The Life of Christ

SECTION 47

Mt. 4:17-18 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

The fishing trade was quite lucrative in that day.

• Fish was considered the favorite food of the day, whether eaten fresh, dried, or pickled.

• According to tradition, since the days of Joshua, and by one of his ten ordinances, fishing in the lake under certain restrictions was free to all.

• One of the stipulations was that in order not to impede navigation, it was forbidden to fix nets in permanent positions.

• Large fish were carried to the market slung on a ring or twine, while smaller fish were in baskets.

• Fish was such an important national food for Israel that in Jerusalem one of the entrances to the city was called “ The Fish Gate. ”

Mt. 4:19-21 19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 And they immediately left the nets and followed Him. 21 And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.

“Follow me” in those days meant to become a permanent disciple of that teacher.

• Most rabbis of the day had gathered around them a small circle of disciples.

• These four were already referred to as His disciples at the wedding at Cana (Jn. 2:3); they had already spent considerable time with Jesus but had not as yet been called to follow Him on a permanent basis.

• It was at this very moment that all changed.

• To “follow Me” meant for James and John to leave their fishing trade behind, as well as commit themselves to many days being apart from their wives and children; Peter and Andrew’s calling will come shortly afterward. • Such a call engendered many questions, such as, “How will I provide food and shelter for my family, what will all my relatives think of this, and above all, what will this do to my marriage and children?”

• We also see from this entire scenario that there can be a difference between being a “ disciple ” and the calling to serve the Lord on a full-time basis.

Mt. 4:22 And they immediately left the boat and their father and followed Him.

The reference to Zebedee, the father of James and John, provides a rare window into the pain of this typical father who has just lost his two choice sons to a different fishing enterprise.

67