Fish and Chips on the Beach

One of my favorite aspects of the Christian faith is how ordinary of a person Jesus was.  He hung out with the 12 disciples for three years and I imagine they had many good times together. When Jesus wasn' healing lepers, multiplying a few fish and loaves to feed thousands, and walking on water, he was hanging out with his best friends, the disciples. Jesus was a humble servant who loved his followers and we will see the close friendship he had with them in today's story.  

Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

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.

There are numerous compelling plot lines to one of the last stories the apostle John shares with us about Jesus. You have Peter, who had denied Jesus three times, diving in the water and carrying 153 fish on his back to the shore to reunite with his Lord.  You have the other disciples, who recognize the Lord but are afraid to say anything.  And you have Jesus who produces another miraculous catch of fish for the disciples, and then sets up the coals on the beach to grill the fish and heat up some bread for his buddies. 

The disciples are fearful of what Jesus might say. Will he talk about how disappointed he is with them?  Will he recount all the miracles he performed and wonder why they were so slow to believe?  Does he watch them struggle with catching no fish throughout the night and say, "I told you so!"  The answer to all those questions is no.  Jesus shows us his love, care and compassion for his disciples.  He sees their humanness but also sees the potential they have to carry on the mission he started to show the Father's great love.  

If Jesus is this forgiving and gracious to them, will he not be for us?  Jesus waits for us on the beach too.  No matter how we have failed him he knows what we need, even if it is only a hot meal at the end of a long and restless night with nothing to show for our work.  


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