The Closet Professor

Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

—Matthew 4:19

The phrase “fishers of men” was spoken by Jesus when He was calling His first two disciples, Simon Peter and Andrew, to follow Him. The idea behind fishing is to know the fish you are looking for and attract it so you can make the catch. To catch a fish we must know what equipment to use, the habitat and depth of the water we are fishing in, as well as the kind of bait the fish will go after. Growing up, I used to love to go fishing. I never really had the patience to fish for catfish or other fish who are slow to bite a hook, but I loved fishing for bream. If you found the right spot, all you had to do was bate the hook, drop it in the water and they would bite. You did not need a fancy rod or reel; all it took was some bate and a cane pole. Being a fisher of men is more difficult, and I am not talking about looking for Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now.

Jesus wants us to be fishers of men. To be a fisher of men in the simplest terms means to win people to Christ. This means to share the gospel and to ask them if they want to receive it. I know that is very basic and there are different methods you can use to try to win people to Christ. I have always believed that the best way to attract others to the love of Christ is to live by his example. The Apostle Paul lived by Christ’s example. In Philippians 3:17, he told the people of the Christian church in Philippi, “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.” 

Too often when it comes to sharing the gospel, Christians want to play the short game. They will proselytize about Christianity by quoting what the Bible says, but not only do they often pick and choose what they want to preach about, but they also often don’t live by the same standards they hold others to. When I enjoyed fishing, I would simply bait the hook, and throw it into the water, and if the fish didn’t bite right away, I’d move on hoping to find a better spot. The problem with fishing for bream is that they aren’t the best fish to eat. You probably aren’t going to get boneless fillets, because bream are small and are usually fried whole, which means there are lots of little bones to pick through. So, fishing for bream was rewarding in the short term, but not really in the long term, if your long-term goal is to eat the fish that you catch. My point is that if you want to leave a lasting impression on why to follow Christ’s teachings, you can’t just go for the easy catch, you will not only have to tell them but live it in front of them. This is the long game.

Living a life of faith feels like fishing. You cast the line, and throw out the nets, but you can’t control what you catch. It is wearisome when our best efforts do not lead to the outcome we are hoping for. My other favorite way to fish was to cast a net. Not many things I did truly made my father proud because I wasn’t good in the things he thought I should be. However, there was one exception, I could throw a fishing net better than anyone else. I know last week, I spoke about being humble, but I have a point in bragging about being able to cast a net. You cast a net not trying to catch fish to eat, but usually to use as bait because you are hoping to catch a lot of small fish, not just one at a time. John 21:1–4 tells the story of a group of disciples led by Peter who got out on a boat at night to fish while Jesus stayed on the shore. That night, they caught nothing. John 21:5-6 tells us what happened next, “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you any food?’ They answered Him, ‘No.’ And He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.”

I know what it feels like to be one of the disciples on the boat. We often come across similar instances in our own lives, such as when we are searching for a job. Out on the water, trying time and time again, but all efforts come back void. Like the disciples, we put in application after application, but it results in nothing. Sometimes, you might get an initial interview but then be passed over for the job. It’s frustrating and tiring. It is at this point where we often begin doubting ourselves, doubting God, doubting just about everything.

When the school where I taught hired a new coach, I suddenly found myself out of a job because this new coach could “teach” my classes. Over that summer, I applied to dozens of jobs, and had a few telephone interviews, but didn’t receive an offer. I became frustrated and hopeless. Finally, I came across a job announcement that not only fit my qualifications, but I even fit their preferred qualifications. I applied and got a telephone interview. The next thing I knew, I was on a plane to Vermont to have an in-person interview. Obviously, I got the job. The job had its ups and downs, and I eventually found out that the job was only a three-year position, something I had not been told when I accepted the job. So I went back on the job hunt. Again, I applied for jobs, and to my surprise, I was interviewed for nearly every job I applied for. The problem was, that either I did not fit all their preferred qualifications and someone else did, or they decided they could not pay me enough to make it worth offering me the job. There was a restructuring at the museum where I worked, and they basically created a job for me. It has turned out to be a job that I absolutely love.

When I was on those job searches, I prayed that God would not only direct me to the right job but that He would help me make the right choice if an offer was made. Just as the disciples trusted Jesus when He told them to “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” I followed my own faith. Faith to me is all about listening to God, obeying, taking action, and then trusting God with the results. As I said before, you can cast your line, and throw out your net, but you can’t control what you catch. When we fish, we have to believe that we will catch what we are hoping for. Likewise, we have to have faith that if we live life that follows Christ’s example we will bring others to follow Christ.