Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
For the past 23 days we’ve been carefully, slowly walking through what is often called Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”. Jesus spoke it to a large crowd of people early in His ministry. A hillside near the modern-day ruins of Capernaum is the place modern visitors to Israel believe Jesus spoke these words. Since Matthew was a tax collector based in Capernaum, I believe it’s very possible he was one of the many listening that day, and it may have changed his life, for Matthew records it was only a short while later that Jesus visited his tax collecting booth and invited him to leave tax collecting and join Jesus’ traveling troupe. You’ll find that in Matthew 9:9-13.
The four Gospel authors record for us only a few events which took place in the weeks following that Passover/Easter when Jesus was crucified, buried and rose from the dead. While some of the disciples had jobs they could return to like fishing, Matthew was one who didn’t. There was no way he would return to the corruption of tax collecting after spending those months with Jesus! I don’t know exactly when Matthew began to write his story of Jesus, but it sure seems plausible to me that it was in these weeks after Easter, maybe even sitting on that same hillside looking out over Lake Galilee and bustling Capernaum town.
Peter, his brother Andrew, John and his brother James were fishermen from that same Lake Galilee area. Unlike Matthew, I imagine these four soon returned to their boats, their nets and the long nights of fishing. Their businesses had been limping along without them, their fellow workers carrying the load. Like Matthew, I’m sure their minds were often focused on remembering their months with Jesus and wondering when or if they’d see Him again. John dedicates the last chapter in his story of Jesus to perhaps my favorite of all the post resurrection appearances of Jesus. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but I sure know where, in fact I’ve been on that Lake Galilee myself, so it’s not difficult for me to join in John’s story. Come on friends, let’s climb in their boat with them…
John writes that Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, John, James and two other disciples climbed in their boats for a night of fishing. (John 21:1) I suspect those two others are Andrew and Philip. Sadly, each time they drew up their nets that night the nets were empty. I’m sure the night was full of their stories of Jesus, which they told each other, but empty nets are frustrating even if you are with friends, so by morning it’s safe to assume these men were tired, hungry and disappointed. As first light came, John says they saw the figure of a man standing on the shoreline, but in the dim light they didn’t recognize him. His voice called out in the quiet stillness, “Friends, haven’t you caught any fish?” (John 21:5) I wonder how long it took one of them to respond? “NO!” I’m glad John doesn’t tell us anything more, because I suspect there was some grumbling in that boat that morning, don’t you think?
“Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” The voice from the shoreline was not mocking these fishermen, rather the confidence in His voice was as though He knew something about what was going on underwater that they didn’t know. Look at their faces… is it with frustration or reluctance or anticipation that they threw the nets overboard one more time?
And then… watch out, these seasoned fishermen have quickly jumped into harvest mode! The nets are drawing hard on that side of the boat. Six men are straining to draw up the net without tearing it. Fish are flapping and falling out of the net into the boat, frustration has turned to laughter and shouts of amazement! I said six men are pulling on the nets because one of them, John, is leaning over the other side of the boat staring at that man on the beach. Look at his intense stare and now the smile. He waves at the shoreline figure, and he shouts to Peter, “It is the Lord!” (John 21:7)
Peter was stunned and stuck for an instant. He’d never seen such a catch of fish, especially after empty net fishing all night! He’d never thrown in the nets at the advice of someone he didn’t recognize standing on the shoreline. But now John’s shout penetrated him like a javelin thrown from that man on the shore. Could it be? Was He the risen Jesus? Peter looked at the fish now almost knee deep in the bottom of the boat as more and more flopped out of the net, and he looked at John smiling and waving. With exhilaration Peter ripped off his cloak and dove into the water heading for that man on the shore! If it was resurrected Jesus, Peter was desperate for some alone time with Jesus before the rest of these men came ashore.
Look at Peter swimming faster than he’d ever swam before! Look at John watching with delight and waving! Look at five other disciples still pulling in the fish packed net. In this moment here’s an important question: Why was John the only disciple fascinated with the man on the shoreline and not the fish? Why was John the only one who concluded it was resurrected Jesus? John records it like this: “The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.” (John 21:7) We see the answer don’t we, my friends? Five times John referred to himself by that phrase in his account of the life of Jesus… ‘The disciple whom Jesus loved.’ Oh, John knew Jesus loved all of the disciples, but John’s response to Jesus was different from the others and their relationship was very special. That’s why Jesus trusted John with His mother, remember? (John 19:26,27)
John tells us Peter and Jesus had a few moments together alone, but John does not disclose what they said. As the other six brought their boat to shore, full of flapping fish, Jesus invited them to His fresh cooked, hot breakfast on the beach! John writes: “Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught…. come and have breakfast!’ Oh my, after a long night of empty net fishing could there be anything better than breakfast with resurrected Jesus on the beach and celebrating a boat FULL of fish!? Evidently later they carefully counted the fish as they sold them… 153 fish! How strange that John would tell us that?
But wait a moment friends… listen, Jesus is talking as they finish eating. “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” Oh my, Jesus hadn’t called Peter by his birth name since the first time they’d met so many months ago. (John 1:42) Could it mean Jesus was starting over with Peter? And what love comparison was Jesus making? Did Jesus point to the other disciples? Did Jesus point to the flapping fish? The question was clear. Jesus was saying, ‘Look deep into your soul Peter, what do you see? What do you love most in life?’
Peter rarely was short of words or the courage to speak them confidently, even brashly. But this time Peter was speechless. More than that Peter’s memory was sharp and detailed. Peter was shamed! He remembered the looks on the faces of those who questioned him the night Jesus was arrested. Peter’s shouts of denial exploded in his mind like a bomb! Would Jesus ever forgive Peter? Why? What could Peter ever do to earn Jesus’ favor again? Peter looked at Jesus expecting judgement but instead Peter saw forgiveness and love! Peter responded honestly: “Lord, you know that I love you,” (John 21:15)
Perhaps you know my friends that there are many words in the Greek language translated into English as ‘love’. John wrote his account of Jesus in Greek, and the word Peter used is ‘phileo’ from which we get the word Philanthropy. It means friendship, kindness, generosity. But it’s not at all the word Jesus had used, “agape” which is the type of love He lived out on the cross as He gave His life for Peter and all of us. Peter was right, however, when he said ‘Lord you know…” Yes, Jesus did know that Peter was deeply repentant for his denial and desperately longed to be reinstated into the relationship he and Jesus had before that horrible night.
So let me ask you my friends, what would be fair here? What rebuke, what harsh verbal attack, what judgement, what punishment would be enough so Peter could be forgiven and reinstated into relationship with this loving Jesus whom he had denied, not once or twice but three times? Jesus’ next words answer that fair and difficult question: “Feed my lambs” Jesus said to Peter. Peter was a fisherman not a shepherd but he understood as did all of them around the fire. Lambs are the most delicate, most vulnerable in a flock of sheep. Lambs require special attention from the shepherd for they are the most defenseless. Was Jesus inviting Peter to nurture the tenderness growing in his heart and focus his attention on the most vulnerable, the most tender of all who will follow Jesus?
Let’s pause right here friends, sitting around this breakfast fire with resurrected Jesus and seven of His friends. My guess is John is sitting closest to Jesus, and Peter is on the other side of the fire, deeply contemplating what is happening right now, between him and Jesus. Look at them and let Jesus look at you… do you hear Jesus asking you and me the very same question? “Do you love Me more than these?” Ponder that all day today, looking deeply into your soul, and join me right back here at this breakfast on the beach tomorrow. And here’s a song to help you reflect…
Today’s Scripture is John 21:1-15.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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