Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias.
It happened this way: ...
[Seven of the disciples were together.]
"I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. John21:1-3
In the previous chapter Jesus commissioned the disciples go out into the world in the same way as the Father had sent Him.
But they've travelled back to their home area and back to their homes and familiar surroundings.
Why did they go fishing??? Here's a multiple choice:
A) We mustn't read in too much: they needed to feed themselves.
B) They went back to "business as usual" - "fishing for men" was too scary
C) They were wanting to re-enact, re-create or re-live the experiences (sights, smells, etc) back when Jesus first called them.
D) Some of the above.
E) None of the above.
I don't think there is a definitive answer to the question. I think there is an ambiguity in the text that mirrors the life challenges you and I face as we contemplate the resurrection.
You and I encounter the Risen Christ in church or in our daily Quiet Time, but we have to get into our work day of reports, emails, chores and duties. There are various reasons why:
1. it pays the bills and meets the needs
2. it is a retreat and escape from God's call on our lives
3. we are hoping that we will see God at work in our lives.
The first is practical, the second is not so healthy, the third is a better approach - the truth is that it is often a mixture of all three.
The comforting thing is that Jesus appears on the beach.
If we will open our eyes, we will see the Risen Christ standing in our "Business as Usual" places, ready to do amazing things.
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
