Gone Fishing
Scripture Reading — Mark 1:16-20
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Simon, Andrew, James, and John met Jesus. When Jesus saw these two sets of brothers working, he told them to come and follow him. The words in Mark 1 show the sense of urgency in this call: verse 18 says that Simon and Andrew left their nets “at once,” and verse 20 says that Jesus called James and John “without delay.” Following Jesus is a very important calling!
Following Jesus is so important that it means leaving other things behind. Simon and Andrew left their nets to follow Jesus, and James and John left their father and other workers in the fishing boat to follow Jesus.
To show these first disciples what it meant to follow him, Jesus used a fishing image that they would understand. He said to them, “I will send you out to fish for people.”
Does this mean that all people who follow Jesus should leave their jobs and become professional missionaries? Does it mean that people who follow Jesus should not go fishing for fish? No, this means that in whatever we do, followers of Jesus focus on loving people first because that’s what Jesus does. So in whatever situation we are in, let’s join Jesus in showing his love and sharing his good news of salvation, bringing people to full life in the family of God.
Dear Jesus, you draw people in with your deep love for us all. Give us faith to follow you, serving you first in whatever we do, sharing your love always. Amen.
About the author — Rebecca Jordan Heys
Rebecca Jordan Heys serves as a pastor at Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She and her husband, Kyle, are the parents of two children.
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