Matthew 4:19

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people” ~ Matthew 4:19

Most of us are followers, we find someone to attach ourselves to and we are led by them, either to do good, or sometimes, to do what is bad. Our attachments and emotions at times do us wrong when we follow someone into evil. We imitate their nature, their principles, their attitudes, and when those we follow are bent on corruption, unless we have a strong will of our own, we blindly follow. This is why we are called sheep by the Lord. We follow the pack. Where it goes, we go, scurrying back and forth, sometimes to the edge of a precipice. Jesus calls us to follow him, to imitate him, to believe in what he says and does, and in every way, we are called to stay close behind him. But He will not lead us to and fro, He will not lead us into evil practices. Instead, He will lead us to attaining more than we had ever imagined. We follow as we are admitted into a partnership of ministry. We are called to cast His net into the world to offer to them the same saving power which was offered to us. He calls us and offers to be our Teacher, our Example, our Friend. He opens up for us the “sea”, and therein we labour for Him. We are indeed employed by Him in diligence and skill to fish for the people He loves and desires to be a part of His family and kingdom. We must remember that the fish do not come to us, but that we must go to the fish. Too often, we think the ones Christ wants to save will just jump into our net. But we have to be where they are, go where they inhabit life so that we can cast Christ’s net. Beecher says it wonderfully: “To sit on a bank or deck, and say to the fishes, “Here I am, authorized to command you to come to me and to bite what I give you,” is just as ridiculous as it can be, even though it does resemble some ways of preaching. The Christian’s business is not to stand in an appointed place and say to men, “Here am I come up and take what I give you as you should.” The Christian’s business is to find out what men are, and to take them by that which they will bite at.”