Breakfast with Jesus When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread … Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’” John 21:9, 21:12a So when I read today’s key verse, I was delighted to peek into this intimate moment between Jesus and His disciples, but I never imagined how applicable it would be to us 2,000 Jesus called a handful of fishermen to be His disciples, and for three years they enjoyed a close relationship with Him until He was betrayed and crucified. Their hopes had been dashed until Jesus surprised them all when He appeared to them in His resurrected body. Of course they were elated, but still a bit confused. Jesus was alive, but He wasn’t living with them anymore; they were disciples without a rabbi. He’d promised to send them His Spirit, but He hadn’t ascended to heaven yet, so they were men without a mission. They went out to fish, but caught nothing all night, and now they were fishermen who couldn’t even catch fish. We can’t know exactly why they reverted to their old occupation, but don’t we do the same thing? When we’re waiting for God to act, but He’s not doing what we expect, don’t we often try to distract ourselves to numb our discomfort? For me, it can look like shoveling spoonfuls of cookie dough ice cream while scrolling social media. Perhaps you turn to online shopping, a glass of rosé, a rom-com binge or a toxic relationship. Distractions promise momentary comfort, but they often fail to resolve our deeper issues, only serving to compound our problems. These men had been up all night and hadn’t caught anything. Now they were exhausted, famished and demoralized. It’s in this moment of desperation that Jesus entered the scene. As dawn lit the sky, He called out to them to let down their nets on the other side, and they miraculously filled with fish. Jesus accomplished for them in a moment what they’d failed to do on their own all night. It’s fascinating to me that Jesus didn’t berate them for going back to their old occupation. He didn’t admonish them for doubting His purpose for them. Instead, He sought them out, provided for their needs and invited them to join Him for breakfast. That most simple meal of the day for many of us, void of fancy silverware and linen napkins, is often shared with people who see you before you shower … and who love you anyway. It’s into this most intimate setting that Jesus invited His friends that morning. As they were toiling at their nets, Jesus was waiting for them, cooking their breakfast. And when they drew close to shore in defeat, Jesus invited them to abandon their distraction in order to come eat breakfast with Him. The conversations that followed that meal brought healing, life and joy to those disciples’ wounded hearts. Read more in John 21:15-23 for the most touching breakfast conversation ever recorded.) 15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you. Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep. 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” 20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” And thankfully, that breakfast invitation is issued to each of us today too. If anyone understands our pain, it’s Jesus. Physical, emotional and relational? Yes — Jesus experienced it all, and He did it out of love for us. When we’re hurting, Jesus doesn’t send us away to get our act together. He invites us to find mercy and grace as we draw close to Him. Morning breath and all. Lord, forgive me for the ways I’ve tried to numb my hurt with distractions. I want to turn to You instead. You’ve promised to never send away those who seek You wholeheartedly, so please help me seek You first each day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Hebrews 4:15-16, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
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