In Mark 1:17, Jesus sees Andrew and Peter and calls out "Come Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed Him." Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to serve with Him to spread His message, and bring others to Him, so that all may be saved. Furthermore, Christ calls all of us who believe in Him to be fishers of men. What an amazing, powerful, humbling, and even scary thought that God chooses to use us to accomplish His plan. We are Fishers of Men!
If you know much at all about the rest of the Gospels, you know that Peter makes a few mistakes, opens his big mouth too often, and denies the one he called Lord. However, in Acts we find Peter more bold, more courageous, more determined, and deeply committed to being a Fisher of Men:
Acts 2:40 "With many other words he (Peter) warned them and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.' Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day."
Acts 3:1-7 "One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer - at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. v. 6 Then Peter said, 'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.'"
Here is a man (Peter) who answered his call from God. He, like all of us who believe, was called to be a Fisher of Men, and although there were bumps along the way, he fulfilled his mission. How did he go from denying Christ, to leading thousands to Christ? Personally, I think Peter remembered that he was once a fish himself. After the resurrection, Jesus confronted Peter and asked "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter replied, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." It was at this point where Peter got it. Jesus told him three times, "Feed my Sheep". Peter realized he was no better than anyone else. Peter realized he was nothing apart from the grace of God. Peter realized his calling as a disciple was a gift from God; nothing he earned. Peter realized the urgency of the mission. Peter remembered what it meant to be a "fish" brought in by Christ; to be forgiven, saved, and loved.
How many of us have become forgetful fish? How often we forget that we were once lost! How often we forget we were once a fish, lost in the sea of this world, wandering aimlessly with no hope, until Christ caught us. How often we forget that we are nothing apart from Christ! I think it is time we take a look at our testimony and be reminded of how great God is, and how gracious He is to allow us to be His fishermen. As we do this, we need to take a greater look around this world and see that there are "fish" that are dying all around us. These fish are gasping for air, gasping for life, gasping for hope, and gasping for Salvation through Christ.
As Peter looked at the poor beggar in Chapter 3 he did not say "I just led thousands to Christ, I don't have time for you". Nor did he say "I need to run this by the church before I help you, I will be back in a few weeks." He loved on the man, and gave him the one thing he was never short on, the message of salvation. Pride no longer blinded Peter from being a fisher of men, nor would anything else.
Are we forgetful fish? Have we forgotten what Christ did for us? Have we turned our eyes away from the fish that are so in need of catching? Has pride and selfishness blinded us from being the Fishermen Christ called us to be?
