John 21:1-14 – Who’s the Boss?
Today, we look at one of my favourite stories in the whole Bible. I can’t exactly tell you why I like it so much. Maybe it’s Jesus’ playful and whimsical nature shining through. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a fishing village, too. At any rate, I love the story when the Risen Jesus shows up to His disciples while they are fishing, and gives them a glimpse of who He is.
This is John 21:1-14 from the Good News Translation.
Now, for something different, because this is a story, I’d like to tell it as that. I’d like to imagine the 7 disciples talking about this afterwards. I’d like us to imagine that they are standing around at a wharf, maybe coffee cups in hand – OK, so they didn’t have coffee, but let’s imagine they’re sipping back on double-doubles – listening to the waves lap up against the dock, seagulls in the background, as they rehash the events of that day, just a few days later.
Quite the day.
Ah-yuh, it was.
Never seen anything like that before.
What’re ya talking about? Jesus did that before. We saw it with our own eyes. He gave us good catches before. And Peter… Jesus gave you a pretty good catch once. Found a coin in a fish’s mouth, dincha?
Yeah, I did.
Jesus is quite the guy, I say.
Yeah, yeah…
Then one of the guys says… Still, I can’t shake the feeling we’re not supposed to be here. Fishing in Galilee. What if’n we’re supposed to be still in Jerusalem? What if Jesus wants us to do somethin’ there?
Look, we been over this. That angel told us that Jesus would see us in Galilee. So here we are.
Besides, what are we s’pose to do? Just sit around, sitting on our hands, waitin’ fer Jesus to show up again? We’re s’pose to do what we know to do, and that’s fish, so we’re doin’ it.
Yah, I guess so.
Besides, Jesus knows how to find us.
Yeah, he knew we were havin’ a rough night o’ fishin’. Sometimes I wonder if God knows where we are and what we’re goin’ through, but I guess He really does know our problems.
That was a rough night for fish. Or I should say, it was a good night for fish. They knew how to stay outta our nets.
Buys, it’s a hard ole’ night when ya don’ts catch nuthin’.
All night long, nothin’.
And then, from the shore, that fella we didn’t know… telling us to throw our nets on the other side of the boat.
I thought, maybe, since we was so close ta shore, maybe he saw a school swimmin’ that we didn’t see.
I thought, maybe that fella shoulda just shut up. Boys, I hate takin’ orders from people that don’t know what’s goin on.
That’s right. Slinging orders at us from the shore, tellin’ us what to do, what not to do… like he was from the Department of Fisheries or something.
But we did it. We tried the other side. And I’m some glad we did.
Yeah, our net just filled right up. Amazin’.
And then Thomas spoke up… Ya know, I got to thinkin’ about it afterwards. I’m thinkin’, there we was, fishin’, doin’ what we know, doin’ our jobs, doin’ the best we could… I mean, it’s who we are right? It’s in our blood. Fishin’ is who we are. And then Jesus… He tells us how to do it. That’s humblin’, ya know what I mean? It just puts you right in your place. Like, I thought I knew how to do this, and then Jesus tells me what to do… that’s humblin’.
Yeah, that’s what it was. I didn’t like being told what to do. Of course it turned out to be Jesus, and it worked out OK. But, I didn’t want to take orders, even from Jesus.
No, me neither, but it was better, doncha think? Taking orders from the Lord turned out better than not.
He wasn’t just telling us how to fish… He was saying He wanted to be boss of our whole lives.
Yeah, He wanted to be our Boss. Master, Teacher, Lord.
So whatcher sayin’… it’s not enough to let Him just forgive us, but we should let Him be our Master, too?
Yeah, that’s about it. Forgiver… and Leader.
It’s a lot easier to let Him forgive me than let Him lead me.
Ain’t that the truth. (PAUSE)
So we catch the fish, and then we figure out it’s Jesus.
Yeah, we come to shore, and there’s Jesus with a fire on the beach.
Smelled some good, too. The fish and the bread.
Now, guys, I’ve been wondering. Jesus already had fish on the fire.
Yeah. So?
So… where’d He get it?
Duh. He’s the Lord. Does it matter?
Yeah, I think it does. He told us to go get the fish from the net, but He already had fish on the fire.
So?
So… why did He want our fish, the fish He helped us catch, if He already fish for us?
Now, I can imagine a pause among the disciples. That is a good point. Slowly it dawns on them. And Peter speaks in a small voice…
He doesn’t need us.
He could do this all by Himself.
He doesn’t need the likes of us to catch some fish for Him.
And the disciples hang their heads low. They always thought that Jesus needed them to help Him with His ministry on earth, but now they realize He doesn’t really need them at all. But a thought comes to John, who slowly states good news…
But He wants us.
Wha?
Again, John repeats… He wants us. He wants to use us. Not because He needs to – He can do anything. But He wants us to follow Him. He wants us to trust Him. He wants to be our Boss, remember?
Hey – that’s right. Remember the 1st thing He said to a lot of us?
Yeah. Follow me, He said, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.
He never wanted us to stop fishin’, just maybe fish fer somethin’ new. A new catch.
He wants us. He wants who we are. He wants us ta live for Him.
Yah. He wants our jobs to be fer Him.
I s’pose that means He wants our money too.
Well, duh. That’s what the jobs are fer.
Buys, this here is a tough thing. Ya say He wants ta be our Boss, and then ya say He wants to own our jobs and our money. This ain’t sounding easy ta me.
No, it don’t. It don’t sound easy cuz it ain’t easy. But you look me in the eyes and tell me that He ain’t worth it.
Buddy, I can look anybody in the eyes and tell ‘em anything I wants. I’m a fisherman. Ha ha ha.
No, really. I mean it. You’re telling me that following Him wasn’t nearly as exciting as doing our own thing, before He came along?
No, course not. Hanging out with Jesus was the best thing that ever happened to me. But I can’t say it was easy.
Then Nathanael pipes in… Buys, I think yer all missin’ the point. It’s not because it’s so excitin’ that we should let Jesus be our Boss. It’s cause He deserves it. He’s the Lord. If He wants ta tell us what to do, it’s His right. He deserves ta be our Boss, and we belong to Him.
And then Peter adds… Yah. After all I’ve been forgiven of, Jesus deserves to boss me around. He deserves to tell me how to live my life. He deserves to have my job and my money and my time. He deserves everything I have. He deserves everything I am. I owe Him.
Mmm. Mmm. Mmm … A-yuh.
But ya know, we been talkin’ about us servin’ Him. But who was the one with the fish and bread?
Yeah. He served us. I wonder if maybe we get so wrapped up in servin’ Him, that we forget about Him servin’ us?
Well, it’s clear ta me… He wants us to live our lives for Him. But it’s also clear that He just wants to spend time with us too. He shows up and wants to eat some breakfast with us.
To think… all He went through, all the suffering, all the pain, all the hurt… just so’s He could spend some time with us.
That’s a funny kinda Boss. He wants ta tell ya what ta do, but also wants ta hang out with ya while yer doin’ it.
Tain’t just obedience what He’s lookin’ fer; love too.
Yep… yep… yep…
So… what now?
And that’s the question for us, too. What do we do with what we know? What about our letting Him be our Boss? What about our letting Him own our jobs, our finances, our whole lives? What about our service to Him? What about our spending time with Him? Will we learn what the disciples grasped?
