“And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:10-11)
Jesus often acted in ways that demonstrated that He had come to change the world in a radical way. He would change religion and worship as He swept away the old and replaced it with the new. For one thing, most of the men He called as His disciples were simple fishermen. These were the ones He called to be the ministers on the new covenant, not the descendants of the Levites, nor the priests, rabbis or teachers of the Law. Such men had little compassion on their fellow Jews and openly despised the rest of the world. They never associated with sinners or fellowshipped with Gentiles lest they defile themselves. The ministers of the new covenant were, in fact, people they shunned as unclean, unlearned and common.
Jesus compared these new ministers of God to fishermen. As they went about preaching the gospel they would pursue others, attract them and lead them into the kingdom in the way that a fisherman lures fish into his nets. The bait seemed to consist of miracles and healings, but the real lure that held attraction was the power of God and the forgiveness of sins.
Today many churches and preachers try to lure people in and build up their following by means that appeal to people who are frustrated with life and its problems as well as those who feel helpless. Some bait the hook with a gospel of prosperity, health and wealth. Some use flashy music and trendy messages. Others use as bait so-called miracles and the gifts of the Spirit, primarily speaking in tongues. But, like the disciples who labored all night and caught nothing, we need to set aside human means and learn from Jesus. What really attracts sinners and hurting people is the love of God as well as peace with Him through the forgiveness of sins. Such peace only comes by faith in Jesus alone. For such peace we all forsake the lures of the world to follow Jesus.