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From Fishermen to Fishers of Men
Matthew 4: 18-22
Simon and his brother Andrew, John and his brother James with
their father Zebedee were fishermen. At theta time being a
fisherman was a great profession. They could be rich or average
people. Having a boat at the lake of Galilee is like to day
having a good car. Because they needed to build the boat or
purchase it and it expensive. Specially when you speak about
this important sea of that time where the people of Galilee
could get good fish. Till today people speak about the good fish
of Tiberias of the old name sea of Galilee. They needed to buy
nets. Nets were also expensive. Simon, Andrew, John, James and
Zabedee were good professional fishermen. They know when to fish
and how to do it. The sea were giving them a lot of free fish.
They did not need to buy anything more than a boat and nets.
They could have hired some fishermen to work for them. They
could have had a kind of small company of fishermen. They used
to sell them and get every day a lot of money. They could work
every day and every day they could get some fish to sell. They
were happy fishermen. They were in need of nobody.
As Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee, we read in the
Gospel, he saw them and called them saying: "Come after me, and
I will make you fishers of men". The Gospel tells us that: "At
once they left their nets, Simon ands Andrew, and followed
Jesus." Mat 4:20 The we read about the other two, John and
James: "They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending
the nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left their
boat and their father and followed him" Mat 4:21-22
We wonder what made them do that? How could tow words of Jesus
make them leave their profession, their boat and their family
and follow Jesus? I wonder for whom did Simon and Andrew left
their boat. I can imagine that the two brother let the boat for
their father who would hire people to work for him, but I wonder
again about Simon and Andrew.
What did Jesus had promised them? All my knowledge of the
Gospels tells me that Jesus did not promise them anything about
their way of life, where they will be living and sleeping and
what they will be eating. On the contrary we read that Jesus had
promised them persecutions and sufferings, that they will be
hated because of him. They will be misunderstood by their own
family and people because they had followed him. I can read that
they also suffered hunger and thirst. They had to pick wheat
during the journey and eat it from the farms and on the Sabbath
and it seems against the Jewish tradition, and because they were
starving.
Can you leave your studio, your company, your profession or your
business for something that you are not sure of? Do you think
that it was wise that the disciples had done something like
that?
The word of Jesus should have a special meaning for them. His
way of asking them, of calling them, of looking at them, and
them feel hope, peace, joy and love. They had never experienced
during their days and nights of work such a peace of mind and a
determination in their lives.
We read about Simon one time accepting drive his boat with Jesus
when he had have a bad fishing that night and Jesus proved to
him and he is a better fisherman than him and made the boat
filled with great kinds of fish.
John and James were already disciples of John the Baptist. They
have heard about Jesus from John the Baptist and they were
preparing their father that they day will come when they will
find the Messiah they will leave him.
To be a fisher of men, it needs a commitment. This commitment is
built of our faith on the word of Jesus. This commitment is more
important that the love to our family, it is a call to serve God
for good.
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