“While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is 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.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:18-22
This is not the first time Peter and Andrew met Jesus. If you remember the story in John chapter 2, Andrew was the one who came to Peter and said “We found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.” (2:41,42). Nonetheless, when Jesus saw them fishing that particular day, he called them to follow him and they immediately responded.
I suppose the Spirit of God had been preparing their hearts for such a call. They knew he was the Messiah and their hearts were filled with wonder and expectation. Perhaps they never dreamed that they would be personally invited by the Messiah to follow him. After all, they were only humble, uneducated fishermen. Why would Jesus call such? But to their surprise Jesus came by that morning, called them to follow, and their lives were never again the same. They left their fishing career on the shore. They left it all behind. They knew they would never get another opportunity as this. No longer would they be fishing for fish but they would begin lives as disciples who would learn how to fish for men.
One word stands out in these two brief stories about Peter and Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee – James and John. It’s the word “immediately”. There was no hesitance. They did not ask: “What should we do with our fishing business?” Or, “How will we support ourselves and our family?” Or, “Can you give me a week so I can sell off my equipment?” I can imagine father Zebedee, who was there by the way, encouraging his sons: “Go my boys, go with Messiah.” And so they left him there sitting in the boat for the opportunity of a lifetime.
So why this story? When it comes to discipleship, the story behind the story is that discipleship is based upon relationship. The guys knew Jesus and they knew he was the Messiah. We can’t just walk up to someone and say: “Do you want to be a disciple?” There is a preparation of heart, a work of the the Holy Spirit, that must occur. How do we know when to call people to discipleship? Jesus did only what he saw the Father doing – we must learn to listen well to the Lord.
When the time comes to call others to follow Christ and to become “fishers of men” you will know it and they will know it – there will be an immediate response. There will be no looking back, there will be no questions, there will only be a heart that is burning to follow Jesus. Any other response should be questioned. The cost is great and only those willing to forsake all will be able to pay the price. To be sure there will always be a few who start off well (like Judas) but end up falling away. But most of those who “take up their cross” and follow Jesus will produce fruit 30, 60, and even 100 times what was sown.
There is nothing more loved by God than the soul of a man. True disciples are compelled by His love to catch men for Christ and to make them disciples who obey everything he has commanded. A true disciple will be a true fisher of men, for men are the reason Jesus came.
