Come follow Me,” Jesus said , “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)

The sport of fishing, which many people engage in during their vacation or holiday time, was used by Jesus to call attention to another activity – that of catching people with the net of the Gospel.

The behavior of fish is sometimes surprising. At Mauritania in western Africa, it is said, the dolphins drive the smaller fish, the mullets, to shore so that the fishermen can catch them. So it is with people. The Lord uses people to bring other people to Him so that He can catch them, convert them, and bless them with His love. He does love them, for on the cross He died for them too.

Some good exemplars of such middlemen to bring other men to Jesus were Andrew and Philip. Of Andrew it is said after he had heard Jesus speak: “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon [Peter] and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus” (John 1:41). The next day, after Jesus had enlisted Philip as a disciple, we are told that “Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph’” (John 1:45).

These two men will illustrate the principle: Jesus calls on His followers to bring other prospective followers to Him so that they will be His disciples also. During our free time away from home we too may have the opportunity to share the Good news and thus be fishers of men.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, let me be alert to every opportunity to direct people to You, their only Savior. Amen.

(Taken from “Our Journey with Jesus,” (out of print), copyright 1976, International Lutheran Laymen’s League.)

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 113-115    1 Thessalonians 3

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