Matthew4:18 As Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two brothers who were fishermen, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew, catching fish in the lake with a net. 19 Jesus said to them, “Come with me, and I will teach you to catch people.” 20 At once they left their nets and went with him.
Why would God’s chosen and appointed Son to rule over all, have authority over all, and redeem mankind from evil choose a bunch of local fishermen for his top ranking officials? You know what they said about Nazareth right?
John 1:46“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” answered Philip.
When one of the corrupt priests was against Jesus, he got all heated. I imagine a character like Jackie Gleason in Smokey in The Bandit saying this:
John 7:52“Well,” they answered, “are you also from Galilee? Study the Scriptures and you will learn that no prophet ever comes from Galilee.”
No one expects people from dirt water towns to amount to much. Everyone thinks the city is where the cultured and educated folk are. An onlooker from the time might think,”How’s some homeless country bumpkin expected to change the world? Look, he’s choosing some random fishermen he saw because they were standing around and available to talk to. He didn’t knock on the doors of the respected because they wouldn’t have believed him.” But in actuality, Jesus knows what he was doing.
There’s more to it, but let me explain one aspect. Fishermen catch fish in a variety of ways. Some put bait on a hook. The bait attracts the fish, and the hook traps the fish on the line and the fisherman collects the individual. Other fishermen use nets. They’re out to catch a bunch of fish. This technique often doesn’t work because when fish see the nets they swim away, but it gives you a chance to catch a lot of fish if you’re skilled in this manner.
In the same way as catching fish, there are analogies to preaching. If you do not bait your hook, many people will not want to come and learn more about salvation. If they’re a drug or alcohol addict, let them know you can pray for joy, happiness, and highs from serving God. I get higher highs when I pray to God than alcohol or anything you can imagine. God makes my food taste better. He makes my senses more acute. With God, you can do literally anything and joy and pleasure can be higher than you can imagine. That would be bait right there, and it can be true for those walking a very close walk with God. It is true for me.
Once baited, you hook em. Tell em about how they too can get those great highs, joys and pleasures. Tell em about even our highest high won’t compare to a single moment of Heaven. You tell em God loves em. You tell em nothing you’ve done will ever be held against you if you follow Jesus.
Then you reel em in. You tell em how they’re saved. You tell them to repent of sins and try and sin no more. You tell em to read the Bible. You tell em to pray especially for others. You tell em to live in love with everyone.
Once they’re reeled in, you collect them for Jesus. You make friends with them. You guide them every day. You help them in their highs and lows. You give them as much attention and time as they need.
There are analogies in every profession. When I talk to people, I am always interested in how some other profession works. If you know a lot, you start to know a lot more. You see how people do their grind and efficiency. Any profession can teach you stuff you don’t know about your own profession. Hard work and dedication translates. Doing it the standard vs. self invented way translates. Do you use your own tools you make, or do you buy others’ tools? You can see if someone knows their craft and maybe knows a little bit than even those in the know or they don’t know what they’re doing. Since God puts analogies in everything, you should be happy to small talk with most people about their jobs and challenges and goals.
God is the God of all. God knows what he is doing.