The Costs of Living: Fishers of Men
It’s not uncommon these days to hear complaints of how expensive life is these days. With rising costs of inflation and never ending budget cuts, we want to take some time to consider how the Bible approaches the costs of living. Looking through the lens of Jesus’ own ministry over these next few weeks, we hope to learn practical lessons for how to approach the challenges of vocation and discipleship in a costly world.
Scripture: Mark 1:1-16/Luke 5:1-11
As Jesus began his ministry, what is astounding and often overlooked is the fact that he felt he needed help. This Jesus who is the very same God who spoke the universe into existence, considered the road ahead of him and sought out helpers to join his cause. One would assume that he would have gone straight to the biggest temple to recruit the next temple prodigy but that’s not the picture we’re given in the Gospels. Rather, we discover a Jesus who is able to see the diamond in the rough— the masterpiece on the blank canvas. In this passage, Jesus happens upon Peter, Andrew, James, and John as they are mending their nets after a long and grueling night of fishing. They’re frustrated and dejected because they’ve come up short and their nets are empty. This was potentially a financially ruinous day and, surely, they’ve got bills to pay. I’m sure many of us can identify with these feelings of worry as we consistently go to work only to find ourselves coming up short of our own financial or material dreams. Seeing this picture, Jesus calls out to this uneducated rag-tag group of fishermen and challenges them to trust him by throwing their nets back into the water on the other side of the boat. Knowing full well who he was as a Rabbi and his probable lack of fishing knowledge, they cautiously decide to trust him anyways and enter back into that place of disappointment. To their surprise, their nets begin overflowing with fish and they need help from other fishermen to bring the haul back to shore. Once back at shore, these disciples fall at Jesus’ feet and are then commissioned with new identities as “Fishers of Men.” In the same way, when we consider the cost of discipleship and how it may seem that God doesn’t know or care enough about our situation (i.e. Jesus’ lack of fishing knowledge), what we get in return for trusting him will never disappoint. Rather it is in trusting Jesus with our livelihoods that we discover a new meaning given to our vocations that results in blessing the world around us. This is what Jesus meant when he offered these disciples new job titles as “Fishers of Men” and it is the very same offer for us today. Therefore, rather than just being a [insert job title here], Jesus wants to use the gifts and talents he gave you to bless those around you and have you overflow in a way that is life-giving and purpose-driven. In the end, we see how this offer from Jesus ended up costing these disciples everything as they left their nets and chose to follow him. Indeed, based on what we know from history, this cost only continued to rise and it ultimately resulted in their very lives being taken from them. But thankfully the story doesn’t end there. What we also know from history is that the world was forever changed because of their trust in Jesus and that reward will continue into eternity as well. Therefore, as we compare the cost of trusting Jesus with our everyday concerns, let us remember the God who invites us to join him in his eternal quest to piece the world back together and has promised us that we will never be alone no matter how full or empty our nets are (Matthew 28:18-20).
Study Questions:
Why is it significant that Jesus, despite being God, sought out help for his ministry? What is significant about the kind of help he found in these fishermen?
How does the encounter with Peter, Andrew, James, and John illustrate Jesus' ability to see potential in ordinary individuals?
Describe the fishermen's response to Jesus' command to cast their nets again. What does this reveal about trust and faith in our own lives?
What does it mean to be a "Fisher of Men" in the context of Jesus' offer to the disciples? How does this relate to our own vocations?
How does the assurance of never being alone, regardless of the abundance or scarcity in our lives, provide comfort and encouragement in our relationship with Jesus?
