“Fishy Business”
Text: Matthew 4:12-23
1-25-2026
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Do you like to fish? I love to fish but I honestly don’t know as much about it as I’d like. I’m not always sure which bait to use or whether to use a bobber or how far down to set the hook. I don’t know the best habitat is for Bass or Bluegills or Walleye or Northern. I’m not sure what test line to use for different kinds of fish. I don’t know what time of day or what temperatures are best for fishing. You see, there’s lots I don’t know about fishing. But that doesn’t stop me. I still love to go whenever I get a chance. Well, in today’s Gospel, when Jesus called His disciples He told them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Maybe you think He said that just because these guys were already fishermen. They knew how to catch fish and now Jesus was going to teach them how to catch the souls of men and women. Easy transition, right? Maybe, maybe not. But you probably don’t think that same calling can apply to those of us who don’t know squat about fishing. That’s not true. Jesus still calls people to follow Him, and He still promises to make us “fishers of men” too.
If that’s the case, then maybe you think I’m going to give you a crash course in fishing techniques and strategy. Hah! That would be like the blind leading the blind. No, you don’t need to know all the intricacies of fishing in order for Jesus to call you to be a fisher of men. But there are some basic principles of successful fishing that are easy for all of us to grasp. As I outline for you these principles, I hope you’ll see what Christ is actually calling us to do and I pray that it will make us all better at fishing for lost souls in this world.
Now, someone might argue, “Well the disciples fished with nets and we fish with hooks, so you’re comparing apples to oranges.” That’s true to a certain extent. Having said that though, you’ll find that the basic principles of fishing apply to both methods.
Fishing Principle #1: A fisherman must be patient. It’s rare that you can just throw your hook in the water and get a bite immediately. Most of the time, fish are very cautious. They’ll check out that bait that’s dangling in front of them before they approach it. And then, they’ll nibble before they bite it. Being patient and waiting is sometimes the hardest part of fishing. The same can be said about fishing for souls. Sometimes we get this foolish idea that people will get “hooked” on the Gospel the first time they hear it. That’s just not true. Like fish, people are leery of this strange bait that’s dangling in front of them. We must be patient. Just because you invited somebody to come to church with you once, don’t assume that will do the trick. Yes, God’s Word has a powerful attraction. But our evil world has taught them to be leery of something that looks too good to be true. Invite them several times. Just like a fisherman, it’s rare to see immediate results. So be patient.
Principle #2: A fisherman must have perseverance. It can be very frustrating when your bait gets stolen right off the hook. Or you can get discouraged when you get hooked in a bunch of seaweed. But you reel in your line and put on fresh bait, because perseverance pays off. Sometimes you’ll have to do it over and over. I learned that lesson as kid. I remember my Dad taking me fishing with my 3 older brothers one time. My hook would get snagged on seaweed and I’d tell my Dad that I had a fish on the line. He just smiled and had me reel it in. After we put another worm on the hook, I’d be back in business. I don’t know how many times I repeated that scene. Then, it happened again, but this time my rod was bouncing all over the place. Dad helped me reel it in. Lo and behold I caught the biggest fish of the day. I was on top of the world and I learned that perseverance paid off. When we’re fishing for souls, perseverance is just about as important as patience. It’s very tempting to give up after you’ve talked with someone about Jesus and yet they keep walking away. Maybe you’ve invited a family member or a friend to come to worship services or a Bible Study and they repeatedly declined. Don’t give up! Perseverance does pay off, especially when we know that we have God’s promise that His Word will never return to Him without having fulfilled the purpose for which He sent it.
Fishing Principle #3: A fisherman must choose the right bait. Different fish are attracted to different bait. It’s almost unbelievable to smell the stink bait you put on a hook for a catfish. The stinkier the better. But other fish wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole, no pun intended. Different kinds of spinning lures attract other fish. And a plain old gob of worms is sufficient to attract others. The secret is to match the bait to the fish you’re trying to catch. In a way, the same can be true in fishing for souls. Every person on this planet has different needs. And depending on their circumstances, a different approach may need to be used with each. Some need to hear comfort if they’re facing a disaster or crisis. God’s Word is full of comfort. Some want to find a sense of security. God’s Word speaks clearly about the security He provides to His children. Some want to know where to find relief for their guilt and shame over their sins. God’s Word tells us that He freely forgives us because of Christ’s death on the cross for our sins.
And one more example. To many people, the cross is like stink bait. They see the cross only as an instrument of torture and death. It’s offensive to them. But we have a good and pleasant answer to that. God turned the disgusting cross of Christ’s death into a symbol of victory for those who believe in Jesus. His death and resurrection make the cross very appealing to us, because we know that it brings us salvation. St. Paul says in our Epistle that the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but it’s the power of God to those who believe in what Jesus did for us there. The good news is that when the Holy Spirit moves in the heart of an unbeliever, the offensiveness of the cross becomes the sweetest news a soul could ever hear. It becomes attractive and desirable.
Finally, Fishing Principle #4: A fisherman must go where the fish are. That may sound too basic, but it’s true. You can have all the knowledge in the world about catching fish and own every possible piece of fishing equipment, and yet, if you don’t go out and use it, you’ll never catch any fish. You may not believe it, but I know a guy who owns 499 fishing poles. 499! He himself would tell you that all those poles are nice but they won’t catch any fish hanging in his garage. You’ve got to take them out to where the fish are and use them. That sounds so simple. You know what though? That same principle applies to fishing for souls. I’ve heard it all too many times: “Oh we don’t have to go out inviting people to worship with us. They know where the church is! They’ll come on their own when they’re ready.” That way of thinking confounds me.
It reminds me of the guy who got stopped by the DNR. He was just leaving a lake that was well-known for its excellent fishing and he had 2 buckets of fish. The officer asked to see his license. The man replied he didn’t need one because these were his pet fish. “Pet fish?” the officer said. The man replied, “Yes sir. Every night I take my fish down to the lake and let them swim free for a couple hours. Then I whistle, and they all jump back in the bucket to go home.” The officer didn’t believe him so the man offered to prove it. He took the bucket and poured the fish into the lake and stood there waiting. After a few minutes, the officer said, “Well, when are you going to call them back?” The man looked dumbly at him, “Call who back?” “The fish!” the officer yelled. “What fish?” the man asked.
Now isn’t that ridiculous? Who would be gullible enough to believe that fish would come when you whistle and jump into a bucket? And yet, isn’t that what we’re doing when we somehow expect people to just jump right into our church someday? We think they’ll wake up one morning and decide to come here on their own. No need to bait the hook by inviting them. No need to attract them by talking about our Savior with them. Sorry folks. That won’t work with fish and it certainly doesn’t work with humans either. To be good fishers of men, you’ve got to go meet people where they live and work.
But you know as well as me that this is easier said than done. Due to our sinful, human minds we foul up our calling as fishers of men regularly. We get lazy about it. For that we must repent and ask the Holy Spirit to inspire us with the desire to reach out to others. And yet, you may have the desire but feel totally inadequate to do the job. You feel like you don’t know the first thing about how to go about it. Before we get discouraged and give up, let’s look at the simple statement that Jesus spoke. He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus will teach you how to do it. He’ll give you the “equipment” and the right “bait” to do it. And more importantly, He’ll give you the courage to do it.
You see, sometimes we get our job description mixed up. We wonder how we’ll get a person to come to worship once we’ve invited them or how we’ll keep them coming when they do. But that’s not our calling. It’s the job of the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts. I saw a bumper sticker once that really drove this point home. It said, “Be fishers of men. You catch ‘em, I’ll clean ‘em.” In other words, we are called to cast our nets, to send out the invitation, to give encouragement. God will see to the rest. He’ll work on cleaning their hearts through the power of His Word. He’ll see to it that faith grows in them. You don’t have to fret over that.
When you think about it, at one time we were all like fish in a lake. Swimming around in the dark waters of sin and death. We were comfortable there because we were born sinners. We didn’t know any other way of life and we had no way of changing our condition. But God rescued us from that hopeless condition through our Baptisms. He changed us when He called us to follow Him. He calls us to be His fishers of men. He wants to use us to attract others with His “bait” of love. He wants people to get “hooked” on Him. Then He’ll clean them and transform them into His beloved children.
May God give us the wisdom and strength to be good “fishers of men.” May He teach us how to gently reach lost souls with the net of the Gospel. And may He open our eyes to the opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!