I think I was spoiled by my grandfather when I was a kid. He was the one who took me
fishing and he only took me when the fish were biting. So, growing up I always caught fish when
I went with him. We had simple equipment: a cane pole, a small flat bottom boat, and a few
minnows we bought before we went. I just don’t have the patience some people do when it
comes to fishing. Sitting on the bank for hours waiting for a bite just isn’t something I enjoy.
When I go, I want to catch something, but then I guess it would be called catching instead of
fishing.
When Jesus begins to call some of the first apostles, He used the idea of fishing. “Now as
Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and
Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them,
“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed
Him” (Matt. 4:18-20). Jesus uses terms these men were familiar with. They were already casting
nets trying to catch fish, but now Jesus wants them to cast a different kind of net. He wants to
teach them to bring men into the kingdom. Jesus will spend the next three years preparing these
men to teach the gospel to all with whom they come in contact.
One of the things about fishing, is you don’t always catch fish, and you don’t always
catch what you expect. Jesus teaches in the parable of the sower (Matt. 13:3-9) the idea of
fishing. The sower spreads the seed in the hope of a good crop, but not all the seed will make it
to maturity. It is our job as Christians to be fishermen, or sowers of the seed. We have to tell
others the good news. In a second parable, a net is used to catch fish (Matt. 13: 47-50). Many
types of fish are hauled to the shore, but the fishermen know that only certain fish are good to
eat. Some fish are put into the basket, but others are thrown away. Jesus compares this to the
judgment when we will be gathered up and the wicked will be separated from the righteous and
be thrown into a fiery furnace. Let us strive to be the kind of fish the fisherman wants.

~B Tolbert