John 21:1-8 New American Standard Bible 1995
Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee
21 After these things Jesus [a]manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called [b]Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter *said to them, “I am going fishing.” They *said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus *said to them, “Children, you do not have [c]any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved *said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about [d]one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Picture the scene. When the unknown figure standing on the shore told the fishermen to cast their net on the other side of the boat—and when those fishermen saw that, having caught nothing all night, their nets were now bulging—they began to recognize who it was who had called out to them.
Everything was happening too quickly for these disciples. They had pledged the entirety of their whole lives to their Messiah. The past three years they had all come from separate and diverse backgrounds. They were independent sorts. Each independently, individually, going about their business, days and lives.
From out of nowhere, their lives were individually disrupted by Jesus, as he summoned each of them-“come, and I will show you how to be fishers of men.”
Each one came, without hesitation or question, just walking away from their independence and uniquely individual existences, to become a small classroom.
A collection of independent individuals used to doing things their own way, to feed their themselves and their families, meet their friends, conduct business.
Over the past three years, following in the dust kicked up by the sandals of their Rabbi, witnessing miraculous events, healings, twice feeding of the thousands. They had heard, listened to profound teachings different from their upbringing.
They were sent out 2×2 into the surrounding villages to be teachers and healers.
Three years of such a high intensity of learning unlike any they had experienced probably since they were 13 year old children under the tutelage of the Temple.
Over these last three years they had learned how to bond, how to come together. Not as unique individuals under their own uniquely individual standards, but as under the undeniable authority, tutelage, of this itinerant Master Rabbi Jesus.
For three years they formed their own small classroom, their small community.
They had pretty much done everything together, becoming supportive of each other, friends with each other, partners with each other learning from Jesus.
Then came their celebration of the Great Passover in the Upper Room. Jesus did announce his personal destiny – his coming betrayal, humiliation, crucifixion.
He gave them his last will and testament – even more incredibly powerful but hopeful words of life after he was dead and buried. Individually, they processed the teachings, but slowly you can sense an underlying departure from their own collective mindset of community of mutual support to “individual oriented self preservation” – every man for himself as quickly as was then humanly possible.
In the Garden, they all scattered in their own directions when the soldiers came.
The breakdown of community Jesus had worked so hard to foster among them.
Now, it was back to their own individual devices.
Community and togetherness was now quite dangerous, potentially lethal.
They locked themselves in the Upper Room.
Jesus came back to them through the locked door.
Announced his presence and made an effort to Comfort them, sharing a meal of fish and bread. “We have seen the Lord and ate with him-he is truly fully alive!”
Thoroughly shaken by the death of their Messiah, shocked by resurrection, in a state of near total confusion about the next steps to take, they just went fishing.
Perhaps up and until now they had been supernaturally kept from identifying Him, like the men on the Emmaus road (Luke 24:16). Or perhaps in the early morning mist or the distance from land to the boat was what kept them from fully recognizing the unknown man shouting out advice as being their Savior.
Whichever was the case, it was not long before John, “that disciple whom Jesus loved,” realized who spoke to them—and as soon as he shared his dawning insight with Peter, Peter was the first to act, launched himself back into action.
John’s recognition, Peter’s reaction make up a partnership that just beautifully displays God’s intent for learning how to be a Christian community under the Authority of Jesus, each one a full display of shared, complementary diversity.
Please notice how God, through Christ takes the Johns and the Peters of this world, and He puts them together, he reunites them, adding back confidence and trust in God, so that they may each be what they cannot be on their own.
Throughout John’s Gospel, we see John display a contemplative, steady faith.
When he and Peter visited the empty tomb, he considered the meaning of the graveclothes lying empty where a body was to have been, believed (John 20:8).
His declaration from the boat likewise reveals a man who did not consider his circumstances hastily but rather pondered them and then confidently believed.
When John realized before everyone it was Jesus before him, he immediately made that known to Peter. Peter looked up, responded to John’s recognition as he often did: by taking faith-filled, impassioned, impulsive, immediate action.
You can just imagine him getting dressed up again from his dirty fishing clothes jumping into the water and then thrashing about, half swimming, half walking, straining desperately to get to his Savior on the shore. He showed no hesitation in getting out (leaping out) of the boat. His only thought was to reach his Lord.
Without the contemplative, insightful nature of Johns, the Peters of this world would burn out in feverish activity.
Without the quick immediate boldness of the Peters, the Johns of this world would waste away, wallowing in introspection. We all need partners to serve Christ well. Whether you are a Peter or a John, or whatever your particular temperament, God made you as you are to serve a purpose in His kingdom.
Many of us spend far too much time wishing we were more like Peter or John.
Others of us have no problem recognizing our personality type or particular strengths, but we do have a problem with humbly using them in the service of others or with being patient with the ways of others who are different from us.
Psalm 34:8-10 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.
What would change in how you see yourself and how you do see your kingdom purpose if you realized that every last aspect of our temperament is God-given, and that God intends for you to use it not for your own ends but in obedience to Him, in the company, in the community of His people, for the glory of His Son?
Acts 2:37-47 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Ingathering
37 Now when they heard this, they were [a]pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “[b]Brethren, [c]what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “[d]Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand [e]souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and [f]to prayer.
43 [g]Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and [h]signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed [i]were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread [j]from house to house, they were taking their [k]meals together with gladness and [l] sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding [m]to their number day by day those who were being saved.
When we look at the discontinuity of our Christian and Secular Communities, what do we observe from them? Should these observations shape our faith? Shape and inform our trust in God, Jesus, Holy Spirit to bring us back together?
Bad work gets paid with a bad check;
good work gets solid pay.
Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live,
or chase after phantoms of evil and die.
God can’t stand deceivers,
but oh how he relishes integrity.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 133 Amplified Bible
The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.
A Song of [a]Ascents. Of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!
2
It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head,
Coming down on the beard,
Even the beard of Aaron,
Coming down upon the edge of his [priestly] robes [consecrating the whole body].
3
It is like the dew of [Mount] Hermon
Coming down on the hills of Zion;
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing: life forevermore.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 