Skip to main content

Stranger on the Beach

"I'm going fishing!" announced Peter to his comrades.  They all joined him in hearty agreement and set out that evening on the Galilean sea with the hope of overflowing nets.  But by early sunrise, they only had empty nets.  Nothing had bit, they only had the great catch of nothingness.   Of course, they were exhausted, having been up all night, rowing all over the lake, constantly throwing out the nets, and heaving them back in.  Fishing was not a task for light weights.   No, they all were ready to come home and go to bed.   

But in the early misty fog as the sun was breaking through, someone stood on the beach, some stranger unknown to them.  Someone asking that annoying question that has been asked to anyone who has fished before, "Have you caught any fish?"  They all answer him a resounding, "No!"  But he doesn't let their answer dissuade him from offering them advice.  A stranger on the beach is going to tell those fisherman who have fished all night, what they should do for fish?  "Just throw your nets on the other side," he tells them.   Obviously, he doesn't know all that they have already done and tried.  But fish are needed for one to survive and live, so what do they have to lose?  "Throw the nets over!"  Wow, unbelievable the catch before their eyes, in fact so full it looks as if their nets may break!


In some ways, you have to wonder how could these men not see that it was Jesus on the shore.  These very fisherman were the closest followers of Jesus himself.  In fact, the past three years they had been eyewitnesses of this "GodMan".  They had already seen him too as the Risen Lord. And yet, in their day to day survival, He just appeared as a stranger on the beach.  There was initial resistance and doubt in truly trusting the words of this one, and only after the miraculous catch did they put it all together that this was no stranger, but God Himself. . .

I live in a culture that busies itself with fishing.  It thrives on burning the candle at both ends, all in hope of making more money, having more fish.  It thrives on human energy and wisdom, building better boats, making larger nets, overfishing seas.  But what is more appalling is that the very ones who claim to know the Master Fisherman Jesus, really are no different.  The Christian community in general terms seems ignorant of the Stranger on the beach.  It's involved in flexing its muscle for power and influence, having a voice for its own self serving needs, capturing more of the political clout,  all by "changing their world for Jesus."  But they are missing the Stranger on the beach.  They miss the miracle catch, because they do not recognize God.  That is because God doesn't show up in the image they have created.  He only is recognizable as God alone, far above their human limitations of understanding.  It's interesting, that you can be a "follower of Jesus," and never know God, kind of like Judas, a disciple who eventually betrayed the very one he followed.

The Stranger on the beach is quiet and unassuming.  He doesn't force his way into your life.  He waits patiently while you fish all night.  He's there when you have no other place to go.  He knows your fatigue and exhaustion with life itself.  He has a warm breakfast waiting just for you, as he wants to satisfy your needs.  He meets you where you're at, no pretense or preparation is needed.  You don't have to be on your best behavior.  All you have to do is come on in, trust his word, and receive him not as a Stranger but your Savior . . .

"And He said to them, 'Cast the net on the right hand side of the boat, and you will find a catch.'  They cast therefore, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.  That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 
'It is the Lord.'"  
John 20: 6-7




  
 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

But . . .

  I had to pause for a moment, as I began reading the text this early morning.  But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly:  they became stubborn and would not listen to Thy commandments."  (Nehemiah 9:18).    How often do I find myself verbalizing "but? what about? what then? what if? really?" All the phrases that feed doubt and angst into my life are found in that one conjunction.  Memory stands as the faithful argument against it, but when faced with future days all seems easily forgotten.  This verse comes to a people who had returned to their homeland after being ravaged and exiled by foreign powers.  Nehemiah is reminding them of who they are, and especially of their one and only God who has forever been faithful to them despite  their faithlessness and wrongdoing.  He reminds them how God is a God of forgiveness, slow to anger, longsuffering, overflowing with lovingkindness, never forsaking them even when He was totally forgott...
Post a Comment
Read more

Summer Breeze

  Gypsy Rose immediately prances to the back door as she hears her name.  We are ready for our morning walk, which has started later than usual, since I have some of these summer days off.  But it is still early enough to catch the morning breeze.  Walking south, I am refreshed by feeling the gentle wind all around me, it's a cool wrap in contrast to the summer sun.  But it all seems to disappear as I turn the corner and head west, my summer breeze is gone.  I am at a loss for it even as I continue north and east.  It's only as I begin the southern sidewalks back home that I am met with the blissful breeze.  I realize that though I wasn't feeling it for most of my steps, it was there all along, I just had to turn the right direction to get relief . . .  Sometimes, that is how my relationship with God seems.  Yes, I know He is ever near and is with me, but I don't feel that fact.  Sometimes my prayers seem to be in a vacuum, and I'm ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Brief Moments of Grace

  "But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place,  that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a  little reviving in our bondage." (Ezra 9:8)   Summer welcomes me today with a cloudy cool morning and a subtle fresh breeze.  The day is probably teasing me with moderate temperatures before it will launch into more robust sunlight and heat.  The scorching temperatures have given an abundance of tomatoes, bush beans and yellow squash in my garden, while tormenting the kale, cilantro, spinach and herbs.  My refreshment is found swimming laps in the pool and teaching or rather reminding Gypsy Rose to stay in her lane while we swim together.  Days seem to run together, slip away too fast, as I often feel locked in a routine of sleep, work, cook, repeat. I know that I need to pause and reflect, because even in that daily ritual are God's brief moments of gr...
Post a Comment
Read more