Matthew 4:18

And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers.

Jesus called BUSY men to follow him. Dummelow noted that "He called them while actually at their work, as he called Matthew (Matthew 9:9), in order to show that no idle or useless person can be a Christian."[8] It is wrong to think that these men were of an ordinary or degraded social position. True they were not members of the aristocracy; but Luke shows these four men, including James and John, to have been partners in a business (Luke 5:7); Mark mentions two hired servants in the boat (Mark 1:20); and it is evident from John 18:16 that John was favorably known to the high priest. Such considerations make it imperative to think of these men as far above ordinary persons. Socially, they were of the stable middle class which constituted at that time, and perhaps in every time, the solid portion of the entire social order. Reference to the apostles as "unlearned and ignorant" men (Acts 4:13) should be understood in a relative sense when they were contrasted with the sophisticated doctors of religion, and also as the usual taunt expressed by intellectuals against those who disagree with them.

Simon who is called Peter ... This apostle was also called "Cephas" or "Stone" by our Lord (John 1:42; 1 Corinthians 1:12; 15:5; Galatians 2:9).

And Andrew his brother ... Peter is always mentioned first in the New Testament references to the apostles, although his brother Andrew was a follower before Peter. Matthew telescoped many events, chronologically, in arriving so quickly at the call of these fishermen. All these men had been present at Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle and had been faithful followers of Christ for at least a year. The significance of the call mentioned in this passage is that, henceforth, these men were to forsake all and follow Christ to the exclusion of every earthly interest (Matthew 19:27). This they had not previously been called upon to do.

For they were fishers ... Augustine said, "They did not lay aside their nets but changed them!" Certainly, Christ did indicate a similarity between fishing and soul winning. Following are some of the similarities: skill is required; patience is essential; cooperation is helpful; methods vary with conditions; results cannot be accurately predicted; and, under some situations, an attractive bait is absolutely necessary. Ministers should ever strive to make the kingdom of God as attractive to men as possible, though never by a compromise of its principles. Just as a skilled fisherman provides an attractive lure for the fish, a gospel preacher should seek to entice the attention of men with as attractive and intelligent a presentation of truth as is humanly possible. One may well wonder if, at times, the very opposite procedure has been followed. A few have so flagrantly violated this principle as to bait the end of the pole, cast the naked hook into the water, and dare the fish to come out on the bank and fight!