Isn’t there an “old saying,” about there being…“a lot more fish in the sea?” I thought there was!
There are always more fish. You just have “TO KNOW” where to LOOK for them…
So, there’s another story…a “Jesus story!”
“After this,” meaning “after the last resurrection appearance”…Jesus appears AGAIN to HIS disciples this time, near the Sea called Tiberius, back up in the region of Galilee.
Judea to Galilee…Jerusalem to the Sea of Tiberius…this Jesus character REALLY gets around…he’s on the move…
Peter is there, (at the Sea of Galilee) along with Thomas, Nathanael, the Beloved Disciple, and “three other unnamed disciples.” “The group” decides (among themselves) to go fishing, but they don’t catch anything “that night.” (Fishing WAS NOT their “best idea.”) It was a long night of nothing…no action…limited conversation and lots of blackness…)
At dawn, someone stands on the beach and calls out to them.
The “mystery person” tells them that IF they try casting their nets on the right side of the boat they’d be sure to catch some brown trout.
The disciples have no idea WHO this guy is, but since they always get their “fishing advice” shouted at them by random strangers, they follow HIS INSTRUCTIONS.
Long story-short: They catch SO MANY FISH that they can barely haul them all into the boat. Bring on the tartar sauce. Cut the lemon wedges…grab the rye bread and the fries…it’s on!
Then, the Beloved Disciple realizes—that IT MUST BE Jesus standing on the beach.
Ding! Ding! Ding!!! (Light bulb goes on!)
Peter is SO EXCITED to hear this – that he jumps out of the boat and swims to shore. Oh, Peter, “you big goon”… you brown noser…you flatterer, YOU!
The “other disciples” are only about a hundred yards off, so they bring the boat in – ever so slowly along with the gigantic catch of fish.
When they reach the shore, they see fish already cooking over a hot charcoal fire and some bread. Jesus tells them to bring over some more fish. Peter helps bring in the humongous haul.
They’ve caught 153 huge fish, but who is counting? Not only is that a “REALLY SPECIFIC NUMBER, it’s amazing because their net isn’t even torn!
Jesus invites them to have breakfast with him. He takes the bread and gives it to each of them and does the same with the fish…almost in Eucharistic overtones.
This Jesus: appears in locked rooms. He cooks breakfast. He rises from the dead. What can’t Jesus do?
When they all finish eating, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him.
Of course, Peter says. Duh!
Jesus asks Peter a second time if he loves him. Maybe “his hearing” is starting to go.
But—get this—Peter still does.
Then, Jesus asks him a third time. Come on, Jesus. Seriously? Three times for emphasis sake! I get it, I get it already!
Peter is starting to feel “more than a little bit hurt.” Of course he loves Jesus. Jesus knows everything—he should know that, as well.
Jesus explains to Peter that when he (Peter) was young, he could go wherever he wanted, but when he gets older, he will be taken by force somewhere he doesn’t want to go.
Translation? Peter’s going to be “a martyr” (like it or not!)
Peter doesn’t seem “too excited” by this-additional information but then, “who would?”
He asks what’s going to happen with the other disciples, specifically “The Beloved Disciple”. Will they be sharing a cross built for two anytime soon in the near future? Nope. The “Beloved Disciple” looks like he’s going to die a natural death…grey hair, wrinkles and all. Poor old Peter really gets the short end of that stick!
The gospel writer-John tells us that the “Beloved Disciple” is the one who saw all this and wrote it down. He’s vouched for it, his word is true, his word is good, so no worries…
The stories in this gospel are just “the tip” of the proverbial iceberg though. Jesus also did so many other “amazing things.” If someone ever tried to write them all down, there wouldn’t be enough paper in the entire world. And just imagine the hand cramping!
So, if this Jesus is capable of all of this stuff…what else is he capable of????? What else can he accomplish, what else can he do?
Might he not be able to even “save” the likes of you and me? And when we ultimately get to heaven…we just might find ourselves – chillin’ and grillin’ with Jesus again! Sure sounds good to me! Amen.