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PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, help me remember that I can be a "fisher of people," too -- and show me how! Amen.

Walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw Simon Peter and Andrew fishing. "Come with me, and I'll make you fishers of people," Jesus called. Then He saw James and John, and called them. All the men left their fishing nets and followed Jesus.

"To fish" doesn't just mean to catch fish. You might "fish around" in your box of Legos to "fish out" the piece of the size and shape you're looking for, or "fish for information" by asking a friend question after question until you find out something you want to know.

According to Jesus, you can even "fish" for people! In this week's Gospel (Mark 1:14-20), He sees four fishermen -- Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John -- and invites them all to go fishing with Him.

Jesus doesn't mean the kind of fishing where they throw nets into the Sea of Galilee to catch tilapia and other kinds of fish to feed their families and sell for money. Jesus' kind of "fishing" is to put teachings about God out there, talking to crowds of people about how much God loves them and wants to be part of their lives.

Whether you're fishing for a real fish, an object or information, the goal is to catch something. Jesus taught those first Apostles to invite people to learn more about God and see who got "caught" by the idea.

Some people would be uninterested, like the friend who ignores your questions or the Lego pieces you throw back in the box. Others would be just what Jesus and the Apostles were looking for: people who were ready to listen to what Jesus had to say. They didn't have to be perfect; they just had to be willing to get caught by the idea that they could be close to God.

Only some people catch fish for a living, but anyone can be a fisherman. Learn more about Jesus, and then talk to other people about Him and see what happens. You'll be fishing for people![[In-content Ad]]

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