Getting Their Attention
How Jesus got the fishermen to leave their lucrative fishing businesses to follow him
Simon bar Jonah was not easily impressed.
After all, he was a fisherman. He lived a hard, coarse life not known for social graces. As the saying goes, he would “just as soon cuss you as look at you.”
Every night Simon and his fellow fishers risked their lives trawling the lake for fish. Frequently, and without warning, a violent storm would erupt out of the darkness. Many a fishing boat and crew had been lost that way.
One morning Simon and his brother Andrew came in after a hard night on the lake. Their efforts had been in vain. No fish. Nothing to sell at market, no money to take home to the family. They just wanted to clean the nets, stow everything away, and go home for some sleep.
The last thing they wanted that morning was to meet the new rabbi. Like most hard living men they weren’t too impressed with rabbis.
But the new rabbi knew just how to get Simon’s attention.
He attracted a large, noisy crowd and headed straight for the lakeside, right were Simon and Andrew were finishing their chores.
“Excuse me, is this your boat?” the rabbi asked. “I need to borrow it. Could you do me…
