THURSDAY 16th
John 21:1-14
Another familiar portion of Scripture today which I am not going to spend the devotion going through in its entirety but to go to verse 12, ‘And Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”’ Jesus then shared with them some bread and fish.
This account is the third time that Jesus has revealed himself to the disciples, post resurrection.
In yesterday’s devotion, the two men had taken supper with Jesus, in today’s devotion the seven who had gone fishing were having breakfast with Jesus.
I’m not so sure that I would have been very impressed with the breakfast menu ‘fish and bread’ as I am not a lover of fish, I would have preferred a ‘Subway’ breakfast or a ‘sausage McMuffin’ but I guess to have it served by Jesus himself would have been something special and so it would have been impolite to say no. And anyway, if it has come from Jesus, then ‘what harm could it do me?’
I remember going to visit someone from the Church where I was at that time pastoring and I took one of our sons with me. The host had made us some sandwiches to have with a cup of tea, and guess what they were? ‘tuna’ sandwiches. I don’t like ‘tuna’. When I say don’t like tuna you can underline it and put it in bold letters, I don’t like tuna! But what made matters worse not only did I not like ‘tuna’ but neither did our son! What were we going to do?
Well, first, I for the sake of politeness decided I would eat mine as fast as I could without it touching the sides as the saying goes, so while the host was out in the kitchen that is what I did. Then a bigger problem, our son was not going to eat his sandwiches, what to do with them? ‘You’ll have to eat it dad,’ he whispered to me, and so mustering all the enthusiasm I could, which was zero, down his sandwiches went as well! An even bigger problem – remember I said one Sunday morning how I like my jam to be put lavishly on my toast? Well, the host had been more than generous and lavish with the tuna and I felt yukky afterwards. But guess what, I survived! I have lived to tell the tale, I didn’t like the tuna, but it didn’t harm me.
Jesus invites us to ‘Come’.
In the Old Testament we are encouraged to:
‘Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD; though your sins are like scarlet they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.’ (Isaiah 1:18)
‘Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.’ (Isaiah 55:1)
In the New Testament we are encouraged to:
‘Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”’ (Matthew 11:28-30)
The ‘COME’ I want to highlight is this one: (sadly my ESV doesn’t have the word come)
‘“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”’ (Mark 1:17 NIV2011)
Oh dear! Fish again!
Jesus invites us to ‘come,’ not to have a bread and fish breakfast, but to go and fish, to go on a journey with him. See the Christian journey isn’t a picnic, it isn’t a walk in the park, but one thing is for sure it is the only journey in life that we can take that will arrive at the right destination. Everything else that the world has to offer leads to a dead end, as the Bible says, to destruction. But the journey Jesus calls us or invites us onto when he calls ‘come’ is the journey that leads to life everlasting. (Matthew 7:13-14 ‘“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.’)
As he called the disciples, so he calls each one of us. But the journey isn’t always going to be easy, there may be times when the going gets tough, it may require us to go places, say things, do things etc. which at the time won’t be easy. But there is one thing that is sure, if he has called and we obey he will be with us. It may require us to go through unpleasant circumstances, trying times and tribulation but if what life throws out at us has been served up by the Saviour himself, we will not come to any harm. For as we obey him and walk in his way, he will be with us.
Yes, if I had been at the breakfast I would much preferred to have made my own choice and so often we want to make our own choices in life, but if fish is what is on the menu of God’s will then fish it must be, even if it’s tuna!
Jesus has a table spread
Where the saints of God are fed,
He invites His chosen people, “Come and dine”;
With His manna He doth feed
And supplies our every need:
Oh, ’tis sweet to sup with Jesus all the time!
“Come and dine,” the Master calleth, “Come and dine”;
You may feast at Jesus’ table all the time;
He Who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine,
To the hungry calleth now, “Come and dine.”
The disciples came to land,
Thus obeying Christ’s command,
For the Master called unto them, “Come and dine”;
There they found their heart’s desire,
Bread and fish upon the fire;
Thus He satisfies the hungry every time.
Soon the Lamb will take His bride
To be ever at His side,
All the host of heaven will assembled be;
Oh, ’twill be a glorious sight,
All the saints in spotless white;
And with Jesus they will feast eternally.
Charles B. Widmeyer CCLI 788682