God’s calling: Unconditional

                                     

Bible Texts (New Testament with keywords Concordance-CLNT: Text: Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17)

 

Matthew 4:19 (CLNT)

19 And He is saying to them, "Hither! After Me, and I will be making you fishers of men!"

Mark 1:17 (CLNT)

17 And Jesus said to them, "Hither! After Me, and I will make you become fishers of men!"

Matthew 4:19 (NIV)

Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

Matthew 4:19 (NLT)

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

Matthew (KJV)

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 

Matthew (ESV)

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Mark 1:17 (AMP)

And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me [as My disciples, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk], and I will make you fishers of men.”

When I was very young and a member of a Pentecostal church, we used to sing a popular song about becoming fishers of men:

“I will make you fishers of men,
Fishers of men,
Fishers of men,
If you follow Me.”

I loved that song. To me, it was a beautiful anthem about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ—Yeshua Christ. I believe many church-going children, and even adults, can still sing it from memory. It has been one of those memorable songs that encourages believers to share the good news.

But earlier yesterday, the song suddenly came back into my heart.

At first, I simply enjoyed the familiar feeling and memories it brought back. Then I looked carefully at the lyrics, and one small word caught my attention.

“If.”

I paused.

If you follow Me...

That one word raised an important question in my mind. Did Yeshua actually say that?

I went back to the Scriptures to compare the lyrics with Yeshua's actual words. I also checked other Bible versions (mentioned in the above bible verses) to make sure I was not misunderstanding the passage. To my surprise, the statement of Yeshua did not include that conditional word.

Yeshua simply said, in essence, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

That led me to pause and think more deeply.

The Danger of Adding to What Was Said

Sometimes, a single word can change the meaning of an entire statement.

There is a difference between saying, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men,” and saying, “If you follow Me, I will make you fishers of men.”

The second statement introduces a condition that was not expressed in the original statement.

Now, someone may argue that the songwriters did not intend to change Yeshua's message. That may very well be true. But it still reminds us of an important lesson: we must be careful when we put words into the mouth of Christ.

Our songs may be beautiful. Our sermons may be powerful. Our traditions may be popular. But none of these should replace, alter, or overshadow what Yeshua actually said.

This brought another Scripture to my mind:

“No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sends Me draws him...” — John 6:44

Yeshua made it clear that there is something deeper happening in a person's journey toward Him. The Father is at work. God draws. God teaches. God prepares. And those who hear and learn from the Father come to the Son.

This means that following Yeshua is not merely the result of human pressure, manipulation, fear, or religious persuasion. God is actively involved in bringing people to His Son.

Did Yeshua Call Them With Conditions?

When Yeshua called His disciples, He simply called them.

The Scriptures tell us that they immediately left what they were doing and followed Him. There was no record of Yeshua forcing them, manipulating them, coercing them, or negotiating a complicated conditional agreement with them.

He called.

They followed.

And Yeshua promised to make them fishers of men.

In other words, He would teach and prepare them for the work ahead. These ordinary fishermen would become part of God's plan to spread the message of His love to humanity.

This is also consistent with what Yeshua said in John 6. The Father was already at work. The disciples were not accidents. They were people prepared within God's purpose to walk with the Son and participate in the work entrusted to them.

That does not mean they were called for nothing.

Absolutely not!

Following Yeshua involved sacrifice, and the disciples themselves later asked about the reward for leaving everything behind. Yeshua assured them that their sacrifices and service would not be forgotten. Matthew 19:27 and the verses that follow show us that there was indeed a reward connected with their service.

However, a reward for faithfulness is different from adding conditions to Christ's original calling.

That distinction is important.

Why Do We Keep Adding Conditions?

This is where I believe we need to examine ourselves carefully.

Why do we sometimes make the words of Christ more complicated than Christ Himself made them? This is why in Christianity, most of their messages look away from God's ability to start and complete his task to what humans have to contribute to "accomplish" whatever appears God cannot be accomplish by himself. This act of demeaning God needs to be stopped. More will be discussed on this observation in the nearest future.

Why do we add layers of conditions, threats, condemnation, and judgment to messages that were originally spoken with clarity?

Yeshua said on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). His earthly mission was accomplished. His work was not incomplete and waiting for human beings to make it effective.

Yet, sometimes our preaching can make it sound as though the work of Christ needs endless human additions before it can truly be considered complete.

We may need to ask ourselves: Are we preaching what Christ said, or are we mixing His words with our own opinions, traditions, fears, sentiments, and religious interests?

This does not mean that obedience, discipleship, growth, or faithful service are unimportant. They are important. But we must allow each subject to remain in its proper place. We should not confuse Christ's completed work with human effort, or turn every statement of grace into a list of conditions that Yeshua Himself did not include.

Sometimes, we make a mountain out of a molehill when the message of Christ is already clear.

Let Us Keep the Words of Yeshua Intact

This little word—“if”—may seem insignificant. But it reminded me of something much bigger.

Words matter.

Especially when those words are presented as the words of Yeshua.

We should be careful not to adjust His statements to fit our theology, denominational traditions, personal opinions, judgments, or influence. Instead, we should honor His words as they were spoken and allow the Scriptures to speak for themselves.

The disciples were called.

They followed.

They were trained.

They served.

They sacrificed.

And Yeshua assured them that their labor would not be without reward.

This week's message is only the beginning of something I encourage you to ponder: When we sing, preach, teach, or explain the words of Christ, are we preserving His message—or unintentionally adding our own words to it?

Let us be people who respect the direct statements of Yeshua.

Let us not mix His words with our personal interests.

Let us not allow religious tradition to become greater than Scripture.

And let us remember that even one small word can sometimes change the way we understand a message.

So, the next time you sing a familiar song, hear a popular sermon, or repeat a well-known Christian phrase, take a moment to ask:

“Is this exactly what Yeshua said?”

It is always worth checking.

Grace and Peace!

 

 

 

 

 

References:

https://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/4.htm

https://www.concordant.org/version/read-concordant-new-testament-online/