03/25/2018
Do you win souls to Jesus Christ, and by doing so fill the nets of heaven for God Himself? What did it take for you to follow Jesus once you heard His voice calling you? Did you drop whatever you were doing and follow Him, or did you look away and think about it for a while? When Jesus calls us, His presence is so overpowering that we abandon our old life and begin our journey with Him at once, but at that moment... do we really know who He is?
“And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him.”
Matthew 4:19-20 ESV
I responded to the call of Jesus as a boy. While in the small living room of Colonel and Mrs. Ira Palm in Augsburg, Germany I answered the voice of Christ and abandoned my old life. However, like Jesus, I had some growing up to do before I would be ready to be sent out by the Father, or even to hear Jesus say “I will make you a fisher of men.” We all must grow up in some way when first we believe. The disciples followed after Jesus immediately upon His call, but it wasn’t until much later that they would truly be ready to become the fishermen that He had called them to be. They had some spiritual growing up to do, but it all started with a call.
“and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."”
Luke 5:10 ESV
Jesus said these words to Simon after He had just finished teaching a crowd from Simon’s boat, and subsequently directed him to drop his nets. Simon told Jesus that he had been fishing all night and hadn’t caught a thing, but following the Lord’s instructions he reluctantly dropped his nets one more time, and caught so many fish that the catch nearly sank two boats. Simon needed a miracle before he would be ready to respond to the words “follow me”, but later Jesus would tell him something remarkable...
“And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Matthew 16:17-18 ESV
Even after leaving everything behind to follow this man Jesus, it took Simon Peter a while to come to the conclusion that Jesus was the Son of God, but once he did (and he was the first of the disciples to do so) then Jesus blessed him, changed his name to Peter, and announced him as the rock on which he would build his church. Are you moving forward in your faith, and towards your blessing? Are you ready to become the rock... the fisher of men?
The disciples dropped what they were doing to follow Jesus, but they did so to follow Jesus the Man... not Jesus the Son of God. They had no idea who this man truly was, or the fullness of who they would become once they actually came to know Him. Isn’t this just like us? We begin our journey from a different place because we have already been told that Jesus is the Son of God, but like the disciples, we really don’t understand the full meaning of that until we have been in His presence, and under His tutelage, for a while.
“Never has a teacher taken such trouble with his scholars as Jesus Christ will with those who preach His Word. He will spare no pain; no time will be too limited or too long for Him. In the love that took him to the cross, He wants to fellowship and converse with us, fashion us, sanctify us, and make us fit for holy service.” - Andrew Murray
We are beginning Holy Week, and at no time in the year should the realization of Jesus’ commitment to us be greater than right now. We are moving swiftly towards our keen remembrance of His passion, His death, His Resurrection, and His Ascension. In this moment in time, those years ago, we see what Andrew Murray wrote of when he penned the words...”Never has a teacher taken such trouble”. Through these events, founded in overflowing love, we are endowed with the ability to become fishers of men. Some of us might only bear witness to a few, perhaps none outside their own family, but we will all become fishermen in some regard... are you on that journey yet? Are you pulling in the full nets and asking yourself “who is this man?” Or, have you been sitting at the feet of Christ for some time, and now being asked by Jesus as Simon was...
“He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"”
Matthew 16:15 ESV
Wherever we are in our pilgrimage towards holiness, one thing is certain... this is no ordinary man who calls us, and this is no everyday fishing trip we are on. The Son of God wishes to make us fishers of men, and the blessings at reaching our destination with Him will be far greater than even our wildest dreams could imagine. Perhaps our harvest will threaten to sink many boats, or maybe consist of a single small fish, but whatever the catch... the blessing comes in the fishing..... and this will be the greatest fishing adventure of all time.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for calling me to your Son Jesus Christ, and thank you for His pronouncement “I will make you fishers of men.” In this great calling that I am on reveal your Son to me, and through Him let me come to know you as my Father. Teach me by your Holy Spirit as I follow the voice of Jesus, and I pray that my nets will be full. However, if I come home with but one fish in my hand I know that you will multiply it, and we will sit at your table with fish enough for all, and loaves of bread so plentiful as to feed all who answer your invitation to dine. I know too Holy Father that Jesus will provide the water and the wine as we revel in the blessing of this meal together. None will go hungry, and none will thirst, for your provision is boundless, and like your love, mercy, and grace, forever.
As we now remember the events of the first Holy Week, and bring to fullness our desire to follow your Son with abandonment, hear our praise for you, and know that all we do is for your glory! You are our God, and in your Holiness we long to bask forever. Bless our catch for the kingdom, and bless us as your children... your fishers of men.
Rich Forbes