It has been a long day, gloomy, rainy and I am just not very spiritual in the present state of mind: didn’t get to attend church because my body doesn’t always do what my mind and heart desires.

My wife is working on a jacket that my grandson Shawn, home from college, brought to Mama for a little mending to be done. As I watch her mend the jacket it came to me that this procedure is one of those things that only grandmas are able to accomplish, or so it seems. So my mind begins to think about verses that use the word mend/mending, etc. To my surprise it is used one time as mend and 2 times as mending.

The first verses using the word “mending” are recorded in Matthew 4:18-22, “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.”

The word “mending” is found two times in the New Testament. First it is mentioned in the above and the second is used in Mark 1:19. The word means to repair that which has been broken, or torn. It is used in several different word forms. Also the word “Mend” is used only one time In 2nd Chronicles. Down through the pages of time men have broken covenants with each other, covenants with God in oaths and the oath of marriage. It is mentioned several times in the Bible of people’s heart and their spirit being broken. A most tearful thing that is often broken is our oaths toward God. And, when He causes us to repent, Oh, how our heart breaks with joy knowing repentance has been granted to us one more time.

Just think how many hearts were broken when the massive killing of 26 people happened a few days ago. There were Mothers and Fathers, sisters, brothers, friends and other family friends that wept bitterly on that day and I am sure are still weeping. Twenty children and six adults killed by a person deranged by SIN. He was a sinner of the worse kind if there is such a thing. The many broken hearts cannot be mended with super glue or any man made thing. It is by the hands of our most holy, loving, righteous, and the list goes on, God that is able to mend such broken hearts. Holy God our Father, we thank you for your work of comfort to those that need your tender touch this night. Thou surely art our kind and merciful God.

In verse 18 we read: “And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren Simon called Peter, and Andrew His brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.” I don’t know what time of day this event took place; however it would seem that they were busy in the early hours of the day. Do you think that they slept until the noon hour and then started a day of fishing in earning their living? The best time to work is NOW! Oh, that I would have worked more in the vineyard of the Lord in the earliest hour of the day of my life. Their net was not broken nor had been mended in the early hour of the day. Notice that Peter and Andrew his brother were casting a net into the sea. Jesus informed them their “occupation” was about to change from fishers of fish to fishers of men.

It was a while even after my beginning to exercise in the ministry that I understood what this work of “fishers of men” consisted. Jesus now called them into a new field of work; a new species was to be caught. One cannot catch men except he be properly equipped. They were to use the gospel net and the proper food was the word of God.