Read
And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
Mark 1:17
Reflect
When I was a little guy, my family used to take vacations at a small cabin in Ruidoso, New Mexico. One of the things we always looked forward to was trout fishing.
My dad would take my brother and me to a little trout farm that had several ponds, and we would each get a cane pole and a tiny cup of corn. He would bait our hooks with a piece of corn, and we would dip our lines into the water, where hundreds of hungry trout were waiting for dinner.
After maybe a minute, we would feel a tug on the line. If we lifted the pole at just the right time, we had trout for dinner. It was always a lot of fun, but fishing that way did not give us a very accurate picture of how difficult fishing usually is.
Real fishing requires patience and timing. You have to know where to look for the fish, and you have to be willing to wait until one takes the bait. Then you have to bring it in carefully without breaking the line. Fishing can be slow and frustrating, but it is rewarding when you finally catch one.
For the fishermen who followed Jesus, fishing was even harder. It involved casting and pulling in heavy nets, often after hours of exhausting work. They had to understand the water, the weather and the habits of the fish. Fishing was not a weekend hobby for them. It was their livelihood. Empty nets meant empty pockets and, possibly, empty stomachs.
Then Jesus approached these men who had spent their lives pursuing fish and offered them an entirely new purpose.
“Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
Notice that Jesus did not simply tell them to redirect the skills they already had. He said that he would make them become something new. They would bring their patience, perseverance and willingness to work, but Jesus would teach them how to see people, love people and lead them toward the Kingdom of God.
Their response was immediate. Simon and Andrew left their nets, and James and John left their boat and followed him. Following Jesus required an immediate decision, but helping others follow him would require years of patient faithfulness.
The same is true for us.
Those who follow Jesus are called to share the Gospel with others. Ours is not a faith that is meant to be held tightly to ourselves. We are expected to live in a way that points people toward Christ and to be ready to speak when the Lord gives us an opportunity.
That will probably not be as easy as lowering a piece of corn into a pond filled with hungry trout. Some people will not be interested. Others may have been hurt by a church or disappointed by someone who claimed to follow Jesus. Some may simply not be ready to hear what we want to share.
We cannot force anyone into faith, and it is not our job to pressure or outsmart them. Our responsibility is to love people, pray for them, share the truth when God opens the door and trust him with the results.
Sometimes that requires the courage to speak immediately. Other times it requires the patience to wait. But the effort is always worthwhile when even one person comes to know and follow Jesus.
This week, think of one person who may need to experience the love and truth of Christ. Pray for that person, and ask the Lord to give you both the opportunity and the wisdom to share your faith naturally.
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Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
