Why is it that the children of God never learn? Again and again we go through life faithing and failing. Yes, I know faithing is not a word, but hey, the world makes up new words every day, why not us? One day we’ll have mountain faith, and the next day it wouldn’t take up the corner inside a mustard seed. Or do I speak of myself alone? I’m certainly in that boat! Anytime I need a reminder of faith and failure I almost inevitably go to a passage about my friend Peter. I kind of feel sorry for the guy! He is so often preached on for his examples of failures, but the man lead thousand to the Lord! Oh to be a Simon Peter!
But the scripture that caught my eye this morning was another of Peter’s failures. Literally caught with his pants down in a boat of backslidden boys.
John 21:1-14 KJVS
John 21:1-4 KJVS
[1] After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. [2] There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. [3] Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. [4] But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
Distance Learning:
Perhaps it was the distance between the boat and land, or perhaps their minds were not in a place that caused them to recognize the Lord; but none the less, they didn’t know it was Jesus. That’s what happens when you drift further and further away from God. Trust me, I speak as a woman of experience. I allow the world to drag me down spiritually until I’m feeling like an empty gum wrapper and of no use to anyone, before I finally realize it’s because I’ve been drifting toward them, not toward Christ.
Part of the reason my mind has been scattered of late is the fact (without regret) that my grandchildren need me more. They are in remote learning because of the virus again and I am the shuttle between them and getting things done while their parents are at work. Remote… Distance learning. I’ll just tell you, it doesn’t work for public school children. It gives me great respect for home schoolers. It does not give me love for the public education institution because they’re getting paid to do a job they’re not doing, whether by circumstance or not. And the children are suffering. They are too far away from the teachers and it doesn’t work.
A lesson that could be learned by the child of God. If we’re not spending time with the Master, we are ripe for the picking of an angry world that wants to have us for lunch.
Distracted Leadership
[5] Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. [6] And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. [7] Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
I’m not sure why Peter was naked, but that had to have been one of those “Oh crap” moments in his life when he realized he’d just been busted by the Lord. Oh my stars, how I can relate. Not that I’ve been naked in a boat, nobody needs that image! But I’ve certainly been away from the Lord and then suddenly realized that He knew where I was at all along. He constantly rings the dinner bell for His children. Come and dine, come and dine… can you hear Him saying that to us? I sure can. All He wants to do is spend time with us and we continually struggle between the distractions of the world’s calling and His. I am dinging my own bell this morning!
Delivered Lunch
What an amazing Lord we serve! He knew Peter was in the boat naked, and he knew that it was Peter’s idea to take everyone fishing rather than to be doing the work of the Lord. And yet, there is the Lord, fixing lunch on the bank of the sea. He does the same for us. I feel as though I’ve just had a full course meal as I read His word and devour it like honey. My time with Him is always sweetness to the soul and blessing in abundance, just as it was to the disciples.
[8] And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. [9] As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. [10] Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. [11] Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. [12] Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. [13] Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. [14] This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
Nobody questioned the delivery guy. They knew it was the Lord! This was the third time they’d seen Him alive after they’d seen Him crucified. Would not that be shock and awe every time? I can’t imagine getting over it, and I’d like to say I can’t imagine forgetting it, and yet, I do. I know the power of the resurrection because I’ve felt it in my life again and again and again. And yet I will fall away from the Lord the same number of times. Here is the Lord, on the bank preparing lunch for His friends who are neglecting their ministry and have gone fishing. Except their not catching anything. Can I just remind myself right now that there will be fishes in the net of a child of God away from the Lord and not giving due diligence to the ministry the Lord has entrusted us with. Amen? Amen Shari.
A few verses later, we hear the Lord ask Peter:
[15] So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
Lovest thou me, Shari? I hear it this morning.
Lovest thou me reader? Can you hear Him?
It’s time to get busy…