In the New Testament book of the Gospel of John, Jesus is talking with Simon Peter. The conversation takes place after the Lord’s resurrection. Jesus tells Peter the manner of his death that will bring glory to God—a crucifixion. After telling Peter this, he says to the disciple, now Apostle, “follow me.”
Last week I wrote about an event in the Apostle Peter’s life that is repeated countless times over in the lives of every follower of Christ. The Bible tells us that Peter’s first encounter with Jesus began with an offer. In the New Testament book of Matthew, Jesus finds Peter with his brother, Andrew, hard at work at the lake; they were fishermen. Jesus invites them to, “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19—New International Version)
Jesus tells fishermen that he will teach them to use their trade for the kingdom of God. Do you think he made the same offer to everyone? The answer is no. To one he simply said, “follow me,” while to another he said, “deny yourself,” and yet to another, “let the dead bury the dead.”
The idea that every Christ follower is to be a fisher of men is incorrect. The truth that every Christ follower is to allow his or her life to reflect the life of Christ is one hundred percent accurate; a huge difference that must be understood. Jesus did not ask the tax collector to throw a fishing net any more than he asked the fisherman to push a pencil.
I happen to like fishing; but as a recreational fisherman. The life of a commercial fisherman is far more involved. If Jesus asked me to follow him and he would send me out to fish for people, I would think of it as a recreational outing. How do you think Peter and his brother thought about his offer? I would suppose that they thought about it in terms of their trade, or occupation as commercial fisherman.
In other words, it meant something completely different to them than it would to me as a recreational fisherman. The point to be understood is that Jesus is offering a changed life. A changed life for commercial fishermen would now include using the skills of their trade to “fish” for people.
What do you suppose the skills of your trade might be used for? Can you see how Jesus is not requiring everyone who follows him to learn how to “fish” for people? Do you suppose the command given by Jesus in the New Testament book of Mark 16 to, “preach the gospel to every creature,” is the same as, “I will send you out to fish for people”? The answer is a qualified yes.
The unexpected journey began for Peter and his brother Andrew when Jesus approached them that day on the lakeside, asking them to follow him. Over the course of approximately three-years, the brothers—along with the other disciples—discovered a close personal relationship with the Lord. The story of Jesus telling Peter how he would die takes the relationship to a deeper level.
This is important to understand, because it illustrates your walk, and my walk down an unexpected path that begins with an offer to follow me.