Fishing with Jesus

Day 4: Matthew 4: 12-25

"And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” - Matthew 4: 19 ESV

So much happens chronologically between verses 11 and 12 that Matthew doesn't record, but we'll get to that as we read through Mark, Luke, and John (another reason it is great to have four biographies of Jesus’ life).

This wasn't Peter’s and Andrew's first interaction with Jesus (see John 1: 41-42). Stuart Weber is right on the money when he wrote, "Jesus had known his disciples for some time and had even seen them in ministry situations. Thus, their decision to follow him was not hastily made."

It was important for Jesus to come to them at their workplace to lay out their call. From these four would become His top three. It seems as though Andrew wasn't quite brash enough. Jesus seemed to do the best work with those who were extra rough around the edges.

I find it helpful to break down Jesus' call to these four potential disciples:

1) FOLLOW ME. This is the invitation for us all to let Jesus start calling the shots in our lives. For these four, it meant a complete rearranging of their lives. It means the same for us today.

2) I WILL MAKE YOU. Do you feel inadequate to follow the resurrected and glorified Savior? You should. At the same time, you need to know that God can make you what you currently aren't.

3) FISHERS OF MEN. How many have you caught so far? Jude preferred the phrase "snatching them from the fire" (Jude 1: 23). God will bring (or has already brought) people into your life whom He wants YOU to reach. Are you ready?

If you haven't noticed, this is a high calling and requires us to enter into holy living. Nothing worse than a hypocritical fisher of men (and women).

What will your answer be to Jesus?