Stinky Fish

We’re all called to be disciples.  We’ve heard that before, but what does it really mean?  Let’s look today at the call of some of the first disciples…

Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. MT 4:19

I like to read these passages form the bible and picture them like a movie.  What are the sounds, the smells, the tastes? Who are the actors playing the characters?  What does the set look like?  When I can picture it and bring it to life it means more….

In this scene I’m picturing boats, nets, lines, maybe a gaff (isn’t that a cool word?)  Fishing in the time of Jesus wasn’t simple.  There were multiple nets used, and everything was done by hand… these fisherman were a hardy sort of people and worked long hours pulling their catch from the sea, mending their nets, preparing boats for launch and sorting and cleaning fish.

When Jesus finds them they are hard at work and he goes first to Simon and Andrew and after He tells them they will be fishers of men they “at once” leave their nets and follow Him.  He then goes to James and John and likewise they respond to the call and immediately leave everything including their boat.

So, here’s my question….  “What was the scene like the next day?”

Think about it for a minute.  People come down to the sea and they find empty boats, nets cast aside, fish laying on the beach.  They notice that four of the normal fishermen are gone, and all of their stuff is just laying around.  Probably rumors are sweeping the villages, maybe people are vying for their stuff, others are gossiping about where they went.

The point I draw from of all this is simple…When these four men became disciples of Jesus Christ there was a real, tangible change that everyone could see.  Everything changed.  It wasn’t just a personal thing that happened in a private area.  Equipment was laying around, fish were laying rotting on the beach, nets abandoned and then fought over by whoever found them, someone who was looking forward to buying fish didn’t get any…..

Think back to the day you decided to follow Jesus.  Actually think back to the day after…Was there a noticable change?  Did people notice that you were gone?  Did you leave stinky fish on the side of the sea?  Let it be our prayer today that we as disciples will be changed so much by Christ that it is a tangible, real effect that society can’t help but feel.

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