According to Mark chapter 4, Jesus Christ called the twelve disciples, whose original day job was catching fish, and promised to make them a fisher of men if they would follow him. This Biblical illustration of the call to discipleship entails a lot of things that we should take note of, as Christians.
We understand that you might be familiar with the Bible story about the fishers of men. In fact, you might have heard many sermons about this topic. Still, it is important that we exhort ourselves on this matter over again.
What Does it Mean to be a Fisher of Men?
As said earlier, Jesus was the first person to use the term, fisher of men, in the Bible when he called Peter alongside his friends who were toiling by the sea of Galilee. Apparently, this meant abandoning their nets and boats to follow Jesus, as seen in their immediate response.
However, the meaning is deeper than that. It connotes many things. For instance, it is a symbolic event that represents the catching souls for God instead of fish. It is also the idea of going after sinners and capturing them for God.
In this case, consider the sea and the fisherman as metaphors meaning the sinful world of sinners and the preacher or evangelist trying to save people from the danger of hell, respectively.
For a better understanding, let’s look at some of the symbolic meanings of being a fisher of men according to the call of the disciples in the Bible.
1. Total Turning Away from Sin
First, understand that the call to discipleship is a call to do the work of evangelism, which requires certain criteria. One of these is a total turning away from sin. This was best illustrated by the disciples when they left their business at sea to follow Jesus.
Mark 4:19 says that “and they (the disciples) straightway left their nets, and followed him.” So, to answer the question about what it means to be a fisher of men, it means turning away from sin to qualify as an ambassador of Christ, who will in turn save souls for christ.
2. Submission to the Will of God
Though the call to the great commission is directly from God, it is a personal decision to heed this call or not. However, one thing is certain, God’s will for everyman is eternal life and not to perish in hell.
Again, to make the work of God prosper in your hands, you should give all your heart and soul to that purpose and serve him willingly. Therefore, obeying Jesus at the instance of his call highlight humility, and submission to the will of God.
3. Self-Denial
Being a fisher of men for God also means denying yourself of certain things. It could be your business, property, relationship, money or kind. If it is not at the early stage of your ministry, at some point, a demand will put you between the horns of a dilemma; you just have to let go.
Leaving their profession as fishers to seek after the souls of sinners doesn’t mean Peter and the other disciples were poor. However, knowing that they were called into a greater business, they had to put God first before other things.
4. Preaching the Gospel of Salvation
The primary assignment of every born again Christian is to take up the role of a fisher of men by preaching the gospel of salvation to sinners. Mark 16 captures Jesus tasking us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Do not confuse having a large congregation in the church means a lot of souls for God. The fact that not all those who profess to be Christians today are born again automatically means that not all Christians are fishers of men. The first requirement to be qualified as a true disciple of Jesus is salvation.
What Does it Mean to be a Fisher of Men Today?
Being a fisher of men in this present day means you have given your life to Jesus and you are ready to forgo other things to win more souls into the kingdom of God.
Conclusion
Here, we have examined what it means to be called a fisher of men. We also explained some of the factors that mark a disciple of Jesus as well as the great commission that every born again Christian is expected to do.
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