18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.

        Jesus began assembling His leaders-in-training team. According to Luke’s rendition of events (chapter 4), Jesus had already spent some time teaching in and around Capernaum, so the invitation to these first four did not come, as it were, from a stranger.

        Matthew records simply that Jesus called to them with two statements. First He invites them to become His followers, a career and life change. Up to this point they had followed their fathers into the family fishing businesses, learning the trade as apprentices, watching, working alongside of and imitating their fathers (at least in the case of James and John). The second and surprising statement Jesus makes is that He would form them into a new kind of fisherman. They were invited to apprentice with a new Teacher, a new Master, for a new kind of fishing “business.” Instead of catching fish, they would now “catch” men. The disciples were to be trained to reach others for God with the message of Jesus, namely, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

        Observe that the only qualification Jesus required was to “Follow me.” He would do the rest. He didn’t ask for pledges of fidelity. He didn’t look for prior religious achievements. Jesus is still looking for people who will simply commit to being His followers, people who are not double-minded (note the four men left “immediately”). It was only after His death that they doubted the whole campaign for which they had signed up (see Luke 24:21).

        So, follow they did and the world has not been the same since. Along with eight others, they became Jesus’ core group, His official representatives in spreading the Good News after His departure (Acts 1). Since our Lord wrote nothing down, the only way we know what He taught was through His twelve disciples, later to be called apostles. Today the only way people will learn about Christ is by other people who faithfully follow Him and share what He has taught them through His word (Matt 28:18-20).

Lord, I want to be a faithful follower of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to witness for Him and become a fisher of men. I set aside my fears, my comfort, and my security, and I choose to follow Christ.