Follow Me, and I Will Make You Become Fishers of Men

In the Gospel of Mark 1:17 Jesus states, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men" (NASB). This saying is very commonly interpreted and taught as a call to evangelism or to be Jesus' evangelizers that believers throughout successive generations are to emulate. At first glance the parallel seems unavoidably obvious: "fishers" is a reference to the "to be" evangelizers (i.e., the disciples) whereas we too are to be such "fishers"; "men" refers to the unregenerate of the then era whereas the unregenrate of today are also such "men." The evangelistic tone is not silent. Yet, could Jesus have meant more than that? Perhaps! Consider the following excerpt from Dr. Kim Riddlebarger's sermon entitled "Repent and Believe" and judge for yourselves (Note: I need to think a bit more about Riddlebarger's exposition but I don't think I've yet to hear or read a clearer explanation of the verse than his):

"But think about this for a minute. Is fishing simply a metaphor for evangelism in the sense of merely telling people about Jesus? When Simon and Andrew cast their nets into to sea and caught fish to feed their families and sell some to others, what happened to the fish they caught? Were the fish saved? Were they invited into the boat? Or is there a sense in which the fish is caught against its will and then inevitably dies under the judgment of the fisherman? Perhaps we ought to rethink this 'I will make you fishers of men' thing a bit! First and foremost, fishing is a judgment motif, not an evangelistic motif! In fact, when Jesus summons these two men to become fishers of men, he is using an Old Testament image found throughout the prophets (Jeremiah 16:16; Ezekiel 29:4 ff; 38:4; Amos 4:2; Hab, 1:14-17). In these passages God is the judge who comes like a fisherman with a net or a hook to catch those who fall under his judgment, which is the fate of the fish we catch (except those of you who are 'catch and release' types). Therefore, when Jesus calls Simon and Andrew to be 'fishers of men,' he’s informing them that their new calling will be like that of their new master who has just summoned them. Simon and Andrew will preach a message which summons men and women to repent. Their preaching comes upon those who hear it like fish are caught in a net. This is not a 'take it or leave it' offer of salvation. This message summons us to repent and believe, just like a net pulls a fish into a boat. Once we hear it, we cannot ignore it. Therefore, all those who hear this message–the good news of God–cannot escape God’s judgment. When we hear the declaration of what God has done to save sinners from that wrath which is to come, we are obligated to respond. All who hear that this is God’s appointed time and that the kingdom has drawn near in the person of Jesus, must now do as Jesus says, 'repent and believe.' Those who are 'caught' through this preaching either die to themselves so that they might live unto God, or else they die under the judgment of God. But there is no sense that you can hear this message and then just walk away as though you had never heard it. You have been summoned. You are caught. You will be judged. This is every bit as inevitable as it is that the fish will die once out of the water. That Jesus calls men to engage in such fishing is yet another sign that the kingdom of God has drawn near. Through the proclamation of the good news, men and women throughout Israel will soon be summoned to repent and believe the gospel that Jesus will proclaim. Those who hear the words of Jesus and his disciples are just like fish caught in a net. God has them in his possession. They come under his judgment. That Jesus has this sovereign power is seen in the reaction of Simon and Andrew to Jesus’ call. Mark simply tells us in verse 18, 'At once [Simon and Andrew] left their nets and followed him.' Simon and Andrew are still fishermen, only they no longer fish for fish. Now they fish for men and women. Jesus has other disciples to call as well. As we read in verses 19-20, 'When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.' Those whom Jesus calls, do not resist. They follow their master because they have been summoned. Because God’s time has come and the kingdom has drawn near, Jesus now calls his disciples to follow him. This call to be fishers of men is not some impersonal plea to 'follow Jesus.' It is a direct summons by God himself, addressed to these particular men by that one in whom the kingdom draws near and through whom God fishes for men and woman. Cranfield puts it this way, Jesus’ 'word lays hold on men’s lives and asserts his right to their whole-hearted and total allegiance, a right that takes priority even over kinship.' This is what happened to Simon and Andrews and to James and John. It is what is happening here this morning. That time has come for you to repent and believe."