LET'S GO FISHIN'

There are several parabolic or comparative statements in the New Testament that Jesus used to illustrate a point.  One such example of these is the statement, "come and I will make you fishers of men."

Several of Jesus' disciples were fishermen.  Much of Jesus' ministry was in the region of Galilee, of which the major source to ones' livelihood was the fishing industry or other related fields such as net making, boat making or repair,  hook making [blacksmithing], etc.  So, the comparison that Jesus was making to those who would follow him would no longer be seeking fish, but would be seeking men.

Good biblical hermeneutics [methods of interpretation] will instruct you that an analogy usually has only one point of comparison.  Fishermen went out and sought fish.  They employed the use of bait from time to time to draw fish to their boat so that they could encircle them with their nets.  They might employ different bait to attract different fish so that the owner of the boat [the master] would be pleased.

Jesus called these, and He also calls us to be fishers of men.  It is up to us to be the best equipped fishermen that we can be.  We must study "fish" and learn how to use the right "bait" to attract them if we want to please our Master.

Paul