Fishers of Men

Notice how right as John the Baptist is arrested, Jesus does not go to visit him in prison or try to bail him out, but instead goes on to continue the work that John, his cousin, had laid out for him. John is Jesus’ cousin whose job was made to set up a path for Jesus to come into the world and spread his word of the goodness of God, and when he is brought into prison, his work is almost done. And I say almost because John causes King Herod to almost convert through his words alone, but because of a worldly promise that he has made, and Herod scared of losing face, he executes John the Baptist. So even in prison, John’s work still was not done, and so is the same for us, knowing that our work is never done until we leave this physical existence. So, from then, Jesus continues John’s work by already gathering a following of disciples that he has “caught” from the nets of fishing. Although, I say “caught” because just one sentence/phrase from Jesus’ lips catches the attention of the men and they immediately leave their fishing boats to go and follow Jesus. Like a fish caught in a net, they are taken in and made “fishers of men'' who, like Jesus, catch the hearts of people and take them in so that they may as well become “fishers of men.” We leave our families to go and preach the word of God, but we also leave them behind in death, leaving them our lives and our messages for them to follow and use as an example for their lives as well. Catching many in nets and then setting them free as well so that even more fish may be caught as well, introducing a cycle where we are all directed towards our God as “fishers of men.” Still, notice how Jesus calls out specifically to James and John, the sons of Zebedee, instead of the bunch of hired men that are with them in the boat. This comes to show how he calls out to everyone, and specifically everyone, but not everyone will answer his call immediately or not answer his call at all. And so is why, we are called to be fishers of men.”