5th Thursday in Lent
Scripture: John 21:9-12
NRS 9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it,
and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that
you have just caught." 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled
the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though
there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them,
"Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask
him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord.
Devotional: Peter,
still wet from his swim, stood on the shore as the disciples climbed out of the
boat. They see a charcoal fire on which were fish and bread, and there is Jesus
cooking. The one who already had fish on the fire invited them to bring some of
the fish they had just caught. Why would He ask for something He already
possesses? He asked them to bring fish to Him when He fed the five thousand,
but He didn’t really need it then either. Just like we recognized God’s
presence when He does something He has done in the past, Jesus was doing the
same thing. Peter’s recognition has yet to be recorded, but his despair was
being replaced by His former boldness. He, alone, hauls the net full of fish to
shore. As Simon Peter hauls, Jesus invites the gawking disciples to join Him
for breakfast. Was it really Him? Should they ask? In the end they didn’t because
they knew it was Him. But how did they know? They questioned His identity, so He
couldn’t have looked the same. A name tag can probably be ruled out as well. The
answer lies in the simple truth of God being unchanging. The disciples had
journeyed with Him for three years and seen so many recognizable things. From
their calling, they recognized Jesus in the net full of fish. From the lunch shared
with five thousand people, they recognized the simple meal of fish and bread.
From being invited to share what they had to feed that massive group on the
hillside, they recognized Jesus in His grace filled words of inclusion as He
asked them to bring some of their fish. The resurrected Jesus behaved in the
same way as the Jesus they followed from their fishing boats, just as the
Triune God behaves the same way today that He did in Scripture and throughout
history. Sometimes we don’t feel the presence of God, but we recognize the ways
we have experienced Him in the past and the ways He has behaved in Scripture.
That recognition gives us great confidence that, despite not feeling Him, He is
with us. Recognizing Jesus’ presence gave
Peter the strength to drag a net that was too heavy for all of the disciples.
When we recognize God with us, we are strengthened in the very same way.
Prayer: God of
yesterday, today and tomorrow; the One who is unchanging and ever present; Lord
we come to you today and ask that you reveal Yourself to us in old ways that we
might recognize You and find new hope. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Song of praise: God
With Us performed by Jesus Culture
Spiritual discipline
challenge: Today we find the disciples being invited to breakfast
with the Lord where they are going to find renewal and hope. Let us fast today
from breakfast, lunch and dinner so we can encounter Christ at breakfast
tomorrow.
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