Sometime after his baptism, Jesus left his home in Nazareth and took up residence in a city called Capernaum that was on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. One day as he was strolling along the shore he saw a couple guys fishing. Jesus said to them, “Come here! Follow me! And, I will make you fishers of people!”
There has been a lot of ink spilled about these few words.
“They were fishermen fishing for fish, so Jesus called them to fish for people.”
The image of the fish, the Greek word Ichthus, has been used for followers of Jesus since the beginning.
But, that’s not what struck me. I mean, I don’t fish and don’t particularly enjoy it. And, that idea simply doesn’t enter into my quest for an answer to my question,
“God, who are You…Really?”
What did jump out was the word, Make.
So, when I read this verse, I stopped and spent quite some time chewing on it.
Jesus could have just as easily said, “Hey, guys! Come on! We’re goin’ fishin’ for people!”
But, he didn’t. He said that he would “make” them human netters.
What was it about that word that made me stop? Was there any significance beyond what is obvious?
The word as written in the Greek has a fairly wide range of meaning. Not unlike the English version. One source stated that in this verse we should understand the word to mean ‘appoint.’ As in, “I will make you CEO of this corporation.” That seems a little thin to me in this context.
“I’m going to appoint you ‘Fishers of People!’ You’ll get a raise and a corner office.”
Nah, doesn’t work for me. Besides, what, other that knowing how to cast a net, made Jesus think that these two guys were qualified for that?
Answer: He didn’t, and they weren’t.
I then discovered that the same verb was used in the Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures to describe God’s activity in the creation story in Genesis.
God ‘made’ stuff. The image that comes to mind in this story is of someone molding and fashioning something. Much like a sculptor or potter. The artist uses some kind or raw material, stone or clay, and pinches here and pulls there. Here a chip, there a chip.
Was this a little closer to what Jesus was saying? “Hey you, guys! Come! Follow me and I will mold and form you into people who may cast a wide net in order to bring many people together into God’s Kingdom!”
This, I think, gets to the heart of Jesus’ call. He wasn’t merely asking for company on the road. Nor, was he auditioning people to see who might best fit into his plans. He desired to train people, apprentice them, so they could ultimately follow in His footsteps.
Another thing of interest here is the manner in which Jesus called these men to follow him. In first century Judaism prospective disciples sought out a Rabbi, or Teacher, that they wanted to learn from. The Rabbi would then discern whether or not it was a good fit. But, the point was that the would-be learner took the initiative. In Matthew’s account, it was Jesus, the Teacher, who went in search of disciples. He didn’t sit on a high seat somewhere and wait for people to come to him. He sought them. This was quite contrary to the cultural status quo of his day. What self-respecting Rabbi would ‘sell’ himself like that? Well, apparently Jesus would. And, he didn’t ‘sell’ himself. He gave himself.
I know this seems like quite a simple overview of what is a large, involved subject. And, it is. There is a lot that can be gleaned from these few words. And, perhaps, just as many questions.
What about the negative side of fishing? An unsuspecting fish is suddenly snared by a net, snatched out of its world, and taken to a place where it will ultimately die. Doesn’t sound very good for the fish. Nor, would it seem good for people who would be captured by some intrusive person who decided that the other looked like a good target. Maybe there’s a thought there for those who say they are just ‘evangelizing’ to consider.
There’s also the larger question that Jesus’ calling begs for an answer. How? What was the method that Jesus intended to use in order to mold and fashion these men? And, how would the negative aspect of fishing be turned into a positive? Especially, for the ‘fish’?
Maybe I’ll come across some answers to these questions as I continue to seek an answer to my question. Maybe not.
But, I did learn a couple things about God from this portion of the text.
I found that God isn’t content to wait for the Cosmos, and we who live in it, to come to the Divine throne. No, God actively seeks to create! God desires to get the Divine fingers into the mud and the clay so that new things can be made and fashioned. And, it appears that God desires human assistance. God goes out of God’s way in order to call people to join in the work of building a new World.
Right here. Right now.
Nowhere in this passage is it written that Jesus said, “Hey, follow me and I’ll show you how you can eventually make your way into the Celestial Palace where we’ll sing and dance and be happy forever!”
NO!
He called these people to come and be transformed into people who could live in God’s Kingdom…now.
That, I think, is Good News.
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Thanx!
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