"...and I will send you out to fish for people." Matthew 4:19
As I wrote a few weeks ago, Jesus offers an incredible invitation: Follow me. Ask a Christian what it means to follow Jesus, and they will likely tell you about the “vertical” relationship they have. Specifically, they are mostly concerned about their personal, individual connection to God, hence the descriptor “vertical.” Practically speaking, this is lived out through reading their Bible, praying, attending worship, and they may even tell you of the importance of joining a church (although younger generations are less inclined to do so). They value “church” time as opportune moments in which they get fed, spiritually speaking. They seek God for strength so that they can “make it through” their week. Now, let me say that none of this is bad or inappropriate. It is, however, an incomplete understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.
Connected to the invitation is a promise. The promise is that He will send you out to fish for people! Despite being often treated as such, the invitation and promise are not mutually exclusive. One very much has to do with the other. To put it another way, the vertical relationship with God (follow me) is intimately linked to the horizontal relationship (fish for people) we have with others. I fear at times we have lost sight of that connection even as it’s so evident throughout the biblical story. Abraham was blessed by God in order that he would be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:1-3). Jesus highlighted loving God and loving your neighbor as the greatest of the commandments (Matthew 22:34-40). To think about it yet another way, you cannot have discipleship without mission, and you cannot have mission without discipleship.
Why do some seem to neglect the promise connected to the invitation? I think part of the issue is that we don’t see how the promise is relevant to us. In this day and age, the promise to “fish for people” doesn’t hold the allure that it did for first century fishermen. Remember, that’s how Peter and Andrew made their living. Jesus effectively says to them, “You think your life is good now? I’ve got something much better for you! You make your living fishing for fish. I’m going to show you how to transform lives!” They are intrigued enough by the invitation and promise that they leave their nets (that which helped them to provide for their families) and pursued this new vocation. I suspect that if Jesus were conducting his earthly, pre-resurrection ministry today, He might use more relevant terminology. For example, if He went to an accounting firm, He might be so inclined to say, “Follow me…and you will help people file returns that will last for eternity!” Or if he ventured into a doctor’s office, he might say, “Follow me…and I will teach you to heal people so they never get sick again!”
While there are some who are called to throw down their “nets” and follow Jesus into full-time ministry, I also believe each of us is called to follow Him whatever our vocation. Jesus sought to cast a very clear vision with His early followers. There’s no question that He invites them into an intimate relationship. But there can also be no doubt that it is a relationship with a purpose. Let’s not lose sight of that entire vision!
