Jesus often told the disciples He would make them fishers of men. I’ve often thought of those passages from my framework of fishing. I’d think about casting my line in and seeing what I bring in. But that is not at all how the disciples would have thought about it or what Jesus was saying.
The disciples knew that to fish you would cast your net out, pull the haul into your boat, and then return to shore. Once you got to shore, you would sort out the good fish from the bad fish and junk you had pulled in. This is the framework that Jesus was using when He talked about making fishers of men.
“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.”
Matthew 4:18-19 ESV
When it comes to making disciples, we need to cast our net wide, pull them in, and then sort it out from there. We can’t be discouraged at the first person that doesn’t want to hear what we are saying. We have to keep casting our net and then sorting it out after. Every haul will bring in things that don’t need to be kept and that is ok.
Now I am not saying that we should just give up on people. What I am saying is that we shouldn’t be afraid to cast our nets wide. Sometimes I am guilty of only approaching people that I think will be on board with what I am saying. In doing this, I am already deciding what I think the outcome will be before I even do anything. This is a terrible approach.
I think back to when I was a teenager and what would have happened if people had predetermined what I would do if I was approached with the gospel of Jesus. There were definitely things in my life that would have led most people to believe that I wasn’t your “prime candidate.” Thank God that wasn’t the case.
Before one of my high school football games, one of my teammates was reading his Bible in the locker room. I asked him what he was reading and we started talking about it. I don’t really know why, but then I asked if he minded if I read with him. He allowed me to read along with him, and that started a process that led me to accept Jesus as my savior.
It would have been really easy for my teammate to have said no. He was probably wondering why I even cared. I wouldn’t have blamed him for thinking that it would be pointless. But he didn’t and that was one event that helped change my life forever.
I’ve got to cast my net wide. I can’t have any preconceived notions of what will happen. I just need to be obedient to Jesus and follow in His example. Only then will I truly make disciples of all the nations.
until next time…