Fishers of Men

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 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.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him (Luke 5: 1-11).

Jesus took the ministry to the streets. On this day He took the ministry to the beach. But while it appears His energies were being sapped by a large crowd, Luke recorded Jesus’ focus on a single fisherman named Simon. In the midst of responding to the crowd, Jesus invested in the transformation of one person that would soon become a powerful and effective disciple and leader in the church. Today, the Holy Spirit leads us into three indispensable truths that can transform us into fishers of men.

Simon executed Christ’s word. Though at first, he questioned it, Simon acknowledged Jesus as “Master”, then “at your word” he obeyed. Effective disciples eagerly search, study, and listen to God’s word to know and execute His truth… “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). To be effective fishers of men we must know and present the truth of the gospel that saves the souls of men… “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13).

Simon embraced Christ’s grace. In the same location where a full night of effort and skill caught no fish, at Christ’s word, Simon and his partners caught so many fish their boats almost sank! Effective disciples eagerly engage in fishing for men anywhere and everywhere because we want to be part of God’s saving work. We want to be wherever His saving grace is in action… “We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will” (Acts 15:11).

Simon emulated Christ’s example. Jesus preached, taught, and ministered beyond the walls of the synagogue and on the shores of a lake. He challenged Simon and some fishermen to push off from safe shores and to go out into deep waters. He compelled them to fish where they believed there were no fish. He was showing these first disciples that to catch men they had to follow His example of leaving the comfort and familiarity of the synagogue and entering into the hurting and needy lives of others. He added the promise that in imitating His example, they would be transformed into fishers of men… “And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men’” (Matthew 4:19).

The humble fisherman Simon, who fell at Jesus’ feet and declared his sinfulness, was indeed transformed into Peter, a mighty fisher of men who preached and ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit in the earliest days of the church… “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). As he went outside of the church, into his community, to places where it appeared there were few potential believers, proclaiming the transforming gospel of Christ, Simon himself was transformed into Peter, a great soul winner.

As we grow up into Christ and we execute His word, embrace His grace, and emulate His example, He promises to make us into more effective…

Fishers of Men.