“Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him. “ -Matthew 4:19-20
The disciples of Jesus were ordinary people with different backgrounds and personalities. A handful were fishermen, brothers who worked together on a boat, making a living by casting nets to catch fish. In this story from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus first meets two sets of brothers – Simon Peter and his brother Andrew and then James and John. When Jesus meets them, they are doing the work that they have always done, and Jesus calls them to do something different. It’s pretty amazing to think about how willing they were to drop everything that they knew and to go with Jesus. They didn’t really know what was going to come in the next days, months, or years – but they had faith to follow.
This story of Jesus calling the first disciples comes with a simple invitation and a bold and courageous response. The invitation from Jesus continues to be open and he invites all of us to come. There are no requirements of education or status; there are no papers to sign first. Jesus just says, “Come,.” We don’t have to have it all figured out; in fact, the word disciple means “student, pupil, or learner.” So, as the invitation is extended, we step out in faith and look to Jesus as our teacher, following his example. But stepping out in faith is not easy and takes courage from us.
In this first invitation to the disciples, we also see a purpose – what it means to “fish for people.” As the disciples followed Jesus, they heard his teachings, and they saw the way that he had compassion and mercy for others. They witnessed his sacrificial love, and they experienced his grace. So, after Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, he appeared once more to the disciples and said, “Go and make disciples.” They knew what it meant to fish for people. They had experienced God’s love, had an example to follow, and they could go out into the world to show that love to others. The invitation for each of us is to follow Jesus and to fish for people. This is something that will change our lives as well. Don’t be afraid to lay something down or to leave something behind so that you can walk with Jesus, learning more about his love and sharing it with others.
-Amy Givens, Director of Youth Ministry and Discipleship
