you're part of as you all seek to follow Jesus together?