Make

“And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Matthew 4:19

Make – There is a background to this word that changes its color.  When we think of “make” in our culture, our first thought is usually related to some tangible product.  We make buildings, cars and consumer products.  We might also think about making profit, making contracts or making decisions.  But the color of this word moves us away from the mechanical view of the world toward the artistic side of life.  In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, poieo describes God’s creation of the heavens and the earth.  But the oldest uses of this word tie it to poetry.  In fact, that’s where we get the English word “poem”.  God’s creation is an artistic one, a divine poem written across the universe, not a machine of matter and energy. 

Of course, by the time Jesus used this word, it commonly described all sorts of acts.  Building tables and chairs, catching fish, making pots, offering sacrifices.  But perhaps Matthew wants us to think about the divine activity associated with this word.  There is a lot more to making someone a fisher of men than just offering a three-year degree in marketing and social behavior.  Making someone a fisher of men takes divine artistry. 

In this statement, Jesus announced the mission of his development program.  His personal mission was to die on the cross for the redemption of the world.  But his training program was to leave behind men who knew how to fish.  It was not a technical course.  It was a chance to paint with the Master.  It was a three-year experience of learning by watching and doing.  It was practicing the art of God’s finger-painting with the Man who invented the technique. 

As you lead those under your influence, is your plan to develop the art of divine creativity in their lives, or are you merely transmitting instructions?  Read the gospel accounts again.  Jesus almost never gives instructions.  He teaches by painting with compassion, patience, purpose, forgiveness, solitude and questions.  His followers learn more by osmosis than by compliance. 

How do you paint with your life?