Sermon: “Drop Your Nets” Isaiah 9:1-4, Matthew 4:12-23, January 18, 2026

Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-4, Matthew 4:12-23

Sermon: “Drop Your Nets”

Preacher: Rev. Ryan Slifka

  What makes them do it?

After John was arrested, we’re told, after Jesus’ predecessor—the Baptist—is put behind bars for criticizing King Herod. Jesus retreats to Nazareth, where he grew up. And one day he’s walking up and down the sea of Galilee and he encounters two pairs of brothers. First he runs in to Simon (who he eventually renames Peter), and his brother Andrew. Then he runs into James and John, the sons of Zebedee. When he runs into each pair, they’re out in their fishing boats. Simon and Andrew casting their nets to catch fish, James and John with their dad mending their nets—also to catch fish. Each time, Jesus plants himself at the shore, shouts to them “follow me!” And we don’t know if they’ve met him, seen him, let alone heard of him. But “immediately,” instantly we’re told, they drop their nets, abandon their boats, and wade to shore to follow him.

I’ll be honest, the first time I heard this scripture I thought it was like, you know, a few rambling hippies fresh out of college hearing some guru and packing their bags and hopping on a Greyhound Bus. But these guys are making a huge sacrifice.

I mean, while these guys are working people, uneducated, the likelihood here is they’re something like middle class. James and John, especially, they’re out on the boat with their dad in what is the family business. They’re giving up good jobs with benefits and financial security in a culture marked by poverty and insecurity. Not only that, but when James and John leave their old dad Zebedee on his own it’s clear they’re also dropping their social safety net, too. Like, these guys don’t have the welfare state. Not only is family loyalty crucial, your family connections are what give you meaning, and keep you alive. Without a good paying job and a family, you’re risking becoming a beggar living on the street. Or worse. But that’s exactly what they do.

In dropping their nets, Simon and Andrew, James and John, they’re letting go of their entire livelihoods—family, regular pay cheque. The great Reformer John Calvin says that “they put Christ’s calling before all their worldly business.”[i] Dropping every source of security and stability they’ve ever had. To answer the call of Jesus to follow.

So, again, the question—what makes them do it?

After all, they all make it look so easy, don’t they? I mean, as a preacher I’m totally jealous of Jesus. He’s so effective—he says do this and people do it. Jesus, what was your technique? Thinking about Stewardship month.

But more seriously, these fishermen he calls. They’re basically willing to drop everything, sacrifice everything to get behind Jesus and join him in feeding, healing, and proclaiming good news. He calls them, they drop their nets, and the word is literally “immediately.”

One thing that’s clear to me is that they don’t do it out of sheer willpower. They don’t do it because they heard directions. How do I know that? Experience as a human being.

I can’t tell you how many times folks have told me that they can’t buy the “religion” stuff or “Jesus as God stuff,” but they really like Jesus’ teachings. But every time somebody says this to me I always wonder “have you ever tried to follow Jesus and his teachings?” I don’t know about you, but dropping everything to do what Jesus says, this is not my experience when it comes to following just about anything Jesus says.

This is especially true when the call of Jesus to love our neighbours conflicts with the source of our comfort, safety and security, doesn’t it? We’ve all got our own nets we cling to.

Jesus demands generosity. What if it costs me money? Like more than the token amount? Loosening our grip on our wallets is hard.

Jesus puts love of God and neighbour above all else. What if that causes trouble for me at work? Or worse, causes me to lose my job?

Jesus doesn’t respect social, political or religious boundaries. What if I’m seen with the wrong people? The respect of my social group is something really hard to let go of.

And Jesus uses up a lot of time. Which is premium these days. We have so many commitments. Good and right ones even. My Google Calendar is on the cloud, so I don’t even have to hold it to clutch it tight.

And what about those nets that catch us when we drop other ones? Addiction—I mean that’s the one that we usually grab hold to when we’ve lost the other ones, or never really had them. It can also come in the form of victimhood, or resentments. But instead of keeping our lives afloat, they eventually drag us down and drown us because we can’t bring ourselves to let go.

It’s very clear that doing good, doing right. Following the commands of Jesus. They aren’t so easy, are they. We all have nets we cling to that keep us from hearing. And following.

So if it’s clearly not so easy, how do they do it?

Well, the answer is… as it is to so many church questions… the answer is Jesus. Jesus is how they do it.

What do I mean by that?

You might have noticed that at the beginning of the scripture we’re told that Jesus begins his preaching and his teaching ministry in “the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.” It’s like calling Ontario “Upper Canada,” or the North West Territories “Rupert’s Land.” This is the old-timey name for Jesus’ hometown in Nazareth—Galilee. It’s lifted from a promise delivered by God through the prophet Isaiah, chapter 9:1-2. It’s about the arrival of the Messiah, the One sent by God to set the world right. That it would be like a great light shining on those who only knew darkness, and the spiritual darkness that covered the land would be dispelled by the dawn of a whole new age.[ii] This is what Matthew is saying is happening—a whole new day has dawned not only in Zebulun and Naphtali. But a whole new day has dawned in creation. With the arrival of Jesus Christ.

Now, why does this make such a difference when it comes to these fisherman dropping their nets? The answer is in the message Jesus preaches.

“Repent” he says. “repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.”

Now, some of us who were raised in certain church contexts hear this word “repentance” and think it means something like “feel bad,” or “show remorse.” But it means a few different things. It means literally turn around. Turn away from the darkness towards the light. But it also means a change of mind, or a change of heart. This is clearly what happens with the fishermen when Jesus calls.

Now, here’s the crucial thing is in the second half of what Jesus says. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.” The old King James version says “the kingdom of heaven is “at hand.” One scholar says “here comes the kingdom of heaven!” God’s royal rule has touched down. This means that God’s power to remake the world to be in line with God’s intentions has come close. Close as close can be, in fact. Because it’s arrived in the form of a person. It’s arrived in the very presence of this Galilean Jew named Jesus.

I mean, no wonder these guys drop their nets and sacrifice everything. Because the same power that said “let there be light” at the beginning of creation is on two feet in sandals. When he speaks, stuff actually happens. “Jesus is the light of the nations,” in the words of one commentator. “Jesus is the light of the nations. Where he goes, darkness flees.”[iii] I like to imagine this scene like every police drama where the cop rushes the villain and smacks their arms against a railing until they drop the gun, but with Jesus it just takes one whack, one Word. And the nets are dropped. Where Jesus goes, darkness flees. And people follow.

So what makes them do it? Like I said: Jesus. These fishermen don’t drop these nets of their own strength, skill or determination. In Jesus, the power and presence of the Creator, the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.

Jesus is how they do it. It’s Jesus who loosens their grip. It’s Jesus who loosens their grip. Til the net drop right out of their hands. Jesus doesn’t just call them to repentance, to change their hearts, their minds, their lives. He is the power who makes repentance possible.

That’s how they do it. And it’s how we do it, to. How we loosen our grip on our nets, those things in our lives that we cling to.

It’s because we believe that we are not alone in this world, but that in Jesus the living God is with us, by the power of the Holy Spirit. So when it comes to loosening our grip on those things that keep us in the dark and stepping out into the light, we don’t have to do it alone. On account of Jesus, we know that there is a strength beyond our strength that we can rely on, to draw on. A new day is always dawning. Because the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.

I remember a few years ago attending an event centered around First Nations Christians and ministry. It was kind of interesting, because I expected we’d be doing more indigenous cultural things like drumming. But during the evening folks strummed guitars while we sang old gospel songs like “nearer my God to thee.” And there was a time for testimony, where people shared their faith stories. And I remember one guy, long hair, sun-glasses. Not gonna lie, he was pretty cool. And he shared the story of his sobriety. He was literally sleeping in a gutter one day. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, and a voice telling him to stand up. He thought it was maybe a cop. But it was Jesus. He didn’t describe what Jesus looked like, but he knew it was him. And Jesus told him he didn’t have to drink anymore. And you know what? He hadn’t picked up another beer since that day.

That’s the power of Jesus and his word. He gripped that beer tightly for dear life, he couldn’t give it up. What made him do it? It was Jesus and his Word that helped him to do what he couldn’t do for himself. On this one in darkness shone a bright light.

Now, to be clear, most of the time, we won’t drop our nets instantly, we won’t experience change in the instant, or immediate way Simon, Andrew, James and John do by just tossing down their nets at one sermon. Don’t get me wrong—it does occasionally happen. But rarely, and if we’re truthful, we’re just as likely when we drop one net to grab another one. Like, the hand around our wallet will loosen, the other around our ego will take hold.

But this is why reason why we worship weekly, and not just once and done. We don’t come to church just cuz we have to, or to demonstrate how good and righteous we are. Or even for a little food for thought for the week. We come to church because we know there are so many things in our lives that we depend on for safety and security. So many things that get in the way of following Jesus, things that keep us from living good and true, authentic and beautiful lives. We come to church to be in the same presence and to hear the same powerful voice the Word that spoke to the first disciples. The one who, by the power of his presence and his Word, helps us to drop our nets, helps us let go of the things we can’t let go of on our own.

And the beauty is, when we do drop our nets, God puts another in our hands. “I’ll make you fish for people,” he says. “Follow me, and I’ll use you as a witness. To help others get caught up my mercy, forgiveness grace… just like you.”

May it be so.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

[i] John Calvin, Harmony of the gospels, 158.

[ii] M. Eugene Boring, “Matthew,” in the New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. VIII, ed. Leander Keck (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995), 167.

[iii] Frederick Dale Bruner, The Christbook: Matthew 1-12 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004),142.