How to Follow Jesus’ Example of Fishing for People

After Jesus invited His first followers to become “fishers of men” Matthew 4.19ESV, He took them on six “fishing trips” to show them what He meant. These six encounters are recorded in Luke 4 and 5.

In Luke 4.31-36, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue when He is interrupted by demon-possessed man. With a single, authoritative command, Jesus drives out the demon and heals the man.
In Luke 4.38-41, Jesus goes to Peter’s mother-in-law’s house and discovers that she is sick. Jesus rebukes the fever and heals her.
In Luke 5.1-11, Jesus uses a boat as a pulpit and then tells Peter to lower the nets to catch some fish from the lake. Peter acknowledges that they hadn’t caught any fish the night before, but he agrees to do as Jesus has instructed. When Peter pulls the nets up, they are miraculously full of fish.
In Luke 5.12-14, a man with leprosy approaches Jesus and asks to be healed. Jesus instantly heals the man.
In Luke 5.17-25, a crowd has gathered to hear Jesus’ teaching. A group of guys show up, wanting Jesus to heal their paralyzed friend. Because of the crowd, they can’t get to Jesus, so they go on the roof and lower their friend down in front of Him. Jesus commends their faith and heals their friend.
In Luke 5.27-30, Jesus invites Levi to follow Him and shows up at Levi’s house party as a guest of honor.

Start fishing where you are.

It’s important to see that all six of these encounters happened in the areas where Jesus’ disciples actually lived. They didn’t start fishing for people by leaving home and going to a distant land; they simply started where they were, with the people they knew.

It’s also interesting to think about our modern-day equivalents to the places where Jesus fished for people. The man healed in a synagogue might be like helping someone from your church. Peter’s mother-in-law might represent someone in your own family who isn’t doing well. The miraculous catch of fish happened at Peter’s job site. An equivalent for you might be someone you know from school or work. A modern-day leper might be someone in your area who is elderly, marginalized, poor, or homeless. The paralyzed man who was helped by his friends could be any one of our friends who need to know Jesus. The same is true of the people at Levi’s party.

Think about the people you already know who might fit into those categories: church, family, work/school, friends, and marginalized. Which of those people are far from God? Which of them might benefit from an act of kindness? Whose spiritual condition do you wonder about?

This blog originally appeared at: How to Follow Jesus’ Example of Fishing for People – discipleFIRST and features an excerpt from one of their books Student Series books, Reach Your World.