Fishers of Men
Sermon preached by Dn. Jeff Smith on Sunday, June 22, 2025
Matthew 4:18-23
As Jesus walked along the sea of Galilee, far away from the city of Jerusalem, way up in the north, the place where “no prophet could arise,” he spied four fishermen casting and mending their nets. Here comes Jesus, gathering his disciples to himself. He called Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow him, and they would soon be calling others; they would be fishing, not just for fish, but for people. It was a busy place up there along the shoreline, among these men who knew their trade so well, and yet they were willing to leave it all behind.
The Gospel of Matthew says, “immediately, they left their nets, and they followed him.” It strikes me how quickly, even impulsively, they followed him, immediately leaving their nets, their tools, their boat, and their father. Last week, we heard that “no one who is unwilling to give up father or mother is worthy of me,” and Jesus said that “he who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” But these four men, when they encountered the living Word of God, the great healer – they didn’t think twice. They entered his world; they entered into his kingdom without reservation. It takes real faith to step up and cast a different kind of net. We never know who or what we may drag up. But to go from mending a net to mending and healing men’s souls is not a stretch. Add a little yeast and the bread of the kingdom will rise.
This is the very beginning of Jesus' ministry. He knows where this is all going to lead. He chooses salty men to salt the earth with the promise of a kingdom to come. It’s such a different proposition from entering into a losing battle with Rome, which is what most people expected him to do.
Lately, I’ve been watching episodes of “Call the Midwife” with Natasha. At first, I thought the show was sentimental and maudlin, but as I continued to watch, it began to dawn on me that I was watching the Gospel in action. When you’re in trouble, who do you call? Ghostbusters? No! Call the Midwife! These midwives are so much more than their title. They serve as social workers and nurses, young women working for very little in association with a convent, Nonatus House, and the Sisters of St. John the Divine in East London. There they encounter every evil, including racism, violence, poverty, and disease as they approach these problems and hardships with grace, bringing relief to the suffering. Even some of the midwives themselves suffer from addiction, but they carry the attitude and demeanor of Jesus Christ, even as they are.
So, when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John, they too were called to teach and heal every infirmity just like Jesus, and just like the midwives. Jesus models himself as a teacher and a healer, and he is showing us what we can do as well. So I started to appreciate these women and their vision of service more and more as it is exactly what Jesus is calling these salty apostles and us to step up, go out and serve. This is what we are all called to. We too can respond to the needs of others, not with cruelty, but with compassion and understanding, just like the midwives. We too can do as God as wills in our lives, living according to maxim, “Thy will be done.”
Like the apostles, we too can support Jesus’ mission and enter into his kingdom, which we begin to do by coming here on Sunday. But let us think further on how Jesus is calling us to enter into his kingdom more and more just as he went around Galilee teaching, preaching, and healing every disease. Let us go forth as well and fulfill ourcalling! Thanks be to God.