The preacher was Fr. Mervyn Duffy SM, from New Zealand.
Fr. Duffy is a Priest in the Roman Catholic Church
What does it mean to be a Disciple?
St Paul�s within the Walls, 2005
Simon and Andrew were casting a weighted circular net into the sea which requires a lot of concentration, much skill, and, if you want to catch anything � a bit of luck. As the net descends the fish can get out from under. I am sure that many of their casts came back with no fish in them.
So these two are standing there, literally minding their own business, when something comes over them � the Word of God.
According to Isaiah (55:11) God�s word "does not come back empty."
What is cast over them is this web of words:
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
It is Jesus and he is fishing for followers. He does not only say the phrase � in saying it he is showing them what the idea involves.
His net consists only of words, the weights are his authority. From such a net fish could escape. Simon and Andrew don�t. Nor do James and John.
Notice � the way Matthew tells the story the initiative is entirely with Jesus. They did not go up to him and say "Hey, I hear you are a good preacher, I would like to join your school of disciples." That was the normal way things worked, the disciples picked the Rabbi. Right from the beginning of the gospel it is obvious that Jesus is going to be no ordinary Teacher � instead of disciples choosing him, he chooses them, and when he calls they jump! I would imagine Jesus selected these men for a reason but Matthew tells us nothing of that.
What did Jesus mean by "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men"?
Well "follow me" has a literal meaning, which Matthew makes sure we understand, as first Simon and Andrew and then James and John walk off after Jesus. To follow means "to walk along behind." In fact, if you read Matthew�s gospel closely, the good guys always come up to Jesus from behind. Anyone who comes from in front is always out for confrontation � looking to challenge Jesus.
Now, when you choose to follow one path, you leave others behind. Every choice has consequences.
Andrew and Peter left their nets behind.
James and John left their father and hired men sitting in the boat.
Now the gospels do not tell us anything more about Zebedee but I would imagine he was not happy with his sons� decision. He had taught them the fishing trade and he expected them to follow him! What kind of filial piety is it that walks away leaving him with only hired men � not his own flesh and blood � to work alongside him.
So there is an opportunity cost to following � choosing to follow Jesus will not please everyone in your life, even those nearest and dearest to you.
"To follow" has another non-literal meaning. To follow someone�s teaching, example and life, rather than just walk behind them. Such a follower is called a disciple.
What did it mean to follow Jesus?
Well for Simon, Andrew, James and John it meant giving Jesus authority over them and their lives. They had to treat him with respect. The normal respectful address to a teacher was "my great one," or "my master" or "rabbi" and they also gave Jesus various rights:
The right to teach them. When Jesus had something to say they would sit and listen, even if it was hard going.
The right to name them. Jesus calls Simon "Peter" meaning "Rock." James and John he calls the "Sons of Thunder" � I have often wondered if that is a reference to their mother.
They gave Jesus the right to chastise them. Peter in particular seems to get regularly told off by Jesus. (See Mark 8:33). In that time it was considered quite normal for a rabbi to beat with a stick any follower who disobeyed or misbehaved. We never hear anything like that of Jesus.
They gave Jesus the right to order them about: "Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out" (Mark 6:7a)
They gave authority over their lives to Jesus and in turn he vested authority in them:
"authority over unclean spirits" (Mark 6:7b)
the right to pray, exorcise and heal in his name. (And to do something "in the name of Jesus" is to do it with his deputized authority."
Following Jesus meant taking up a certain public stance. They went where Jesus did. They were recognizably with him. People knew them as his disciples. Contrast that with Nicodemus who was interested in what Jesus had to say but only came to him secretly in the night. (John 3) Peter, Andrew, James and John stood with Jesus during the day. They were NOT ashamed to be seen with him.
Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Following Jesus will change them. It will equip them to be something different. They are being taken on a journey that will transform them. If you are completely happy with the way you are, then discipleship is not for you. Giving authority to Jesus means letting him re-make you. We were made by God in the first place. The psalm we used has the psalmist recalling how God "knit him together in his mother�s womb." Believing Jesus to be God implies accepting his rights over every fibre of our being. We were made in Creation. We get re-made in the process of Redemption. Mind you � there is reassurance there as well � it is Jesus that is going to be doing the making, the equipping. He is not throwing his disciples into mission without preparing them properly for it. In following him they will gain the qualities and the characteristics to be fishers of men.
Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
What is the job that Jesus is calling these two pairs of brothers to? Disciple, yes, but what does he mean by "fishers of men" other than the clever pun on their present occupation as fishermen. Elsewhere in Matthew the Kingdom of God is compared to a dragnet (13:47-48) that hauls in all kinds of different fish. So fishers of men are those whose job it is to draw men and women into the Kingdom of God. Fishing for people is evangelizing, spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.
As a visiting Roman Catholic priest I can get away with citing the Pope so here is my favourite piece of papal teaching � by Pope Paul VI on the Evangelization of Peoples: (
Above all the Gospel must be proclaimed by witness. Take a Christian or a handful of Christians who, in the midst of their own community, show their capacity for understanding and acceptance, their sharing of life and destiny with other people, their solidarity with the efforts of all for whatever is noble and good. Let us suppose that, in addition, they radiate in an altogether simple and unaffected way their faith in values that go beyond current values, and their hope in something that is not seen and that one would not dare to imagine. Through this wordless witness these Christians stir up irresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live: Why are they like this? Why do they live in this way? What or who is it that inspires them? Why are they in our midst? Such a witness is already a silent proclamation of the Good News and a very powerful and effective one. Here we have an initial act of evangelization.
Pope Paul VI goes on to say that once you�ve stirred up questions you have to have your answers ready. I consider it a good description of how to go about the job of being a fisher of men.
The story of Christmas which we celebrated last month is the story of God sending his Son into the world so that humankind might be saved. The rest of the gospel is the working out of HOW Jesus is to do that. The last part of the gospel � the death and resurrection � is obviously hugely important, but I want to suggest to you today that the first part of the gospel is also deeply significant.
We are right at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus in Matthew�s gospel. He was baptized in chapter 3, he starts Chapter 4 with 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness, being tempted by the devil. Our reading today is the verses that follow.
So Jesus is:
baptized by John
acclaimed by God the Father
tempted by the Devil
and he is out to save the world, and what is the first thing he does?
He calls disciples.
Jesus is not going to save the world ALONE.
Yes, he is the one who is the only-begotten Son of God.
He is the only one who is fully human and fully divine.
He is the one who suffers, dies and rises.
But Jesus calls disciples.
Which must mean that God�s plan for the salvation of the world has a part for US to play as well.
Salvation is not just something done to us. We get to cooperate in it. To work out our salvation in fear and trembling. (See Phil 2:12)
This is deep mystery but I tell you, Jesus needs the Christians to save the world. The Church has a place in God�s plans. (I will admit that some days this is easier to see than others. Some days I think we get in his way.)
For the world to be saved Jesus wants and needs a group of followers.
They are to accept his authority � his Lordship � and that means his right to boss us around and tell us off.
They are to listen to his teaching.
They are to shape their lives after his example.
They are to stand with him in the daylight.
They are to exercise his authority � to sanctify, to rule and to teach in his name.
By doing this they become fishers of men � other people will come to be disciples because of them � other lives will be lured towards salvation � God�s love will be shown to the world through the love of this group of disciples.
The Collect today had us praying together:
"Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvellous works."
We are the people who have been caught in the net of discipleship, have answered the call to follow Jesus. In daylight we have come to stand in this holy place which is consecrated to his name. We claim Jesus as the Christ and we were baptized in the name of the Trinity and are called by Christian names. As we go forth from this place may we live lives worthy of the name we bear so that God�s grace may work through us as part of his mission of saving our world.
Evangelii Nuntiandi 21)