Given at St. Mark’s Church, West Frankfort, IL; and at St. James’ Memorial Church, Marion, IL
“Where there is no vision, the people perish” Proverbs 29:18 tells us.
A vision of the future is what today’s Gospel reading is trying to give us, many scholars believe….It’s a vision of how Jesus will take care of and provide for His people, that is, the Church, after His death, resurrection and ascension.
As we join the scene, we see a picture of the disciples, having gone to the region of Galilee, and specifically to the Sea of Tiberias (also known as the Sea of Galilee) ostensibly for the purpose of doing some fishing.
Many scholars have puzzled over the reasons for Simon Peter’s saying to the other six disciples, “I am going fishing.” Was it because: 1) Peter was returning to his old ways and his old occupation of fishing1; OR 2) Peter and the others were “biding time”, waiting for “further instructions” from the Lord about what they were to do next?
We simply don’t know.
But whatever the reasons for their presence in Galilee, there are some clear lessons that John wants us to “get” from today’s events.
But first, we ought to recognize that chapter 21 of John is a chapter which looks forward into the church’s future. Most Bible commentators agree on that point….Chapter 21 is a vision for the Church’s life after Jesus’ resurrection. The reasons for this outlook are:
- The Galilee encounter we read about today occurs after Jesus’ “hour”, that is, after Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection.
- The point seems to be that, just as Jesus had cared for and provided for His people before His passion, death and resurrection, He would do so afterward, as well….Notice the link in today’s text to John 6: 1 – 15, the feeding of the 5,000: in both accounts, bread and fish are miraculously supplied by the Lord.
- Events which are still far in the future (from the original Apostles’ point-of-view) are mentioned at the end of the chapter: Peter’s restoration to the Lord’s favor by the asking (and answering) of the three questions, “Peter, do you love me?”, and the oblique mentions of Peter’s eventual martyrdom and the Beloved Disciple’s (identified in the chapter as the teller of the story) natural death.
So, what vision does today’s reading give us? Here seem to be some of the main points Our Lord wants us to remember about life in Christ, within the body of believers:
- Jesus will go ahead of us, to meet us wherever we are: Notice, in verse four, that “Jesus stood on the shore”. The point seems to be, whether or not Peter and the others intended to just “turn their backs” on the whole passion and resurrection experience, even in faraway Galilee, Jesus met them where they were.
- Jesus knows their situation: Jesus’ question (verse five), “Children, you have no fish, have you?” seems to indicate that Jesus knows already that their night of fishing has been all for nothing.
- Jesus’ divine power is demonstrated by His knowledge: Jesus tells them to cast their net to the right side of the boat. Only then, is the night of fishing transformed into a productive one.
- Fruitfulness comes through obedience: John tells us that the disciples followed Jesus’ command (verse six).
- Jesus is recognized through the results which come from obedience: Only when the large catch of fish, 153 in all,2 is Jesus recognized, as the Beloved Disciple exclaims, “it is the Lord!”
- Jesus provides for His people: Notice that breakfast is already ready once the disciples reach the shore. The fish that had been caught were added to what the Lord had already provided.
What conclusions might we draw from today’s reading, for our lives as Christian believers in the 21st century?
Perhaps the major lesson might be: God is providing us with a vision of life in Christ, Our Lord’s continuing care for His children, now that the passion, death and resurrection are accomplished. By God’s gracious providence, Our Lord will go ahead of us, to be present in our situations, wherever they might take us. By God’s gracious love, Jesus’ knowledge of every situation (a key feature of John’s Gospel) makes it possible for Him to provide for us. When we are faithful, our work, done in His sight, will be fruitful, and we will recognize God’s presence in the results of our labors.
God provides for His people, sure enough! AMEN.
1 We do not know from John’s Gospel account that Peter was a fisherman. Only Matthew and Mark relate that detail of Peter’s life before he met Jesus.
2 Scholars from very early times have wondered if the number of fish cited means anything beyond the literal number of fish. No conclusive consensus has ever emerged. It’s entirely possible that the disciples (or the eyewitness) simply counted the number of fish once they had reached the shore.
