Fishers of Men Matthew 4:18-21
Fishers of Men Missionaries
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Matthew 4: 18-21
“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. (19) And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightaway left their nets, and followed him.”
Fishermen had to be patient, problem solvers, and hardworking. We think of the technology we have in today’s world, and a lot of the guesswork of where fish are located has become easier by using radar and heat-sensing tools. Fishermen in Jesus’ time had to know how to read the seasons, the waters, the weather, and about the fish they were searching to catch. This gives a picture of being vigilant and knowing how to sense their surroundings.
What else did they have to do? Be patient! They had to know the right times to go fishing, where to cast their nets, and more. If you’ve ever gone fishing with kids, you know it’s hard to truly catch anything, but you get some great exercise in baiting the hook and casting the rod for them while they hold the rod for about 10 minutes, then decide they want to go play with the frog instead. Haha, my husband was so patient when we took the kids fishing, a sport he loves himself, but was always too busy to bait and cast for everyone else. Those were some fun times, though!
Patience is a Virtue
We got off track for a minute, but it was a moment worth sharing with you! So, back to the topic of patience! The fishermen had to be patient; if they cast their nets too soon or too late, their efforts would be unfruitful. They had to know the right time of the season, day, and weather conditions. These were men who worked to provide their community with nourishment, and I’m sure it brought people in from other towns to purchase what they had caught. Patience also comes in handy when trying to untangle a knotted net or mend one that gets caught on rocks and rips. They didn’t have a sports store to run and just purchased a new one. These fishermen made their nets, they made their tools, and they built their boats. These men were handy!
Hardworkers
These men had to be strong; they most likely had a nifty levy system that would help them bring the loaded nets into their boats, but still had to be built strong to endure such a daily task.
Resilient, these men had to be resilient in whatever they would face. The ability to recover from an unsuccessful day of work to rebuild their boats, mend their nets, and more.
So, let’s look at the qualities these men most likely had so we can gather the type of men that Jesus wanted to have at his side while He began His ministry.
These are some amazing qualities. Jesus knew these men would be determined to follow Him to continue the ministry. What an amazing invitation to travel alongside Jesus, to watch the miracles that He would do, and to see a sinful individual become clean. To witness the hope and joy that would be experienced.
Fishers of Men
Verse 19 Jesus tells them to follow Him to make them fishers of men. These men knew how to fish; Jesus didn’t tell them that He would form preachers or ministers out of them. Fishers of men. Jesus knows these men; He was there throughout their entire lives. Jesus knew what their capabilities were, and He used their capabilities they already acquired to use for God’s glory and ministry.
But why did Jesus choose these men instead of going to the synagogues? These were humble, hard-working men who had experienced both trials and victories. They can closely relate to the common person; everything these men have is because they have worked diligently for it.
God can use you also! He can take anyone and become a witness to others. I’m going to jump forward for a second with a verse that comes to mind with this…
The great commission of all Christians
Matthew 28:19-20
“ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
If you find yourself in a position that God asks you to do something, He won’t send you unequipped; in fact, He sends you to do something knowing already what your capabilities and talents are, He did create you after all! He knows us, and yes, even if that task of following where He leads you to go can be difficult or challenging, remember that God could send anyone, but He chose you. I’m not saying everyone needs to be a missionary, sell their home, and live as a forever traveler to the ends of the world, unless God calls you to! God will ask us to be missionaries in our communities; He uses the positions we hold to glorify His kingdom.
When I was a homemaker, I thought of so many ways I could try to earn a little extra money for our family to help my husband out. Nothing worked! I tried to tap into my abilities of being creative, but it still didn’t work. There was one missing ingredient in it all, even though my desire to help financially, it was not the time to be a financial helper. My time was to raise those 4 wonderful children God blessed me with. To show them how to take care of our home, to be efficient with time, to tend to a garden, chickens, and our goats. We had the most wonderful times, the most joy, even if we only had $20 left in our bank account. No pity party here! My husband worked hard at what he knew; he is a pretty talented guy! He is a builder at heart; he works well with anything. I was tired from the week chasing our 4 little ones, and he was tired from being gone all week at work. But I can say I did my best, not perfect, to give our kids a childhood full of memories! I did get creative in the kitchen with meals, and I remember one time I prayed over our food to ensure it would be enough and filling for them. We were rich in blessings and joy.
I told you that to give you a real-life experience of how being in your own home can be ministering. During that time, I ministered to my husband by giving him a relaxing home to come back to after a hard week of work. I ministered to our children and even at our church at the time by helping out with the children’s youth group. I look back and think how precious those memories were and the amazing opportunity God gave me as a mom to raise some amazing kids into now young adults. I had moments of feeling as if I should be doing more, stuck or trapped. But when I grew closer to God, He took care of our needs, no matter how small they may have been. I knew, having faith in Him, no matter our challenges, He would provide for us.
God will do the same for you
If you are feeling stagnant in your situation, try reaching out to God and asking Him why you are in the position you are in. Sometimes He will tell you, sometimes He will just simply say, have faith and trust in Him, and wait. Yes, waiting! I call those hallways in the journey. It’s that place in time where one door closes, and you haven’t yet seen your next open door opportunity that God wants to lead you to. Be vigilant during those times, stay close to God, and seek Him so you can be sure when He speaks, you won’t miss the door! There are times God has us wait, and it’s not a punishment, although sometimes it could be to get our attention. God has us wait for a reason; everything has its season, and God’s timing is always perfect. Trust the process of God’s timing! During this ‘hallway’ waiting time, God may be preparing the door that is meant for us, or He may be preparing us for the next adventure. Whatever it may be, I can give you some solid advice I know for a fact….Trust and have Faith! God wants to lead you on the path that would be best for you. We have to be careful to discern that the direction is coming from God. If we stay close to God, He will confirm! I’ll have to share a story with you about how God has directed us many times in our lives in some pretty life-changing directions! But that‘s for another post! Stay tuned, it’s some amazing ones!
Until next time, my friend, I pray many blessings upon you and your family!
Heavenly Father,
Bless those who are praying along, may You guide and direct them in their life as You have for us and continue to do so. I pray You will give them clarity, discernment, and build up their faith and trust in You, even when making the smallest of decisions. I thank You for this time we’ve had in studying your word, I pray You continue to give me the thoughts to share through this blog that may be a guiding devotion and inspiration to others. May You bless us and continue to strengthen us daily to draw closer to You, Father. In Jesus’ precious name, we ask, Amen.
Don’t miss the next bible study! Some Bible studies may take longer than others to get through, as I am led to explain in greater detail the verses that we come across. These blog posts are not created by AI or used with any AI-generated assistance. These comments are of my own and where God leads me to write. I am not a professional, just a southern wife, mother of four, and I have a desire to spread the truth of our loving Heavenly Father. I want you to know, He loves you and He desires to have a relationship with you. We are not expected to be perfect, but we are expected to be lead by God and I feel that He has given me so much to share, I am not here for the fame or glory, but to get the message of Gods’ Love out to you, my new friend and so many others.God be with you!
