As a child in Sunday School, I learned to sing, “I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men…if you follow me.” My favorite part was pretending I was “reeling in the big one” as I sang! Good song. Great truth. Misleading motions. I associated “fishing for men” with the image of a fishing pole, line, hook, and bait. One problem…this is not the image that Jesus used to talk about fishing for men. In Matthew 4, when Jesus called Simon and Andrew, he found them casting a net into the sea. When he told them that he would make them fishers of men, they left their nets and followed. When he called James and John, they were mending their nets. In fact, the only time Jesus talked about line fishing was when he instructed Peter to catch a fish and find in its mouth the money to pay his taxes.
So why a net and instead of a fishing pole? One could argue that a fish comes into a net gently instead of being jerked by a hook lodged in its lip. Thus, the net more closely parallels bringing people into the kingdom of God. But more significant is the emphasis of the net analogy. Luke 5:4-6 says,
“And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ And Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.’ And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.” (ESV)
The image of the net emphasizes God’s work of leading men into the “net,” not our ability to make the bait as enticing as possible. A fisherman casts out a worm with a hidden hook ready to ensnare an oblivious fish. Is this how God draws men to the Savior (John 6:44)? Absolutely not. God does not trick an ignorant soul with bait-like gimmicks. Instead, he lovingly draws them into a restored relationship with Himself. Another application from the net analogy is found in Simon Peter’s inability to bring fish into the net by his own effort alone. He had toiled all night, yet had caught nothing. But when Jesus decided that Peter was going to catch fish, the young fisherman’s responsibility was to simply cast the net. When a soul comes to faith in Christ, we as the church cannot hold up our prize as if we won a bass tournament. Instead, we fall at the feet of Jesus (Luke 5:8) and thank Him for the privilege of casting the net. The last application of the net analogy is that a net fisherman cannot pick which kind of fish he wants to catch (see Matthew 13:47-50). Similarly, an evangelist should share the gospel without partiality.
If we properly understand Christ’s analogy, we will not compare evangelistic methods to bait, we will not be proud of our techniques of sharing the gospel, and we will not mask the gospel by coating it with dishonest gimmicks. We will not hide Biblical truths like the need for repentance and the cost of discipleship even though they aren’t the most attractive baits to the average fish.
Instead, we will cast the net in humility and faith. We will share the hope of the gospel to everyone without partiality. Instead of boasting in our “bait,” we will boast that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. And when a soul enters the net, we will fall at the feet of the One who led him there.
One more admonition…do not try confronting five-year-olds on their inaccurate song motions. Remember the weird memory devices most of us have used to remember things, and we won’t have room to judge.
Jon Ledbetter, Cross Impact Intern, clemsonci.org
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