I Will Show You How...

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” [Mark 1.17]

Early in Jesus' ministry we see the passage above (Matthew also records it).

In today's OYCB reading alone, what follows Jesus' invitation to "fish for people" is very consistent and summed up well in the following:

Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. [Matthew 4.23]

In fact, Jesus tied what He was doing and demonstrating as fishing for people in the Gospel of Luke (also in today's reading):

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” [Luke 4.18-21]

Not to be overlooked in Jesus' demonstration before His new disciples is this:

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. [Mark 1.35]

So, in discipling His select disciples, Jesus demonstrated prayer, teaching, preaching, healing, and casting out demons. This is what fishing for people looks like.

Not to be overlooked in Jesus' teaching and preaching is the implication that in order to teach and preach, one must know what he is teaching and preaching. We can conclude then that spending time to know what the Bible says is also a part of fishing for people!

Nothing following today's OYCB content is going to alter what Jesus began from the beginning to demonstrate to His disciples. In fact, everything that follows will only support and bring further clarity to what has already been seen up to this point. We will see that Jesus only intensifies His call leaving no "option" for any other way to truly follow Him. Jesus will go on to identify those who genuinely follow His as having taken up their cross to do so. This reference was not a pretty picture in that day.

Not the least important detail about Jesus' invitation to fish for people is found in later references where He identifies His calling as the same calling upon those who would follow Him:

Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” [John 20.21]

"My ministry" means nothing in the realm of God's Kingdom. The only ministry validated by the very Son of God is the one He Himself demonstrated and invited us to imitate. Jesus did not say, "Come follow Me and let's see what your ministry looks like." As ridiculous as it sounds to read it here, well-meaning, but deceived, people subscribe to the error of "you do you" more so now than ever in history.

Jesus' model and instructions are indisputable. We have four Gospel records that all agree on this point. Ours is not the task or originating a unique ministry. Our task is simply to follow the example and model of Jesus Christ.

Father, forgive us, and me in particular, for thinking we have some sort of unique calling upon our lives that distinguishes us from all others. Help us to see that the ideology of this thinking is pure disobedience to Christ.