Mending Our Nets

“Going on from there, he saw two others…preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left.” Matthew 4:21

I always love learning the translation of words in the Bible. There is so much more than our basic understanding of words in Scripture, such as the above verse. The act of preparing their nets seems to us to be one of their daily tasks at work interrupted by an invitation from Jesus. They accepted the invitation, left their duties and went with Him.

My Bible commentary states that preparing their nets involved the mending of the nets. The Greek translation for mending in this sense not only means to repair, but also to arrange, to adjust, to complete, to furnish, to equip and to perfect. In Ephesians 4:11-12, we read, "He [Jesus] gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." The Greek word translates "perfecting" in Ephesians as the same as "preparing or mending" in Matthew 4:12.

When we are called to service by God we cannot accomplish His purpose in our own strength. We cannot try to prepare or ‘mend’ in our own efforts but must allow the perfecting hand of God to prepare, equip and furnish us with what is required through His abilities. By allowing the transforming [perfecting] work of the Holy Spirit, we will be equipped with the abilities required as we minister to others.

Galatians 6:1 states, ‘Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.’ It is no coincidence that the translation for the word restore in this verse is ‘to mend’. We are to pass on what God has prepared in us. We pass through what God perfects in our own lives, not judging those He places in our lives to gently guide according to His truths.

We cannot mend in our own strength and as we reach out to mend in the lives of others our attitude should be one of humility and obedience to God, lest we be lured into the sin of judging others. Whether we are being mended or we are mending in the lives of others, it all starts and ends with Jesus Christ, the original Fisher of men.