Hi everyone, 

As we enter this Weekend with Christ, Jesus is walking along the shoreline of YOUR life, and he offers you the invitation “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people”.  Will you answer his call today?

Pastor Tim
“God has led you to the desert, and spoken to your Heart.”

Mount of Olives Lutheran Church

3546 E. Thomas Rd

Phoenix, AZ 85018

602-956-1620 office

From Darkness to Light: Becoming Fishers of People

As we enter this weekend with Christ, our Scripture readings take us on a journey from the heavy shadows of Galilee to the bright, bustling shores where Jesus began his ministry. We often hear the phrase “fishers of men” or “fishers of people,” and it sounds like a quaint Sunday School metaphor. But for the men standing by the Sea of Galilee, this wasn’t a metaphor—it was a total disruption of their reality.

This Sunday calls us to explore what it means to step out of the dark and into the light of a new calling.

The Context of Darkness (Isaiah 9:1-4) Isaiah speaks to a people walking in deep darkness. Historically, the land of Zebulun and Naphtali (the region around Galilee) was the first to be invaded by foreign empires. It was a place of gloom, war, and heavy burdens.

But Isaiah makes a bold promise: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”

Jesus begins his ministry in this exact spot. He doesn’t go to the religious elites in Jerusalem; he goes to the “Galilee of the Gentiles”—the place of struggle and transition. This tells us that God’s light doesn’t wait for us to find our way out of the dark; the light comes into the dark to find us.

The Call to “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:12-23) When Jesus walks along the Sea of Galilee, he sees Peter, Andrew, James, and John. These were professional fishermen. Their lives were defined by the smell of salt, the weight of wet nets, and the unpredictable nature of the sea.

Jesus says two simple words: “Follow me.”

The text says they left their nets immediately. Why?

1. A Greater Purpose: They weren’t just leaving a job; they were joining a movement.

2. The Shift in Focus: “I will send you out to fish for people.”

o In the ancient world, “fishing” was often used as a metaphor for gathering people for judgment or for instruction.

o Jesus transforms this. He is asking them to gather people into the Kingdom of Heaven—to pull them out of the “chaotic waters” of the world and into the safety of God’s grace.

The Challenge of Unity (1 Corinthians 1:10-18) If we are to be “fishers of people,” we have to look at the “boat” we are standing in. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminds us that a divided boat cannot fish effectively.

The church at Corinth was split: “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas.” Paul argues that this focus on human leaders empties the Cross of its power.

We are not fishing for our own “brand” or our own denomination, not Lutheran or Catholic. We are fishing for Christ. When we prioritize our divisions over our mission, we let the nets tear, and the message is lost.

So, what does it look like to be a fisher of people in our modern world?

• Leave the Nets: What are the “nets” that hold you back? Is it fear, a need for security, or an old identity? To follow Jesus, we must be willing to let go of the things that define us solely by our labor or our past.

• Go Where the People Are: Jesus didn’t wait in a temple for the fishermen to come to him. He went to the shore. Being a “fisher” means engaging with the world—your workplace, your school, your neighborhood—with kindness and the light of Christ.

• Focus on the Cross: As Paul said, the message of the cross is “the power of God.” Our job isn’t to be the smartest or most eloquent; it’s simply to point people to the Light that Isaiah promised.

The heavy yoke of the darkness has been broken. The light has dawned. Today, Jesus is walking along the “shoreline” of your life. He sees you in your routine, with your nets in hand, and he offers the same invitation:

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

May we have the courage to drop our nets, the humility to work in unity, and the joy to share the Light with a world that is still walking in the shadows.