Matthew 4:21, commentary and pictures

Continuing along the Sea of Galilee he found James the son of Zebedee and John his brother in a boat with Zebedee their father mending their nets, and he called them. They immediately left the boat and their father and their nets and followed him, leaving livelihood and possessions to become his followers. He offered them no fixed payment and promised no wages, gain, or worldly honor for their service. He chose such humble, unlearned fishermen because they had teachable spirits and native ability that could be developed, while the learned rulers who felt self-sufficient would not follow him. Their call appointed them to be his disciples and fishers of men, to learn from him and be prepared to carry on his work.

Setting by the Sea

Moving on from there means continuing along by the Sea of Galilee and coming upon two brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a ship or boat with Zebedee their father mending their nets, and calling them to follow. The men called are at work mending nets in the boat with their father when the call to become disciples and enter gospel work comes to these humble fishermen.

The scene stands after a night spent in fruitless fishing, with the disciples still in their boats before coming ashore. From that shoreline setting Jesus takes a fisherman's boat, Peter's boat, and uses it to teach the gathered crowd.

The nets being mended on the shore are those broken by the great weight of the miraculous draught of fishes just taken at Jesus' direction after the night of fruitless toil. To James and John comes the word, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men, extending to them the same promise to catch men first given to Peter. They recognize in the miracle the revealed divine authority of Jesus.

This belongs to a time when the disciples had not yet fully left fishing to work with Jesus. After witnessing His miracles and hearing His teaching they had returned briefly to their old employment. They did so while grieving John's death and troubled by doubts and fears about what might happen to Jesus amid the hostility of the scribes and Pharisees.

Call and Immediate Response

He called James son of Zebedee and John his brother while they were in the boat with Zebedee their father mending their nets, and they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him. They left ship and father and nets at once to become his disciples and followers and fellow workers, leaving work and occupation and possessions and regular livelihood. Their leaving was prompt obedience without one question, without hesitation or delay.

That immediate response shows the obedience and readiness to follow Christ that he calls for, an entire consecration and working in harmony with Christ. Minds under his influence come right to his side, and just such a work of consecrated harmony is to be carried on in the present time, with God accomplishing a good work through those who so give themselves accompanied by the mighty influence of his power. Christ's words were an invitation that implied all he meant, made with no long explanation yet carrying an impelling influence and drawing power, so those influenced by Christ answer his call without delay.

The Master calls men away from their ordinary vocations and occupations to his work to serve him and warn the world, and they are to obey faithfully and at once. They are to walk by faith and not by sight, without waiting until all the necessary means are in hand. He called these fishermen directly to serve him without sending them first to Jewish teachers for preparation, and the call itself with its compelling drawing power began their training as helpers in his ministry.

Cost and Trust Involved

Jesus offered James and John no fixed payment or promised sum for service when he called them mending nets in the boat with Zebedee their father. There was no promise of wages, gain, worldly honor, large salary, flattering prospects in this life, or stipulation about what they should receive. They were humble fishermen called to become his first disciples, and they left work and family to follow him on those terms.

Following him meant sharing with him his self-denial and sacrifices and sufferings rather than serving for pay. Love for working with him was put above compensation, and his action in so calling them gives the example of how gospel work is to be done. Those called to serve him can rejoice in working with him and trust his care.

Like the disciples called before them, they followed without first asking what they would gain or how they would provide for themselves and for family and friends dependent on them. They left boats and nets immediately and without question or hesitation, content to be with the Saviour to hear his words and unite with him in his work. They trusted his care, and they afterward lacked nothing when sent out without provisions.

Their immediate response in leaving the boat and their father shows the obedience and readiness he calls for. Their response illustrates that those who give themselves to gospel ministry must leave business entanglements that would damage their Christlike character or hinder their spiritual growth.

Why Humble Fishermen Chosen

James and John were humble, unlearned fishermen from among the common people of Galilee, found at ordinary toil mending nets with Zebedee their father, unschooled in rabbinical learning and in the traditions and erroneous and false customs of their time and of the world. Their work as fishermen did not bar them from choice, for religious life is not separate from daily duties. God accepts humble people from the common walks of life and fits them to carry the truth, to explain Scripture in simple labor, and to succeed in His service, seeing possibilities in them that others overlook and showing He can help humble people. Their humble, sturdy, ordinary work became the beginning of service whose influence would endure through eternity.

They were chosen because they had native ability and humble, teachable spirits and were willing to be taught, disciplined by toil and hardship as sturdy workers. Their common daily toil hid dormant and latent powers that a skilful hand could arouse and develop to raise them to equality with the world's most honored men and fit them for leadership. Jesus joined such men to Himself to educate them for His great work, giving them three years' training under His own care, an association with Himself as teacher such as the world's great men never had, which no course of study in the schools of the rabbis or the halls of philosophy could have equaled in value. That training changed them from ignorant and uncultured men into men like Him in mind and character, so that others took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus.

The learned lawyers, scribes, elders, rulers, rabbis and dignitaries were passed by because, exalted by worldly wisdom and self-righteousness and feeling whole and self-sufficient with no need of a Redeemer, they would not follow Him or receive His teachings and their characters were fixed. Fixed in traditions and superstitions and teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, and priding themselves on learning and position, they lacked willingness to be taught and lacked moral courage to confess Christ and risk reputation. Earthly rank, wealth and learning did not determine fitness, for He chose men not spoiled by praise or made self-sufficient.

The choice does not oppose education or despise learning, for the highest culture sanctified by the love and fear of God receives His approval. It was not because He preferred ignorance, but because they were willing to obey and be faithful; the religious learning of the time was corrupted by human teachings and worldly ambition. He did not measure fitness by knowledge of grammar or by business ability or fluency, for God is not dependent on such ability but selects whom He will for His work. He selects those willing to be molded whose hearts are humble and contrite, while the self-sufficient He cannot use.

Their habits were not conformed to the customs and fashions of the world and they had not cherished the bigotry of the scribes and Pharisees. They possessed candor of sentiment, fairness, equity, benevolence and sympathy, with hearts not hardened by blind prejudice that like their Master could feel for the woes and sorrows of others. Knowing hardship and not ruled by love of riches or desire for worldly honor, they could be impressed by truth and inspired with mercy, righteousness, justice and holiness, and the ideas given them would be preserved for the benefit of future generations and not forgotten.

John had not received his education in the schools of the rabbis but learned in Christ's school through the Old Testament and by walking with Him. Christ preferred to work with fishermen rather than learned men who knew so much, calling working fishermen directly from their boats to serve with Him. His calling of fishermen is the example for preparing workers, doing the best they can without meeting the world's raised standards and required degrees, for men who learn what the world wants them to learn are not fitted for God's work.

Training and Future Witness

The call began their appointment to gospel work, making them disciples, co-laborers and helpers who would become fishers of men and witnesses of the truth, learning His methods and plans for saving souls and bringing people into God's service. It extended to James and John the same promise to catch men first given to Peter, calling them away from ordinary occupation to warn the world, with ministers and others also able to become fishers of people when humble workers give God's honor first place. They left nets, boats, regular livelihood and worldly possessions in full obedience, joining His mission directly from their work mending nets with their father.

He joined them to Himself to teach and prepare them to continue His work after He left, carrying a mission that would spread His teachings and bring people to salvation. They received the advantage of association with Himself as a teacher such as the world's great men never had, with three years subject to His refining influence as the most perfect educator the world has known. That training changed them from ignorant and uncultured men into men like Him in mind and character, so that others took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus, and their words and work would have far-reaching effects. No course in the schools of the rabbis or halls of philosophy could have equaled that training in value, and Christ as the source of knowledge could qualify these uneducated men for their high commission.

He chose them to learn from His words and example during His public ministry and to witness His miracles, then to testify to what they had seen and heard with wisdom, patience, meekness, earnestness and energy. Their testimony, especially their epistles and letters, would help later generations believe in Christ. John's later witness that believers have fellowship with the Father and with Jesus Christ shows the spiritual fellowship to which this call led, and their humble work and limited education did not prevent Jesus from preparing them for a mission that would spread His teachings and bring people to salvation.

He called them to train and educate them as architects of His church, to build on Christ as the true foundation and not on man's foundation, and to educate other workers and send them out to hew timber and quarry stones. Their work was to go into the highways and hedges and compel men to come in that God's house might be filled, with Christ opening before them the door no man could shut even when believers were expelled from the synagogues, going constantly from place to place proclaiming salvation through Christ instead of building fine churches and settling down over them as pastors. Yet their minds were limited and many beliefs learned from the scribes and Pharisees were untrue and objectionable, so they had difficulty understanding the nature of His kingdom and mission and could not yet receive all the divine truths He wished to disclose.

As among the first disciples to follow Jesus they left home and friends to serve Him, and their close companionship with Him grew into a desire to be nearest to Him in His kingdom, with James also longing for honor through that closeness. Their call from their nets is the pattern for becoming soul-winners without formal schooling through daily consecration to God, taking hold of the work where they are and laboring for those around them while God works through them. By linking themselves with the Great Teacher they learn precious lessons from the Saviour, and the knowledge gained from the Scriptures qualifies them to speak to others of Christ. Thus they become truly wise because not too wise in their own estimation to receive instruction from above, and the renewing power of the Holy Spirit gives practical, saving energy, for His workers need not have great education but can be shaped by the spiritual power of His teachings and go forth to preach with acceptance.

John learned the lessons given to fit the disciples for future duties and put them in practice, letting them sanctify his heart and discipline his natural disposition, unlike Judas whose undisciplined disposition led to betrayal. After his Master's death he stood firm in those principles when assailed by enemies of truth, lessons recorded in the Word with weight until the end of time. Those who crucified Christ were astonished at the boldness and excellent instruction of the disciples though known to be ignorant men, because they had been with Jesus and learned of Him, and when believers connect with God the same light will be imparted to them. His call at the beginning of His ministry began gathering helpers for the work, illustrating how He made room for the new wine of His kingdom in people who would receive His truth. The example teaches ministers to look for and train others to assist rather than trying to do all the work alone, training young workers through practical service under experienced leaders with shared prayer and the telling of their experiences.

Call to Workers Today

The same Lord who called James and John while they were at ordinary work with their father mending nets still directly calls humble men from the plow and from other common and ordinary occupations to give the last note of warning to perishing souls. He Himself shows them their duty, works upon their minds, and gives them instruction regarding their field of labor and the methods they should follow, opening their understanding to see wondrous things in His word. That present calling sends them as canvassers and evangelists doing house to house work in places that have not yet heard the truth, for there are many ways to work for the Master. Those He calls in this way are not to bind themselves to serve for a term of years under the direction of one group of men or any human being or in one specified branch of the work. The Lord Himself calls men and gives them the education He desires them to have, and He must be given opportunity to direct, to show duty, and to work upon minds.

Their calling from the boat also shows how Jesus used different methods to reach people and proclaim the gospel. It teaches simplicity in life and in preaching, with the light of the gospel shining on the pathway of hearers. It warns children and youth against straining to reach a wonderful height of learning, since desire for knowledge has destroyed many a youth before education was completed, and Christ Himself did not have a college education, nor did the disciples called from their nets. The Lord still calls young men from the humble walks of life into His service, calling workers forth from poverty and obscurity, clothed with coarse raiment and looked upon as of little value. His passing by the learned rabbis to choose humble, unlearned fishermen engaged in the common duties of life is the example directing His people in preparing workers to do the best they can without meeting the world's raised standards and required degrees, for men who learn what the world wants them to learn are not fitted for God's work. Christ sees in the humble through His grace infinite possibilities, and in His hands they will become precious jewels to shine brightly in the kingdom.