Fishers of People
By: Canon Jason Evans
Today’s passage begins with Jesus walking along the seaside. The body of water he walks along is called the Sea of Galilee. This body of water sat in a fertile valley with vibrant villages along its shores. It is called both a sea and a lake but was, in fact, a lake that was fed by the Jordan River. The fourth-century historian Josephus writes of hundreds of fishing boats on the water in this location. In this bustling scenario, Jesus approaches two brothers, Andrew and Peter. The brothers are fishing, casting nets from the lakeside into the water. The brothers are identified as fishermen. So, it seems safe to assume that this was their trade, their livelihood—how they identified themselves. Jesus approaches the brothers and tells them to follow him, and he will teach them to fish for people. Andrew and Peter do not hesitate as the story is retold to us. They drop their nets and follow Jesus right away.
Jesus approaches two other brothers who are fishing by boat with their father. James, John, and their father repair their nets when Jesus extends the same invitation he extended to Andrew and Peter. And without hesitation, the brothers leave their father and boat and follow Jesus.
This passage is central to Christian identity. This narrative establishes imagery of what it means to follow Jesus for people across the globe, generation to generation. It provides foundational imagery for evangelism and discipleship for Christians across traditions and denominations.
This scene offers a glimpse into the inception of the first fellowship of those who call themselves followers of Jesus. From its very beginning, Christian fellowship is constituted by those who we might be surprised to come together. And yet, they embody a unique model for us by being drawn together as one community.
Sure, these two sets of brothers were fishing the same body of water but the manner by which they were fishing could give us an indication of differing class. Peter and Andrew fish on the lakeside using a net with weights on the ends, allowing it to sink and capture fish. It was a simple technology for those with little to invest in their fishing enterprise. John, James, and their father, Zebedee, were fishing by boat, which likely means they were using more than one boat. With a large net slung across two boats, the net could be drug along deeper waters for bigger catches. Bigger rewards but a bigger investment and a larger operation—there were likely other crewmembers left to assist their father when James and John left their father behind. Zebedee and Sons was likely to be a wealthy family than two brothers fishing lakeside just the two of them.
What is more, when we are introduced to Andrew and his brother Simon, we are told that Simon does not go by that name but goes by the name Peter, which we will see much more of in the Gospels. Why the different name? We don’t know but could not bring comfort to many who—for any number of reasons—go by a different name than that which they were born with, to know that even at the beginning of Jesus’s ministry, those whose life required such a decision were included in his fellowship.
As a border town, we—as San Diegans—are well aware of those from other parts of the world and different cultural backgrounds and change their names to move about our culture more easily. Some change their name to distance themselves from poor past decisions so they might start over. Still, others change their name to better suit their identity—who they are authentically.
Whatever the case, from its inception, the community of those who come around Jesus represent different life experiences and income levels. From the very beginning, this fellowship of Jesus’ followers exhibit—embody—God’s dream for the world. That all may be invited to participate in the redemption and renewal that Christ came announcing in the world—demonstrating that no matter who we are, no matter what we’ve done, God loves us and is with us.
Now, we do not know why these men decided to drop the tools of their trade and take such a dramatically different path. I don’t think Jesus cast a spell on them. Maybe they weren’t very good fishermen, and they figured, “Anything is better than this!” If Josephus’s description of the Galilean Sea a few centuries later indicates the fishing conditions in the first century, maybe it was really steep competition, and the timing was ripe to move on. We don’t know.
But it is safe to assume that they knew a few things about fishing. And Jesus believed that these lessons could apply to what would lie ahead.
When Jesus calls these individuals to follow him, he promises to make them fishers of people. Throughout the church's history, we have taken this to mean that Jesus would teach these disciples what the good news of God is, how to share it with others and bring them into the emerging community that would come to be called the Church.
In short, Jesus has invited these men to follow him and learn what we call evangelism. If that word makes you cringe, let me acknowledge that this may be for good reason! I’m sure some of us have experienced or observed poor examples of evangelism. But simply because we have seen someone use a tool improperly does not mean we should abandon it. Instead, we should demonstrate how to use that tool better. If you have ever smashed your thumb with a hammer, you find that this does not make the hammer bad or that you should never use a hammer again. Rather, you learn to use a hammer to sink that nail properly!
What is evangelism? Our Romans and Deuteronomy readings today illustrate evangelism: the announcement, the declaration, or the sharing of good news. It is the expression with our words, what our hearts know from our own experience of the goodness of God and what God is doing around us.
We also see in Jesus’ interaction from this passage the primary components of evangelism no matter how it is acted upon. Presence—Jesus approaches these four individuals. Invitation—Jesus invites them to be part of something. Response—those who have heard the good news of this invitation have an opportunity to act on it.
But what did Andrew, Peter, James, and John know from their fishing experience that could apply to evangelism?
Well, to start, these disciples must have known—just as each of you who have ever fished knows—that fishing takes time!
In a world of instant gratification and stories of dramatic transformation stories, it is impressed upon us that evangelism is about spontaneous results. And yet, to be an effective bearer of good news requires patience. Evangelism moves at the speed of relationships. It requires ample time to listen to others we know and love and wait for the right moment to talk about things of God.
This implies a relationship. You, dear friends, are not asked to make cold calls for Jesus! No, this is done when we are interested in little more than closing the deal. Like the early followers of Jesus, we are invited into this fellowship in which the whole person—whomever they are—is appreciated and welcomed in. Certainly, some are naturally inclined to have meaningful, deep conversations with complete strangers … we call these people extroverts. But the rest of us require taking time to know when the time is right with those we know and love when we share God’s goodness as we have experienced it.
The next thing that our four fishermen from the gospel reading and all those here today who have gone fishing know is that fishing requires a level of tenacity. Fishing requires practice and perseverance. In a culture where perfection is lauded, let me remind you, friends, that there are few things that we are ever good at the first time. If you approach evangelism assuming you must get it right, you’ll likely get it wrong. Sharing God’s good news is something learned. It is not a gift that most of us are endowed with. It takes a willingness to make mistakes, have failed attempts, and allow each to teach us to do so better in the future.
This implies another fishing-for-people lesson: humility. I remember being told that the fish could not see the shadow of the person fishing or their image at the surface to succeed. Similarly, when Jesus calls you to fish for people, it is not about you. It is about what God is doing. It is about pointing people to the miracle of God’s presence in our world, in our lives, and in your church! Some will respond to the invitation because they are already compelled by the Gospel. Others may simply be craving fellowship and community. Others will be drawn to your work serving your neighbors and seeking justice. All of this—and more—is how the people of St. Andrews demonstrate God’s good news.
Let evangelism move at the speed of relationships, learn from your mistakes, and point people to Jesus. If you do these things, you will be fishers of people in the tradition of St. Andrew.
Every Sunday, when you gather in this nave, the good news of God is announced. We are reminded of God’s work throughout the ages through the reading of Scripture. We are reminded of the unique gift of Jesus in the reading of the Gospel. We are allowed to release the burdens of the previous week in confession so that we may approach the coming week anew. We come to this table, are reminded of the good news of Jesus’ redemptive work, and are spiritually nourished for the coming week. Our time together concludes with being sent into the world, a reminder that you, siblings in Christ, are the good news of God in the world.
So, as we prepare our hearts to approach this table and spiritually nourished for the week to come … who will you share God’s good news with this week?
