A couple of weeks ago, someone was talking to me about the passage in John 21:1-14, when Jesus appears to seven disciples after he had risen from the dead.
The disciples had been out fishing, but that night they caught nothing. “Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.”
The disciples went fishing, but they didn’t catch anything. Interestingly, the next morning when Jesus appeared to the disciples, they didn’t even recognise Him. You might wonder why?
This passage reminded me of going to uni. Fishing is often used in the Bible as a metaphor for being on mission. You may have been commissioned by your church family or your biological family to a life of mission at uni. Maybe you went with a head full of ideas of helping others come to Jesus, of being bold in sharing your faith and of inviting your flatmates to #trychurch for the first time.
Except that, looking back now, you realise you have still not caught anything.
Maybe you’ve been distracted by new things, prioritising other things, such as nights out, sports, new friends, etc... Do the people around you know that you’re a Christian? Maybe you are even not sure about your faith any more. Maybe you’ve even woken up on a Sunday morning feeling you’d rather do anything other than go to church?
Don’t worry, it’s not too late. Jesus is waiting for you on the shore. He’s calling you by your name. Do you recognise him?
For some of you, if you haven’t caught anything, Jesus is saying to you as he said to his disciples, “Throw your net out on the other side! Give it another go. Go fishing again!” You might be surprised by what happens next.
For others of you, you need to remember that Jesus is for you not against you. He is standing on the shore waiting for you. He knows where you’re at, and he meets you there. He is inviting you to “Come and have breakfast.” He is saying “come and eat with me!” He is inviting you to come and spend time with him, rest in him and in his words; He wants you to recognise him.
Where are you today in relation to God? Do you recognise him? Will you accept or re-accept his call to go out fishing again?
Why don't you pray to God now to send you out this week and provide opportunities for you to go fishing again...
