Matthew 4:18-19
And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
One of the most iconic verses of the New Testament, Jesus selects his first disciples and gives them one of the fundamental lessons of The Great Commission; we are all to be fishers of men. As I prepare for another summer of missions, I reflect on what it means to be a fisher of men. We are God’s fishing tackle, each piece serving its purpose. Without the tackle, a fisherman has a very hard time catching fish. Many times though, we aren’t the flashiest of lures that attract a fish… many times we are an understated piece of equipment.
Like the swivel.
A swivel is a small, metal device consisting of two rings connected to a pivoting joint. The main purpose of the swivel is to allow the fishing line to untwist during retrieval, preventing undesirable tangling. The secondary benefit of a swivel is it may stop a sliding sinker. A swivel can also be a weak point in the line though, sometimes being the cause of a lost fish. This description sounds a lot like a person on a mission trip.
We are this link; connected to Jesus and connected to those we are serving in the communities. We are strong in our beliefs like the metal the swivel is made of. We help prepare the line as Jesus “reels in” another soul to His kingdom. We may be the only thing that prevents a person from slipping like a sinker by being that living example of God’s love to the world. At the same time, we have to remember that we could easily be the weak point in the line, causing a lost soul if we fail to live for and demonstrate Jesus in our daily actions.
I would like to give you one of these bracelets to help you remember how important you are, and know that we are all fishers of men. I’m asking for a donation of $5.00 to help cover the cost of my mission trip. Please reach out to me if you would like to come aboard and help me be a fisher of men!
