Why Fishermen?

Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose the men He chose to be His apostles? I mean, how more different could all of those guys be? You’ve got a former tax collector and zealot who would probably hate each other because of their backgrounds. At the same time, included in the lineup of apostles were four fishermen. These fishermen probably weren’t the most well-educated individuals or the most well-viewed members of society, but Jesus still chose them. Why?

I was recently able to go out onto a charter boat with my father-in-law and my wife’s uncle for a 10-hour fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico. While out there, I got to spend a lot of time watching the deckhand, a man who had worked on the water for years, do what he does best. Though I only base this on my own personal experience, here are a few ideas as to why Jesus might have selected skilled fishermen for serving the Kingdom.

1. FISHERMEN ARE PATIENT. If there is one thing that I admire most about fishermen, it’s their patience. Anyone who has had experience with a rod and reel in hand knows that patience is vital. Sometimes the fish are all over the bait as soon as it hits the water. Other times, you can sit there for hours without even a nibble. Fishermen are willing to wait things out, hook after hook or net after net, to catch the fish they need. Now think about how this fits into ministry. The apostles would be in this for the long haul—not every person they would approach with the gospel would willingly accept it immediately. Just like in their former work, these “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19) would have to be patient in their work to help the Kingdom grow.
2. FISHERMEN ARE RESOURCEFUL. While on our trip, we put our deckhand to work. With three of us constantly putting our lines out one after another, there were times where the bait would be lost, lines would be tangled, and even reels would be broken. Nevertheless, the deckhand would ensure that he had plenty of bait ready for each of us, extra rods ready in case of a failure, and plenty of experience in untying crazy knots. There is no doubt that his work was challenging, but he was prepared for it and knew what he was doing. In the same way, the apostles would have to be ready for a lot of different situations. They would be interacting with people of all different sorts, from knowledgable Pharisees to the lame and sick. Each encounter they would have would bring new, unforeseen challenges and obstacles to sharing the gospel. They would need to be prepared for anything and everything.
3. FISHERMEN ARE EXPERIENCED. The teamwork of our deckhand and captain was incredible to see. Both men knew where to go and what to do to be where the fish were. They were able to identify each type of fish we had on our lines (and we caught well over 100 fish). Did either of these men have the best education or hold several degrees? I don’t know for sure, but what I do know is their years of experience gave them quite a knowledge of the water and the fish that live in it. As I mentioned before, the fishermen chosen to be apostles were not scholars of the Law or the generally well-educated. However, Jesus was going to guide them in His teaching and promised them that “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26). They would know what they needed to proclaim the gospel to the lost. Their own experiences would be a valuable tool in confirming the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. 

Again, these are by no means the true and real reasons Jesus chose fishermen to be His apostles. That information is simply not revealed to us in Scripture. However, these qualities of fishermen are certainly qualities we can show in our own lives and works as Christians. We, too, will need patience in serving the Kingdom. We, too, will have to be prepared for what/who we might encounter. We, too, should strive to be knowledgeable and experienced in our relationships with the Lord to help others come to that same relationship with the Lord. While fishermen might be an afterthought for many of us, there is a lot that we can look to in this profession that can be of great value in serving the Kingdom. Let us look to their example and work to be “fishers of men” ourselves.