There are moments in the Gospels when life as you know it is interrupted by a single, simple invitation: “Follow me.” That line lands like a hand on your shoulder—comforting, demanding, and oddly intimate. What do you put down when Jesus calls? What nets are you still clinging to that keep you from a different kind of work and identity? Today’s passage asks those questions of us with both urgency and mercy.

In Matthew 4:13–22 and Mark 1:16–20, Jesus walks along the shore, sees Simon (Peter) and Andrew, and then James and John, calls them with the promise, “Follow me; I will make you fishers of men,” and they immediately leave their nets and follow. Luke 5:1–11 tells a fuller story: after a miraculous catch of fish, Peter recognizes his own unworthiness, Jesus tells him not to be afraid, and then calls him to a new vocation—whereupon they leave everything. These are Synoptic accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke); John’s Gospel does not record this calling scene here (though Andrew appears earlier in John 1 bringing Simon to Jesus).

This moment reveals Jesus’ authority over the ordinary and his uncanny ability to turn work into worship. He doesn’t summon sages or religious elites but fishermen—people who know hard labor, risk, and the daily demands of survival. The kingdom breaks into ordinary life and repurposes it. At the same time, the story exposes the human tendency to measure our worth by our nets—our security, identity, and control. Peter’s humility (“depart from me”) and Jesus’ reassurance (“do not be afraid”) capture the tension: we are confronted with our insufficiency and invited into grace.

Don’t miss the weight of the call: discipleship costs something, but it is not abandonment—it is transformation. The promise “I will make you” moves the burden from your perfection to his power. That means your “yes” can be small but sincere, trusting that Jesus will shape the rest.

Today, name one net you’ll set aside for a while—an extra hour of screen time, a worry you control by overworking, a relationship you avoid. Do a practical thing: send one honest message, offer one small service, or set aside 30 minutes to pray and listen. Ask, “Lord, what would you have me leave so I can follow?” and expect that his call will come with both challenge and surprising grace.