If Jesus wanted to choose the ideal person to lead his church into the future, where would he look for such a person? We might suppose he could find such a person in Jerusalem, among the priests of the temple or perhaps among the educated and talented nobles of the city. Yet the person Jesus called for the task was not found among the religious leaders or the noble families of the capitol city. Simon Peter was a rugged fisherman, a simple man from the working class of small-town Galilee.
Jesus called ordinary people, not people known for their status, wealth, influence, or social standing. Jesus needed people who would give him themselves. It was not the accomplishments of a person that mattered to Jesus but what he could do with the person.
It seems that the characteristics of good fishermen are also some of the important qualities of good disciples. The patience and perseverance required for fishing must mark the life of disciples because of the frequent discouragement and hardship they encounter. The sense that a good fisherman has for knowing the right moment to drop the net is the kind of sensitivity needed by a seeker of souls,
