Day 89 - I go a fishing

Today’s Bible Study is based around John 21:1-6

After these things, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way.

These verses record the third appearance of the Risen Christ to a few disciples who were fishing in Galilee. Following the traumatic happenings of Eastertime in Jerusalem maybe Peter and the others needed to be at home on familiar territory not really knowing what to do with themselves; we all know the emotional intensity of any high drama is not sustainable indefinitely and after stressful events, the comfort of routine is understandably appealing; or maybe once back in Galilee Peter’s wife reminded him he needed to get back selling fish to local restaurants and this may have motivated Peter to utter his famous words “I go a fishing”. So along with Nathanael, Thomas and Zebedee’s boys, Peter sets out for some night-fishing.

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the shore; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to them. “Children, have you got any fish?” They answered him, “No”.

I love the simplicity of these lines in the opening passage of John 21. I am sure many of us can identify with the tired fishermen’s dejected No! No, we have not succeeded, and despite all our best efforts, sacrifices, prayers, and reflections we still end up scratching our head about what has gone wrong calling it failure. Following Jesus in whatever capacity can be difficult, like any enterprise there are twists and turns along the way, growing pains. And here is the thing, it is at that precise moment of seeming failure, the darkest time just before the dawn, that the stranger on the shore, the light of the world, turns up to illuminate the darkness and as we look up he transforms the experience. The moment when we have exhausted ourselves and we acknowledge our weakness or failure that is often when God steps in. Our ‘No’ can become God’s ‘Yes’, even if it means not yet or not that way.

Those disciples had laboured all night and still caught nothing so when the stranger shouts out to cast their net over the other side, their reaction as canny fishermen may have been, “Yeah right - as if!” But with nothing to lose, they give it one last go. Now if those fishermen had not been out in their boat, equipped and ready, if they had not heeded the stranger, then they would not have been able to pull in the subsequent catch, which let’s face it, was probably just swimming close-by but somehow managing to avoid their nets. How often we give up just before something wonderful is about to happen.

Let’s pray:

Lord, we know we have to prepare well to be ready for what you call us to,

But yet, we can still go through seemingly fruitless times.

Lord, despite our disappointments, help us to persevere, to look for the unexpected.

This is Your work Lord so, as we embrace it, even with our inadequacies,

We trust You to enable us in Your Service, irrespective of when or how You do it.

We believe You will because You are Jehovah Jireh, the One who provides. Amen.

Elisabeth Sweeney Smith