Week of August 20

“They caught nothing” are the universal words of disappointment and, at times, embarrassment to fisher men and women! I’ve been in this uneasy position on several occasions. Thankfully, I did not have someone recording the spiritual lessons to be learned and the theological implications for all who read the events that surrounded my failure! Hallelujah, we may thank God that John, the Gospel writer, was on the boat the night the disciples caught no fish and recorded the events that took place on the shore the next morning.
 
Can you imagine the elevated blood pressure in that weary band of seasoned anglers when a person standing on the shore asks, “Children, do you have any fish?” I wonder if several of them began muttering under their breath before the group answered “No.” The stage had been set for Christ to teach them (and us!) a lesson about the new day that was dawning. What a wonderful passage into which many of you, my readers, need to cast your nets because you are longing for a new day in your lives, too!

Without overplaying the symbolism in John, a Bible scholar believes that the night/day image used here fits the overall pattern in the Gospel account (21:3). Whether this is accurate here is uncertain, but there certainly was at least a cloud of sorrow that had darkened the skies of hope for the disciples.
 
They had witnessed the brutal miscarriage of justice in Jerusalem and journeyed a lonely road back to Galilee. They also were very likely fearful of the Jews who were on heightened alert for any of Jesus’ followers. Perhaps Peter decided to do the only thing the group knew how to do very well—fish (21:3; “I am going fishing”). After all, they needed to eat and hoped to enjoy some small success, since they believed Christ’s new kingdom had failed.
 
Have you become so disappointed by the results of your labors that you are “fishing” for anything meaningful in your life? Your job is one prolonged empty net, and the hole in your soul is not helping matters. I believe that most of us have been right where the disciples were, so we are all “on board” with them in this account. Maybe we also have been fishing in the dark without even knowing it!

Jesus steps out of the pre-dawn darkness and encourages them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, and they retrieve a “153-fish-in-the-net haul.” All seven of them working together struggled mightily to handle their catch. Pardon me for preaching just a bit.
 
Jesus helps successful “fishermen” to find success at “fishing” (Lord over creation; 1:1-4), reminds them that their primary mission to catch people is still operative (Lord of their call; 1:35-51), and that they need to labor in His strength or they will fail miserably in the enterprise (Lord of the consequences; 21:6, 11). We all do well to heed this lesson in our own callings and church communities as His disciples.

Lastly, Jesus leaves nothing undone—ever! Jesus is cooking a meal of bread and fish on a charcoal fire when Peter and the others arrive on shore (cf. John 6). The only other place where that word “charcoal” appears in the entire New Testament is in the courtyard where Peter had denied the Lord (cf. John 18:18; 21:9; NAC).

While this may likely be a stretch with John’s literary intent, it is no leap to conclude that Jesus was there to “reinstate” a disciple who had denied Him. Peter’s name meant “rock,” but now Jesus was chiseling and sculpting him to become a chip off of the Rock of Ages. He had a mission for that person who now would be filled with the Spirit and labor for the Lord. All of us will do well to be reclaimed by the Lord ourselves when we fail, and to consider the significance of reclaiming and recommissioning to service the fallen and broken.

I’ll never forget an event that occurred when our oldest child, Lauren, was born. Shawna’s parents came to see their firstborn grandchild, and they stayed with us in our very modest pastoral rent house. The home was situated about 60 yards from a “stock tank” (pond) where I used to fish for bass. Well, the most fish I had ever caught out of the tank was an occasional tiny bass, so I concluded that it did not have fish of any size.
 
My father-in-law saw the tank and asked me, “Are there any fish in the tank?” I replied, “None of any size.” He took a fishing pole in his hands and within a few minutes had landed a bass that was 21 inches long and weighed more than 7 pounds! The fish was longer than our newborn daughter and weighed nearly as much as she did!
 
Here is my spiritual segue. We four ate well that evening and were well satisfied (21:9). We also had plenty of remaining fillets to share with friends (see John 6:12). I also learned a spiritual lesson that day about how to fish like Jesus teaches His disciples.

There are infinite numbers of books about how to lead a successful Christian life and church ministry, but this book, the Bible, provides us with critical lessons in fruitful service to the Lord. Our ultimate service is to be about His sea, His call, and His results. Lesson learned! Here is our question for today: Have we caught anything lately?

1. Jesus asks us today, “Don’t you have any fish?” He reminds us that we have already been outfitted for success. Ask God to place you in the correct position to bear fruit. 
 
2. Countless churches today have launched their “boats” for years without any success. Their discouragement knows no limits. Pray for these struggling congregations to be revitalized and to become fruit bearers in Christ’s kingdom.

3. For Families: We have had many opportunities this year to explore passages that present challenges to share the gospel, to bear fruit, and to make disciples. This is because it is a foundational theme of the entire Bible! God has been on mission from the beginning to invite everyone to come to Him for salvation.

How do we encourage children to include their faith in the list of important things they’re always sharing with their friends? A Christian ministry called Youthworks has some tips. If we engage their hearts with the joy of Jesus, we talk about who Jesus is and why we need Him. It’s understanding this deep need that leads us to love Christ above all things and leads us to share the good news of Jesus with others.

Next, teach them what it looks like to share their faith. This can include anything from telling a friend what they learned at kids’ church to inviting someone to come along with them. Sharing our faith happens in lots of different ways. It’s our job to help children work out what it might look like for them at school, at weekend sports, at after school care, or in any other situation. Talk about the different conversations they can have about their faith and practice scenarios. Pray for and with your children as they learn to share.

Last, show them how. Our children are much more likely to share their faith with others if they regularly see others do it too. For parents, this means sharing our faith with others in front of our children. Letting them see and hear us talk to our friends about Jesus will give them a model they can copy with their own friends. Tell your children stories about when you’ve shared your faith with others. Invite them to come with you to welcome a visitor at church. Encourage them to sit with the new child in kids’ church and help them look up Bible passages or answer questions. All of these are great ways to get started. Let’s go fishing, families!

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock