Fishers of Men

Eileen Corse

It's hard to catch a fish. I know, because I failed to catch a fish this past weekend. To be fair, I had nothing but my bare hands and a Cheez-It, but the point still stands. To catch a fish, one must lure or interest the fish, the fish must take a bite, and the fisherman must be wary enough to reel it in while it is still on the line. Then, once he or she has caught the fish, the fisherman must prepare it. They must detach the fish and send it back from whence it came, or eat it for dinner. 

Evangelism functions in much the same way, albeit without the eating for dinner. Christ does not call us to be "fishers of men" as a random metaphor. He chooses this term because the way we fish, though typically not the net fishing of Jesus's time, is a direct imitation of the way evangelism occurs. 

1. The Lure

I should make it clear that this is not to say that evangelism is a trap in any way. I simply use the term "lure" because it is the term used in fishing. In evangelism, however, we could easily refer to this as interest, the best form of which is relationship. It is possible to evangelize to strangers on the street. Many people do so, and often successfully. However, our missionary work begins with those closest to us, those we have relational rapport with. 

Difficult or controversial conversations can be divisive, especially when it comes to topics such as religion or politics. The way to decrease that risk of divisiveness is to establish a relationship prior to those conversations. For example: one of my best friends is not Christian. We can, however, have conversations about our different religious beliefs, because we have the relational foundation built already and are at no risk of shattering said relationship. I can question her beliefs, and she can question mine, and we both know at the end of the day that we are still friends. If I question a practical stranger whom I have just met, however, they may feel distanced by my investigation, because we do not have a strong enough foundation to uphold deeper conversation. 

The simplest way to support evangelism is to create a strong relational basis on which to build it. 

2. The Bite

I think many Christians are torn between not wanting to "force religion" while still desiring to share it with those they love. In fact, I recently had a friend ask me about this very question. While we can and should initiate conversation about Jesus, it's important to note what I call "undercover evangelism." Often we think of evangelism being large, lofty Gospel Conversations that clearly teach Scripture and end with a prayer. In reality, however, those kinds of conversations are often relatively rare. Instead, much of evangelism takes place in the casual mentions of Jesus. In admiring a sunset, we can point to His creative ability. In making it to work on time, we can thank Him for His providence. Especially when speaking to non-believers, these "small" mentions are often more comfortable, yet still display our belief and interest others. 

One of my biggest heartbreaks was when that same non-believing best friend asked me to stop inviting her to church. While at first, I was upset, something she said really stood out to me. "If I ever become interested, I will let you know." Here's the thing. As much as I wish I could change people's hearts, I can't. All we as Christians can do is plant seeds. Our job is to create the lure, to keep talking about and mentioning and praising Jesus, and waiting for the day that someone takes the bite and asks a question. When we allow people to seek Jesus on their own timing, the chances that they will be interested and prepared to hear what we have to say are greatly increased. That being said, when someone does take interest, we must be prepared. 

3. The Catch

When a person is interested in Jesus, chances are they will have questions. We must equip ourselves to answer those questions, or to be able to find an answer to questions we do not know. We must be prepared for hurt or aggression, but also for genuine curiosity. We must make ourselves comfortable with praying for people and pointing to Scriptural references. This is the importance of apologetics: being able to explain the why behind what we believe. When we are prepared, we are able to care for those who want to know Jesus. 

It is not easy to be a fisher of men. It takes patience and time, and often can disappoint us. The beautiful working of Jesus, however, is worth any amount of waiting or preparation.