Mended

“Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.” (Matthew 4:21-22).  Jesus had called Peter and Andrew to be with Him and then He called James and John who were “mending their nets.”

The nets were their livelihood.  They needed them to make a living for their families.  There is no way to know how long those nets had been in use.  It is likely that they had been using them for a long time.  It is also likely that this was not the only time they had mended those nets.  It was probably an ongoing necessity.

The word used here translated “mended” is used in other places including Hebrews 13:21, ”Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

The writer was offering what was essentially a prayer to God on behalf of his audience.  He prayed that God would “make you complete”.  The Greek word is katartizai.  He is praying for God to mend them.  Like the mending of the nets, He prayed that God would mend his readers.

As the fishermen continually mended their nets, God will continually mend His people.  That mending begins the day one commits himself to Him.  That initial mending begins in the waters of baptism as the widest hole is repaired, the one that was a chasm between God and the people.  “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13).

The continual mending thereafter is done by the one confessing the need to be mended.  “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (I John 1:9-10).

The prayer of the writer of the Hebrew letter should be the desire of each one of us.  May God mend us as we continually need it!  May we be humble enough to admit that we need His mending! 

— Mike Johnson