Fishers of People

Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:2-11
cf Matthew 9:9-12; Luke 19:1-10

The next month or so will focus on the Gospels. As much as possible, I’ve tried to group stories from multiple places together. Let’s explore what Jesus Himself said about work while He was on earth doing His Father’s work.

What would you think if someone came to you, told you to leave your job, and gave you a vague idea of what you would be doing with your time without any details of pay, benefits, or long-terms security? That’s exactly what happened to Peter, Andrew, and the other apostles. Jesus said, “follow me.” And they left their nets and followed him. I’ve talked with a number of people who have gone through a mid-life career change, some by choice, most from necessity. But none of them have described anything quite like that. We don’t have any evidence that the apostles suspected Jesus was the Messiah yet. He must have been quite charismatic to attract their attention like that. We know that at least some of them still fell back on those old jobs from time to time (John 21). Later, after the Holy Spirit showed them what was going on, I wonder if they ever reminisced about that life change.

Take a minute to think about your career. Obviously, if you have trouble working and serving God, maybe you should think about a change (think about Matthew and Zacchaeus). But fishing wasn’t an “evil” job. Jesus just knew they could do more. Where is God calling you to more? How can you, with your “good” job, glorify God even more? What vocational commitments is He asking of you?