"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
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