By F. D. Adkins
This week, my Bible study is about fishing. Let me begin by pointing out that I am no expert fisherman, but I have been fishing quite a few times. Therefore, I do know that when you go fishing, there are a few things that you need. For example, you will need a fishing pole and bait. And, depending on where you are fishing, you will probably need a fishing license.
So, let’s pretend I am going fishing. I have my pole, my tackle box, my bait, my license, and, for fun, let’s say I have on one of those fishing hats with hooks all over it. Now what? Well, I am not going to catch any fish if I don’t go near a body of water.
Moving on to my Bible study, let’s take a look at what I found in God’s Word about fishing.
“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.” (Matthew 4:18-19 KJV).
Jesus was speaking to fishermen; thus it makes sense that He used fishing to connect with them and communicate His message. I stopped here briefly in my study and spent some time pondering on what it means to be “fishers of men”. We need to have a close personal relationship with God ourselves in order to lead someone else into a relationship with Him. We need to study God’s Word and memorize scripture. But then, we have to actually go out into the world and tell people about Jesus. Why? Because Jesus tells us to. He says in Mark 16:15, “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (KJV).
After my consideration of what it means to be “fishers of men”, I looked at the example that Jesus gives us to follow. In the book of Mark, Chapter Two, Jesus is having dinner at the house of Levi. The disciples were questioned as to why Jesus was eating with a group of “publicans and sinners” (Mark 2:16 KJV). Jesus answered, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17 KJV). Here, Jesus is not just going out and telling people they need to repent. He is eating with them and making a connection with them. He is listening to them and conversing with them. The message I take away from this passage of scripture is not only the importance of sharing the Gospel verbally but also demonstrating the love that goes with being a follower of Christ. Why do I think that Jesus sharing a meal with them was a great demonstration of love? Because in the Bible, eating together was a big deal. It was a time to personally connect to others. The significance of eating together is clearly shown in Revelation 3:20. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (KJV). In this verse, eating together is used to express the personal relationship that Jesus wants with us. So, going back to Jesus’ example of eating with the “publicans and sinners,” I think He is saying that if we want to lead others to Him, we have to show His love to others, and not just tell them about it.
