Follow Me, And I Will Make You Fishers Of Men

A Reflection On Matthew 4:18-23

Jun 13, 2026

At that time, as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left their boat and their father, and followed him. And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.
Matthew 4:18-23

As mentioned last week, we are now in a period of reading the Gospel of Matthew as a Church. We are also currently in a fasting period as we remember the Apostles, which will be capped off on June 29th with the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. It is thus fitting that, in today’s Gospel reading, our focus is drawn to the call to be an apostle given to Peter and his brother Andrew.

The role of an apostle is to be sent out to preach the Gospel. This is why the first century of the Church is often referred to as the Apostolic Age, for it was during this time that the Gospel spread throughout the world. This role of sharing the Gospel and establishing its presence among those who had not yet heard it is distinct. The Apostles were not bishops, for it was their role to go from land to land, sharing the message of God’s love for us, centered in the saving acts of the Gospel, rather than fostering this message within a single geographical location, as is the role of a hierarch.

As they continued their mission, they appointed bishops, such as Timothy and Titus, to reside among and minister to those within their charge. Thus, as we saw during our Bible study on Timothy and Titus, Paul’s role as an apostle was to minister to and call into action the bishops he had appointed to share the Gospel of our Lord. At the same time, he continued to proclaim the Gospel to all nations, carrying out his call to share the saving acts of Christ with all.

In this role of establishing the Gospel in the hearts of people who had not yet heard it, St. Innocent received the title “Apostle to America.” The point I am driving home here is that the role of an apostle is distinct: to share the Gospel with those who may not yet have heard its saving message. In this sense, walking in the footsteps of the Apostles, we all have a similar calling—to share the Gospel through the way we live our lives in Christ.

Turning to today’s Gospel reading, we see this call on full display as Jesus walks by the Sea of Galilee and sees Simon Peter and Andrew, his brother, casting their nets into the sea as fishermen.

Seeing them carrying out their labor, our Lord tells them:

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

There is a play here on their role as fishermen and their call to become fishers of men. In the same way they catch fish for the sustenance of others, they are now being called to gather others so that they may receive the ultimate sustenance that comes from God alone.

It is for this reason that one of the earliest symbols of Christianity was the fish, for it emphasizes the love that God has for us by catching us in His net of salvation. By calling fishermen to become fishers of men, the message of God’s saving acts through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was shared with all nations. Through human cooperation, God’s saving acts continue to be proclaimed.

We are told that their reaction to this call was:

“Immediately, they left their nets and followed Him.”

See the willingness of these two brothers to take up their calling. They do not deliberate or waste time. Rather, Christ calls them, and they, in faith, immediately follow after Him.

Let us take this example to heart in our own lives, for our Lord is always calling us to follow Him, encouraging us to remain faithful and hopeful in our journey towards the salvation He offers us.

At times, our calling may lead us to leave behind careers, educational paths, relationships, or anything else that becomes incongruent with our life in Christ when those aspects of life are not centered on Him. Yet in the promise of the Gospel—that we will ultimately live the fullness of life in our Father’s Kingdom—all the perceived loss we experience in following Christ becomes true gain.

Continuing on, we are told:

“Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them.”

James and John are also called to become fishers of men, and hearing this call from our Lord, they too:

“Immediately left their boat and their father, and followed Him.”

Note the immediacy of their response. This indicates to us that we are always called to take action when Christ calls us.

Often, I know I trick myself into thinking there will be an optimal time to take up a calling to follow Christ. When my prayer life wanes, I confess, I often tell myself there will be a better time later to redouble my efforts. When laziness tempts me to make the Church a lesser priority, I justify lax participation by promising myself I will do better at a later date.

Yet if we look at the example of the Apostles, we see that today is the day we are called to follow Christ.

If there is a change we feel called to make in our lives, now is the time to begin that process. Like the Apostles, today is the day we are called to take up our calling to follow Christ.

Taking up this calling brings with it a profound peace, for our Lord desires that we follow Him freely. Thus, we must also be vigilant not to become tyrannical toward ourselves when we feel we lack the energy to do what we believe we are called to do. Rather, when we lack the strength to move forward, we need to call upon our Lord in prayer and ask Him for what He knows we need, instead of trying to force ourselves to accomplish what we think we need.

Finally, we hear that after Christ calls His Apostles:

“He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.”

See the saving works of our Lord at hand throughout His entire ministry. It is these same saving acts that continue through the Acts of the Apostles and remain active to this day through His Church.

When we take up our call to follow our Lord, He shows us through His Church that He is constantly at work in our lives, transfiguring His creation. The love at the heart of the Gospel is that God enters into His creation to reunite us with His loving and saving presence. He carried out these saving acts throughout His earthly ministry. After His Ascension, He continues to do so through His Church, His very body, which has received His saving and life-giving Spirit.

God is at work in our lives, and this is what emboldens and strengthens our faith to follow Him. He is our God, and we are His people. As such, we take up our call to be co-workers in His vineyard, sharing His Gospel through the way we love and serve, as He offers us all we need to make His presence known in our lives and in the lives of all whom we encounter.

We, like the Apostles, are called to be fishers of men, for our Lord came to serve us, offering us the gift of being caught in His net of salvation. It is therefore our calling to follow Him with the whole of our lives so that we may become partakers of all the gifts He offers us in this life, gifts that will be fulfilled in the life to come.

We are called to be fishers of men. In this calling, we experience and share the gift of salvation that He offers us through His Gospel, a gift freely offered to all who have been enveloped in His saving net.

Truly, to our Lord be glory and honor, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Discussion about this post

Ready for more?