After a long day of fishing, the nets of the first century would become stretched and broken in places. If nothing was done about it, future endeavors to catch fish would result in fish just slipping through the nets. So, every day faithful fishermen would spend time “mending their nets,” so that they could continue to catch and keep the fish in their nets (Matt. 4:21).
The same Greek word for “mending” is found in Galatians 6:1, in an instruction to New Testament Christians. “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness…” The word “restore” involves that same concept as “mending” the nets. Do you know that Christians can sometimes “slip through the cracks”? How is that? They get “caught in” sin but no one notices or works to help put them back together and make them complete again in Christ. Fellow Christian, we need to work every day like those fishermen, gently trying to mend and restore those Christians who have fallen into sin.