Fishing pools, fishing trips, or fish catching or, mixing metaphors, fields, fruit, and harvest: are all different things.
18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
Matthew 4:18-20
Fishing pools exist without fisherman. Fisherman can go to fishing pools and fish all day. But catching fish is never a guarantee. Likewise, a field of grain, is different from a grain that is ready for harvest, and harvesting is actually bringing in the grain.
Read verse 19 again.
“And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.'”
Here is the stark reality of the Christian life.
If we are not actively fishing for men, we are NOT following Jesus.
“How can you say that?!,” someone might say to me.
Well, it is an uncomfortable fact, but it is implied be the words of Christ.
“How so?”
Well, let me ask you a question. Does Jesus mean what He says? Does he keep His promises?
“Yes, of course.”
Okay, what does Jesus promise to do for his followers in verse 19.
“To make us fishers of men.”
So, if we aren’t fishing for me, how can we say we are following Jesus?
“Well, I just have never been very good at ‘soul winning’ but I still love Jesus.”
Who said anything about soul-winning?
“You did! You said that if I’m not fishing for men, I’m not following Jesus.”
I did. But you are confusing fishing for catching. You and I aren’t responsible for catching. Jesus and His Spirit do that. We are responsible to fish. To go into the fishing pools of our networks of relationships and speak to them of the gospel of God’s grace. Fishing isn’t catching. Fishing is fishing.
Let’s think hard about this in 2025. Let’s make sure that we are going to the world with more than kindness, and righteous living. Let’s make sure that we are proclaiming the truth of the Gospel to everyone, everywhere we go. Happy New Year to everyone.
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