After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. John 21:1-8
The disciples went fishing after Easter. Of course they did. What else could they do? They were fisherman. They went back to what they knew.
How often have we done the same? How often have we failed to process grief in our lives, falling instead back into the mind numbing safety of our daily routines? How many lessons have we failed to learn because we were too quick to leave the uncomfortable times and places of our lives?
They went fishing but they soon discovered that their old lives weren’t going to work anymore. They didn’t catch a thing. They got skunked all night.
The next morning they saw Jesus standing on the shore.
There are three lessons I take from this passage into our time after Easter.
First, while the disciples discovered that they couldn’t go back again to their old lives, Jesus helped them to see why they wouldn’t want to! Jesus taught them how to fish on the other side of the boat – he had opened their eyes to eternal life and wouldn’t let them go.
Second, Simon Peter discovered forgiveness. He jumped in the water and swam to shore because he had experienced forgiveness from Jesus for his betrayal. He needed that love in his life, couldn’t get enough of it.
And third, as we go fishing (that is, as we live the lives that God has given us) we are blessed to know that Jesus has welcomed us into his boat.
Our task together is to take our fishing orders from him. He tells us to love one another, to make new disciples, to share bread and wine, to pray often, to trust him alone, to stay awake in the face of temptation and to cast our nets on the side of the boat that we least expect.
It worked for them. Why should it not work for us?
Let us pray: Guide us, our Savior and Redeemer, that we might do what you would have us, go where you would lead us, serve as you have served us and love as you have filled us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.