Mark (and Matthew) recorded when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be “fishers of men” (Mark 1:16-20; Matt. 4:18-22). These men had already met Jesus at the time of this calling (John 1), and now Jesus sees them fishing in the Sea of Galilee and calls for them to be “fishers of men.” What a unique thing to say to these men. How can someone go from fishing for fish to fishing for men? Christ would spend the next three years preparing them for the work!

What’s necessary to fish for men? Could I suggest there are several similarities between this and fishing for fish? First, one needs a net if he’s going to catch fish or catch men! The spiritual net that is spread is the Word of God! Christ wanted them to “cast” this “net” far and wide. He told them to preach about repentance and that “the kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Mark 6; Luke 10; Matt. 10). In like manner, are we looking for ways to “cast” the gospel net today? Have we thought of ways to use what opportunities we have to tell others about the Lord? If not, why not?

Another thing these fishers needed was patience! Just as fish aren’t always caught right away, so also, men can be cantankerous and wish to fight against the truth of God’s word. The apostles needed patience! Paul also taught this to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2. The original twelve apostles would see the patience of Christ as He taught the people continually and faced opposition daily (Mark 2:7; etc.). As “fishers of men,” these men needed patience, just as a farmer has patience when he plants the seed and waits for the harvest (Mark 4:1-9, 14-20)! Today, we need patience as we teach folks about the Lord. A wise person once told me, “Don’t expect a person to learn in five minutes what it took you five years to learn.” Yes, patience is needed as we teach and show people what it means to be a Christian.

Fishermen also need faith that the method will work! The method for catching fish on Galilee is that one fishes at night and on the shallow end. We get a picture of this in Luke 5:5, and when we read Mark 1:16, and read about Jesus walking “by the sea,” i.e., on the beach, and He sees Simon (Peter) and Andrew “casting a net into the sea.” Evidently, they were standing on the beach as well and throwing their nets into Galilee. In the case of fishing for men, the Lord taught these men a method that works! They were to preach God’s word in its fulness and simplicity. They were to teach it faithfully to all (Mark 6:12; 16:15; Luke 10:9; Matt. 10:7). When these faithful men preached the truth, it would produce faith in others (Rom. 10:17). The same is true today! The gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). Changing the message or changing the way God wants men to know the truth won’t produce Christians! We need to trust God that His way works every time it’s tried!

Just like fishermen, these “fishers of men” had to go where the “fish” (men) were to catch them! We’ve referred several times in this article to the times when Jesus sent His disciples to preach. He sent them to where the people were in order to spread this message. Before His ascension, Jesus would say a similar thing (Mark 16:15), instructing His apostles to go “into all the world”! Why? It was so they could “preach the gospel to every creature!” They had to go where the people were! Paul would do this, and we see him going to the synagogues in the various cities often because this is where the people were (Acts 17:3)! It does no one any good if we have a message but refuse to make it known! In this country, opportunities abound to spread the gospel. Yes, even in a pandemic, we can talk with people about the Lord! (Don’t forget your children, Eph. 6:4! Don’t assume that this “captive audience” knows the gospel if you’ve never taught it.) In addition to face-to-face meetings, we can write letters to people (remember those?), send texts, send emails, write a note on “social media,” make a phone call, and take advantage of numerous other ways to get God’s message out.

Christ needed “fishers of men” 2,000 years ago in Galilee, and He needs them today. Are you going to step up to the work (Matt. 9:37-38)?