er?" asked Jesus. "I want you
to lower the net for a catch of fish."

"Rabbi, we fished all night and took nothing," protested Simon. "But if
you wish, I will try again." Much puzzled by this sudden request, the
two fishermen pulled toward deep water. The people on the shore watched
them put up the oars; the boat drifted slowly in the wind. The two men
lowered the net. It had hardly sunk below the surface of the water when
the fishermen knew that they had dropped it directly in the path of a
great school of fish. Startled into action, they pulled desperately at
the net, but it was too heavy. The cords began to break. In great
excitement Andrew stood up and shouted to James, "Come and help us!"

With James and John drawing the opposite edge of the net into their
boat, the four men succeeded in saving the huge catch. Jesus sat quietly
watching from the back of the boat, which was now filled with fish to
the point of sinking. Simon looked at Jesus and a strange fear took hold
of him. There had been no fish all night--and now, at the bidding of
this Rabbi, they had caught hundreds! Impulsively he fell on his knees
at Jesus' feet and said: "Lord, I do need to be changed! I am a sinful
man!"

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a net that catches all kinds of fish,
Simon," replied Jesus. "You must follow me. From now on you shall fish
for men." From the other boat, James and John had been listening to
every word that Jesus had spoken. He now turned to Andrew and the two
others. "If you will follow me, you too shall become fishers of men."

When the boat came to shore, the people looked in amazement at the great
haul of fish, but the catch meant nothing to the four fishermen. Without
a single word they left Zebedee and followed Jesus back to Capernaum.

[Illustration]

3. A MAN OF AUTHORITY

It was not long before reports of the new Rabbi at Capernaum had
traveled to all the cities around the Lake of Galilee. At Bethsaida, a
little town three miles across the lake from Capernaum, farmers gossiped
about the news as they worked in the green fields on the hills above
their town. The name of Jesus was on the lips of everyone in the noisy
market place; but the fishermen on the beaches knew most about the
Teacher who said that the Kingdom of God was very near.

One Friday afternoon, a fisherman from Bethsaida, named Philip, was
netting fish from his small boat at the northern tip of the Lake of
Galilee. The Jordan River