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Mark 1:9-17; [I Timothy 4:12]; Mark 1:18-22; Luke 5:1-11

During Biblical times, fishing was considered a major, honorable position much like saddle making, carpentry, etc. Jesus knew this well and utilized it in his teaching. Mark 1 records a time when Jesus came to Galilee looking for hungry people. He saw Simon and Andrew and said, Follow me and I will make you to become fishers of men.

“Become” is an active verb, denoting a work in progress. They were to continue growing into, or becoming, fishers of men.

In any trade, there is always ongoing learning taking place. A young fisherman would make mistakes a seasoned fisherman would know how to avoid. In order to be successful, the fisherman must first obtain a knowledge of how to fish. He must know what type of fish inhabit different types of water; he must know the patterns and feeding habits of the fish and how it is affected by water temperature; and he must know how the seasons affect the fish’s patterns and schooling. There are many exciting parallels between actual fishing and being fishers of men.

Presentation — in fishing one must know how the fish are attracted to the bait. In becoming fishers of men, we must note how someone’s attention is attracted to the Word of God.
Patience — in fishing, a good fisherman may literally wait hours for a fish to bite. A faithful steward of the Word of God waits, always ready to speak when someone comes along who is hungry for truth.
Knowledge of the source— the smart fisherman knows where the fish are biting. The believer who seeks to be a fisher of men goes to God Who knows where the hungry people are, then goes where He leads.

Fishing references were used by the Lord Jesus Christ as analogies, preparing the disciples for what he would teach them about being fishers of men. Jesus was teaching them how to “catch” men with the same efficacy and in such large quantities as he had shown them with the fish.

We have the spirit of God’s Son in us and can be led by it. When we pray to operate the ministry of reconciliation, we can ask God to help us find those hungry people, and then know what to say. In this way, we can also become fishers of men.