John
21:1-19 NIV
21 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by
the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon
Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in
Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m
going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on
the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any
fish?”
“No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right
side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable
to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus
loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him
say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had
taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The
other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they
were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When
they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on
it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you
have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back
into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but
even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus
said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the
disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus
came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This
was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised
from the dead.
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus
said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you
love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you
love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third
time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all
things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when
you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you
are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and
lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus
said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify
God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Appearances
The disciples
closely followed Jesus for a few years. But, now, they seem to be lost and not
sure what happened to Jesus. Even with eyewitness accounts and appearances of
Jesus behind closed doors, these followers, these disciples, just seem to be
lost, without their Leader Jesus. And on top of it all, Jesus is a bit
mysterious as well. Jesus shows up here and there and then disappears. It
almost seems that now Jesus is following His disciples, rather than the
disciples following Jesus.
It occurred to me, over
the past few weeks of reflections, how Jesus comes to us and is revealed to us
with our physical eyes and, or, our spiritual eyes. And in our seeing Jesus; we
are given faith and belief that Jesus IS God.
In this Gospel
Lesson we witness a huge haul of fish. We’ll get to a few details later, but I
think this haul of fish, abundant fish, sets up a message for the New Church in
Christ. It’s a little like when Jesus first called Peter. Peter’s call from
Jesus came after Jesus taught the crowds from the boat.
Listen or read this
account from Luke 5:1-10
5 One
day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were
crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the
water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their
nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one
belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat
down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When
he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out
into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon
answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught
anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When
they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began
to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other
boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that
they began to sink.
8 When
Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord;
I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished
at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from
now on you will fish for people.”
You see how this too was a new beginning? Peter was about to set
out on a new journey and to follow Jesus in His ministry. In the Gospel Lesson
from John, we witness a return to the old ways and a redirection to a New Beginning
for the Church. All with fish and nets and a call from God in Jesus.
So, let’s dig in to the text from John.
Peter’s and many of the disciple’s old life occupation was
fishing. Their occupation, like many of our own occupations of today, are
really self-serving. Like Peter, we provide for ourselves and those close to
us, like family and loved ones. It’s occupations that in some ways brings sweat
to our brows. In some ways we work out of despair and need. Some people are
fortunate to work jobs of joy and fulfillment, but many don’t experience this
joy.
Were the disciples losing touch with God and going back to their
old jobs? If this is true, then what happens to the church? YET – When we
recall the curtain torn in two at Jesus’ crucifixion; the whole world became
open to God. Not to say that He wasn’t open to all the world in the past, but
now God chooses to permit mankind to be open to Him as well.
God entered the world through Jesus, and now, the Church has
become God’s workshop, or His study, maybe His classroom. The world always has
been God’s place of work, but now with Jesus coming to the world as God in
flesh, giving His life to redeem and save all people, God not only worked in
and through Jesus, God now works in and through the Church.
So, let’s look at “work” for a moment. Luther stated, “A cobbler,
a smith, a peasant, whatever he may be, a man has the labor and occupation of
his craft, and yet all men alike are consecrated bishops and priests.”
Why? And how?
Once again, Jesus turns it all topsy turvy. We’ll get back to the
text in a moment, but let’s think this through a bit.
You work. OK… but now, it’s different. Through what God has done
for you, how your sin has been forgiven, how God has come to you through Jesus
and put to death all the power of sin and death, through Jesus’ own death, for
you, on that cross; you are now free to work doing what you do as serving God
in heaven, as well as serving those God gives to you in your life in the here
and now. Wow! That was one huge sentence!
With this in mind, your work is happy now. It’s like your work is
something you are doing in heaven, but here on earth, for God. That’s a huge
shift in perspective. It’s a change from serving self in your work, to serving
God in your work. So, yea, you see, now all of us alike are consecrated, made
holy, through Jesus to serve God as priests and bishops, even while we may be
cobblers, peasants, tradesmen, teachers, professors, business professionals,
engineers, accountants, or whatever we do in this life.
All giving glory to God. This is a shift from self TO serving God
and neighbor.
So, off of this much needed tangent.
So, here we witness that Peter decides to go back to his fishing
trade.
I have to stop and ponder what may not be said in this text. Please
entertain me for a moment.
When Peter and the other disciples went back to their fishing trade,
as they were walking back to their boats; did the people they passed by make
fun of them? Did the people ridicule their journey with Jesus as a failure? Was
there a bold, “I told you so!” coming from the mouths of friends and family? Did
the disciples hear jeers from all the skeptics?
I think it took some guts for Peter and the disciples to return to
their old trade. Or did it? Maybe it was cowardice. I’ll leave that for you to
ponder.
Once again, like we witnessed with Mary at the tomb, the
resurrected Jesus is not, at first, recognized. Like Mary crying at the empty
tomb, with the morning mist or fog in the air, she didn’t recognize Jesus. Here
too, the disciples have a difficult time seeing Jesus standing on the distant
shore in the morning fog or mist.
Even today, I must admit, with my spiritual eyes, I have
difficulty seeing Jesus in the mist and fog of my own world. Perhaps my sin has
blurred my eyes. Maybe it’s my selfish desires and false gods that I have
placed in my life that have blurred my vision.
I’m reminded of my current handicap in this life I live, here and
now, by a couple of verses from 1 Corinthians… from the words of Paul…
1
Corinthians 13:9-12 NIV
9 For we know in
part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when
completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When
I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a
child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For
now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to
face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully
known.
Yea, I look for, I long for, the day when I can see clearly all
that God has done.
So, these tears, this morning mist, this fog is not too far of a
stretch, at all, for me to imagine not recognizing Jesus as Mary and the
disciples here too failed to do.
Now back to this reverting to the comfortable trade work that the disciples
knew so well.
There is a big difference when we work our trade for self, like I
mentioned before. When we work for self, family, even country: we are working
for our own good. It’s sort of like self-service.
But service directed by Jesus is different. Service directed by Jesus’
call is abundant!
I have to ponder, for myself, is my service directed to self, or is
it like service directed by Jesus’ outward, toward others? Jesus sees things
from a different point of view than I tend to do. Think about it for yourself.
Now, Jesus, from the shore, tosses out a suggestion to the disciples
in the boat.
Did Jesus see a school of fish approaching on the right side of
the boat, the side furthest from the shore? I think there is something much
deeper going on here.
When they began that great haul of fish, think back to what I read
from Luke about when Jesus first called Peter; it was then, that John seeing
through the morning mist, sees Jesus! Once again, like Mary at the tomb, John
hears the voice of Jesus and witnesses a huge haul of fish. This reminds me of
Thomas in last week’s reflections when Thomas finally sees and recognized Jesus,
he cries out, “My Lord and my God!” It’s all NEW again this week. The
resurrected Jesus appears, once again!
Back to the net. It’s an unbroken net, full of fish. Power given
to the Church to hold ALL mankind as ONE. That tossing the net out to the right
side has more meaning again.
Now, there is no doubt to ALL, this IS Jesus, on the shore calling
out commands to toss the net to the right side of the boat.
So, Peter dresses and jumps out of the boat, in a hurry to get to
Jesus. All the other poor workers have to haul the full net into the shore! You
know, there’s always that one guy!
When they get to shore, somebody must have counted the fish. Who?
Why? Well, the biblical scholars like to play with this one. There is much
speculation. Maybe there is something to it, but maybe it’s just fun with
numbers. Some scholars say well, it’s the sum of all numbers up to 17. I don’t
know, these guys must have a lot of time on their hands. The sum of all numbers
up to 17 equals 153. Well big deal! Yet, the reasoning goes on… there were 12
baskets left over plus 5 loaves of bread when Jesus fed the crowd. 12 plus 5
equals 17. Come on! And then there are other biblical scholars who say that, at
that time, the number of known types of fish was 153.
Myself? I think it has more to do with when we listen to the Word
of Jesus, a bunch of fish will be caught. Like back to the Luke account when Peter
was first called to follow Jesus, Jesus teaches us to fish for “men” and God
will be abundant in the catch.
I always had this desire to have fish for breakfast. But I would
like to have that breakfast with Jesus.
Jesus had a charcoal fire going on the shore with breakfast ready.
Jesus took bread and gave it to the disciples. No more doubt about this being
Jesus now!
Recall the disciples going to Emmaus, talking about what they had
witnessed after Jesus’ resurrection. They
meet Jesus along the way, but don’t recognize him, probably because they are
staring sadly at the dirt on the road, maybe, I don’t know, but maybe. Anyway,
Jesus goes on to explain everything in what we know today as the Old Testament,
about how himself and how God came into this world to save mankind. And then
Jesus comes to eat with these fellas.
Luke
24:30-31 NIV
30 When he (Jesus) was at the table with
them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then
their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from
their sight.
What did
these disciples do after that? They told others! They told other people the
Gospel of Jesus. They witnessed to Jesus’ death and resurrection! Yea, they
proclaimed the Gospel!
Jesus
breaks bread in Mark as well…
Mark
6:41 NIV
41 Taking the five loaves and
the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the
loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He
also divided the two fish among them all.
And also, like the crowd I
mentioned before…
Mark
8:6 NIV
6 He (Jesus) told the crowd
to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks,
he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and
they did so.
Think about this and give
thanks. There is something special about breaking bread and hearing the voice
of Jesus that permits us to SEE Jesus! Next time you take Communion, let that
sink in. I’ll bet you may just SEE Jesus!
OK, now notice this, the
text doesn’t say that Jesus ate any of this food. But Jesus does provide all
that is needed to the disciples. This is a theme and message often. God gives
us all we need to live our lives. “Give us this day our daily bread.” That
includes all we need, even salvation. Jesus gives. How thankful we can’t help
but to be. Thanks be to God!
Well, this one is going a
bit long, but that’s good.
Now on to Jesus’
conversation with Peter after breakfast.
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon
Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Who are these? Most
scholars say “these” are the other disciples. You decide…
But this whole
conversation between Peter and Jesus, can be internalized for you and me as
well.
Will you or I abandon
Jesus too? Like Peter denied Jesus? You and I need to decide this for
ourselves. OR --- perhaps we are one of the “these.”
Sure, I fail, I
faulter, I deny and turn away from God, from time to time. YET, as a disciple
of Jesus, I STILL love Jesus!
But Jesus comes to me
and you, just like Jesus came to Peter. Jesus comes to us and spins us away
from self. Jesus bids us, commands us, as He has always done, to turn from our
selfish desires, to CARE and FEED those in need. Yes, that command is a
privilege.
When you experience the
miracle of forgiveness that God freely gave to the world, from the cross… YOU
CAN’T HELP – But to lay yourself at Jesus’ feet, giving your life to God!
Your spirit is full.
NO, over full! A man whose soul is filled to over flowing with gratitude does
more, of his own free will, than is demanded from him. He never reflects on
what he does, he never dreams that he is doing anything out of the ordinary.
Luther put it this way,
“Faith does not ask whether it ought to do good works: it has done them
already.”
If your church seems little
more than a religious club, run from that self-interested church. A church that
points outward just to reflect inward is purely self-centered. Think this
church over.
God calls us not just
for saving souls, BUT to help save the world DOING the works of love that
forget self, AND show that God loves the world.
Jesus commands us to
turn from self, just as He turned from self. Feed and tend all those God gives
to you each day. YES, Jesus has already shown His love for us, SO THAT, we
freely, joyfully, powerfully, respond in HIS love and our LOVE to the “other!”
Give yourself to the “These!”
My favorite Bible verse…
1
John 4:19 NIV
19 We love because he first
loved us.
Yep! Cast your net. See
Jesus. Go and tell all the love God gives to you… today… tomorrow… and forever!
I leave you with this
YouTube music that I listened to this week… Enjoy
Worthy Is The Lamb
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