John 21:7-17
We have reached the end of our three part series called
Breakfast. When we last met, Jesus instructed his despondent disciples to
revise their fishing methods. After an evening of unproductive effort they
caught nothing but attitudes. It’s rare that professional fishermen could fish
all night with no return.
Their backs – sore
Their eyes – strained
Their mind – restless
Their stomach – empty
Their hope – questionable
Jesus, from the shore, then directs them to try again before
giving up. But this time, do it differently…
5 more minutes
I believe that it is in the moments beyond our natural
ability that we experience the supernatural. There was a gentleman that worked
in our office that had a unique screen saver. It slowly bounced “five more
minutes” in different fonts and colors all over his screen. I worked up the
nerve to ask him about the distinctive screen display. He said it was a
personal mantra to give exactly five more minutes of concentrated effort right before
he felt like quitting. It was a push to perform and prove that at the point of
breakdown a break through could occur.
Jesus operates exceptionally well in this area of human frustration.
Jesus will take control when we let go and He will do exceedingly - abundantly
- far above what we could ask or think.
Love God – Love You!
In John 21:7
it says, “Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord...” I
love this verse for two reasons.
1.
John’s confidence is amazing. I read that if you
were to ask a random group of individuals to list their top five loves, it is
nearly definite that no one would list himself or herself. There is nothing
wrong with having a healthy appreciation for you. If we are to treat others,
love others, and appreciate others the way we want it reciprocated, we must first
discover how to love us and understand what makes us loveable. Which leads to
my second reason for loving this verse.
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| Dinner in Colombia |
2.
The bible teaches, “But anyone
who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8). Oftentimes
our struggle with love and commitment to our loves (family, career, hobbies,
etc.) is because we have not worked out our love with God. John knew it was
Jesus because He knew Jesus. Not that the other disciples didn’t know Him but
at this moment John’s thoughts didn’t cloud the vision of His savior. Jesus is
the ultimate example and guide. How many times has he cared for you when you
were careless with your love for Him?
Simple Math
The author details that after the fisherman caught 153 large
fish (v11), Jesus invited them to breakfast. The immediate assumption is that
Jesus is requesting an offering of their catch. Yes but not yet. Breakfast is
already prepared when they arrive and there is still more for them to
catch/learn.
Just as 5+5=10 so does 6+4. When we invite Jesus to dictate
our decisions we do not become mindless robots but informed individuals with
the capacity to obtain solutions but in a different and often better way. We
must recognize the necessity of His inclusion and be open to Jesus’ teaching.
Give them a fish then
teach them to fish…
Lastly, as they are sitting and enjoying breakfast, Jesus
asks Peter a direct question. The interesting thing about the exchange between
Peter and Jesus goes back to the 3 times Peter denied Jesus followed by a night
of fruitless fishing. It is fair to perceive that Peter subsequently felt no
longer productive for the advancing of Christ’s kingdom.
I love how Jesus works. Mark 16:7 and John 21:7 are very
helpful for the dejected believer. Yes Peter denied Jesus three times and yes Peter had an evening of unproductive effort. However, Jesus is not like us.
Instead of rejecting the broken, He builds by knowing how to perfectly
reposition even the most messed up parts.
In the book of Mark he specifically calls for Peter’s
presence. Then, in the book of John, Jesus asks Peter three specific times if
he loved him and upon Peter’s response, Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.”
Jesus gave Peter insight and direction for three years and
strategically Jesus asks about Peter’s love the same amount of times that peter
denied his love for Jesus. Jesus grabbed Peter’s heart and then had his ear. Jesus
is saying I know you love me and now I need you to teach others about the
redemptive, restoring, and reviving love that they too can have (the offering).
Don’t allow the fear of mistakes you
haven’t made stop you from living the life that was made for you.
You have been given many experiences over the course of your
life and I am encouraging you right now to realize that your life’s momentous
and messed up moments are tools to teach others about a loving Jesus that
saves.
Beyond just being on the water and catching the big fish,
the best part of fishing is telling the big fish stories. No one can tell your
story better than you. Jesus picked you up when you fell and will continue to
lead you when things get dark. – SHARE YOUR FISH…
