Bible Discourse 23 Fishers of Men

Discourse 23

Fishers of Men

And it came to pass, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and proved him that he would thrust out a little from the land.  And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.”

And Simon answered and said unto hom, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”

And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.  And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in other ship, that they should come and help them.  And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peters saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”  For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon.

And Jesus said unto Simon, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.”  And when had brought their ships to land, they forsook all and follow him.                                                                   –Luke5:1-11

Now as he walked by sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

And Jesus said unto them, “Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.”  And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the ship mending their nets.  And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

And they went into Capernaum and straightway on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.  And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.                                                           –Mark1:16—22

Now the time has come to call his select disciples. They were not only his followers but also select disciples.  He wanted to put them into service.   

He stood by the lake of Gennesaret which is another name for the sea of Galilee. He boarded the shipping boat belonged to Simon moored on the land. Multitudes came to hear his gospel and receive his blessings.

He instructed Simon (Peter):  “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.”  Even though Simon obeyed the instructions of Jesus but earlier attempts became futile and no fishes had been hauled in spite of laboring all night. Simon called his brothers James and John to help. Both ships were filled with fish.  Andrews, James, and John were astonished that even the fish obeyed the Divine command of Jesus. They bowed down in humble contrition before Jesus. 

“Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men…Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Master feeling pity towards men folk shall fish for men of delusion.

It is better way to show the livelihood than giving alms. The effect of food and mental power shall vanish in due course.  Jesus wanted to give them intuitional wisdom so that it will be lasting more. A fisher of men saves himself more because of his faith on God. The Heavenly Father wants His fishers of men to escape from the maya or nets of delusion.  Jesus knew that he must spiritualize himself before becoming a fisher of men. After becoming a Kriya yogi Jesus said in the sermon on the Mount: “Thou hypocrite, cast our first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the note that is in thu brother’s eye.”

The Heavenly Father wants to see His fishers of men  escape from Satan’s nets of delusion so they can help other entrapped souls. The yogi must establish between good i.e., peace, joy, divine bliss, forgiveness, self-control, and selflessness etc., and evil i.e., disquietude, sorrow, sense pleasure, revengefulness, temptation, selfishness, inflame bad habits that leads to bondage and trouble. Then he is spiritually progressing. 

One need not be an erudite or to have oratorical ability to become a spiritual teacher. Many saints in the Bharat were not even able to read the basics of scriptures or have knowledge. Even the sage Valmiki, the author of Ramayana was a sinner whose name was Ratnakara is his past birth. Every sinner is having future and every saint had the past. The unflinching faith is required to become a saint and to get liberated.

Simon was having unflinching faith on Jesus and his teachings. Even though Simon and several others were unlettered like him were called in by Jesus in spite of not having rudimentary knowledge of spiritual teachings.  In a previous incarnation Jesus had taught Simon in the principles of discipleship and God-knowledge. This was not immediately remembered by Simon, the fisherman, in this incarnation. No master wanted to have silver-tongued and lead-minded disciple.

A devotee should have good karma and sincere willingness to listen to master, humility, love for God, forgetting self, and thoughts filled with God, are the criteria to be trained as a disciple.  The meditating yogi should make himself unconsciously conscious and consciously unconscious. A spiritual teacher should have elf-realization. He should meditate before teaching. The teacher should have good character, proper decorum of knowing the rules of etiquette, sincerity, truthfulness, never be angry, selflessness, not comparing himself with other spiritual teachers, no publicity or propaganda, and should never spread gossip. and dutiful.  

And they went into Capernaum and straightway on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.  And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.                                                           –Mark1:21—22

Cf. parallel references in Mathew 7:29—29  and  Luke 4:31—32

Jesus spoke with God-saturated conviction of the soul.  The so called preachers speak with imagination without knowing God or God realization. Jesus was absorbed in his realization of God; his authority was demonstrably indisputable.