Why did Jesus choose fishermen as his apostles? It certainly was not for their educational background or their training in scripture. Learned men would be found in the synagogues, not by the seashore. The apostles were chosen not because they were pious men at the start, but good men deep down. And Jesus saw their potential.
For the next three years, they would observe Jesus teach, preach, and heal. They would then see him crucified but rise from the dead and ascend into glory. After receiving the power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, these fishermen would embark upon their own mission to catch people for Christ. They too would heal, preach, and share with others their hope of eternal glory.
Jesus also sees our potential. And he sends his Spirit to us, too. We now are called by Jesus to live for him, not just earn a livelihood. We are invited to leave behind our old securities and launch out with Jesus onto the larger sea of life. In other words, we are called to be witnesses for Jesus and fishers of men and women for him. And we fulfill our ministry whenever we reach out in love to heal others by words of comfort in their times of sorrow or gestures of encouragement in their moments of crisis.
We witness to Jesus whenever we proclaim the indestructibility of hope by bouncing back from our own losses or by starting anew after a tragedy. We draw others closer to the Lord whenever we pray together as a family or forgive one another’s offenses. To be fishers of men and women is more than a figure of speech. It is a mission from Christ, through Christ, and in Christ.
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