Wondering with the Word: barbecue
This is the risen Christ who can still take time to walk on the sand, build a fire, prepare breakfast for his closest friends. I love this Jesus.
John 21:1-19
Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish
21 Afterwards Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.[a] It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 ‘I’m going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them, and they said, ‘We’ll go with you.’ So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’
‘No,’ they answered.
6 He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment round him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred metres. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus reinstates Peter
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!’
For some years while I lived in Cornwall, I played in a band that led worship in churches and Christian events around the county. When we were searching for a name we eventually settled on GraceNotes - in music those little extra flourishes that can add so much to a piece.
It’s also a concept in journalism. Roy Peter Clark, an American writer, editor, and writing coach is the founder of the National Writers Workshop. He used the idea in the context of original writing.
‘As you play one note on the piano, you lightly flick the note next to it. It is not necessary to the melody, but is often considered a lovely decoration,’ he said.
Then, referring to journalism, he said: ‘One of the things that contributes to both wit and polish is to select just one special word that stands out from the rest, that gives a sense that the writer really cares.’
It’s always a joy to me when the Gospel writers employ words that underline the authenticity of their accounts. If they were making the whole thing up why use those words or phrases?
In this lovely post-resurrection story, the writer of the Gospel of John has a number.
‘I’m going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them, and they said, ‘We’ll go with you.’ So they went … (v3)
… they were not far from shore, about a hundred metres (v8)
… they saw a fire of burning coals (v9)
… dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153 (v11)
None of these change the story but they all add light and shade to the narrative. A newspaper sub-editor (I know because I’ve been one) would strike the extras out because the story needs speeding up … more urgency.
In helping us understand Jesus as someone who still cares for his friends, the grace notes ring out.
This is the risen Christ who can still take time to walk on the sand, build a fire, prepare breakfast for his closest friends. I love this Jesus.
I took the concept into a hymn I wrote for Maundy Thursday (and I do know we’re past that in the Church year now).
What quality of Saviour comes to bring salvation by his death? What kind of battle-plan to hang forsaken, beaten and bereft? This is the Saviour who, for me, endured the cross with all its shame; who, dying for a world, can still remember and call out my name.
Jesus, through whom everything in Creation came to be, cares enough about human beings that, even after Resurrection Day, he wants to meet his friends at their point of need. In this case their search for what has been lost … and he begins with breakfast.
How absolutely Christlike to start with human need.
Does Peter need to be brought to his senses and reminded of his betrayal. Yes.
Does he need an understanding of the call on his life: who the Christ now needs him to be for the Gospel? Yes.
Does he have to regain his sense of being The Rock on which Christ would build his Church? Absolutely.
How does Jesus do it? My frequently-repeated phrase is that Jesus gives Peter a barbecue, not a roasting. His invitation is: ’Come and have breakfast’ and he prepares a welcome for Peter and the disciples.
The fire was already lit
Fish was already cooking
Bread was waiting
He provides what the failed fishermen need.
The miraculous catch of fish is a reminder to rely on him, not our own strength
It offered proof of who he is: risen and victorious (v14 ’this was the third time’)
He turns the bonfire of betrayal (Peter denying him at his trial) into the fire of forgiveness.
And in that act of normality, Jesus makes himself known in a miracle, an act of invitation and in becoming the host once again. We can see echoes of the feeding of the 5,000 and the foot-washing at the Last Supper as the simple act of a beachside barbecue provides the platform for a reconciliation.
How can we insert ourselves into the narrative? What does it tell us of how Christ deals with our failures? What does it say of Grace: the offer to us of all God’s riches through his Son, once dead and now gloriously alive?
For me, it says that God in Christ pursues us into the depths of our failures to remind us that we are his and he will not let us go. He came looking for Peter and the others, stood on the seashore and called out to them.
His actions show that our failures - even in trying to return to our past to escape the pain of the present - can be redeemed. The once-proficient fishermen couldn’t catch a thing but their failure is rescued by Jesus’ intervention. In fact the end result is better than anything they could have hoped for.
But - and a beautiful side note - even if they had completely flopped while at sea, Jesus already had fish cooking for breakfast. He goes ahead of us to provide a better outcome than we had dreamed of.
For Peter, Jesus enters his situation to transform it and we can be assured that this is always how Christ responds to his people: even if we try to sail our own ship. Our best is lacking without him.
After breakfast the restoration begins.
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.
The imagery moves Peter from being a failed fisherman to what he had been called for - to be a shepherd in Christ’s place. There’s a lot of theological gymnastics around the triple charge: feed my lambs; take care of my sheep; feed my sheep. It may carry some significance but it’s enough for today to know that Jesus underlines that heaven is not finished with Peter, despite his running away, despite his denial, despite his absence at the cross.
And Peter doesn’t miss the point. His response to Jesus: ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ It’s a loving restoration but the point hits home.
Even a cursory reading of the Book of Acts shows that Peter became foundational to the early Christian believers, speaking out boldly and calling for repentance and a turning around of lives even when it led him into trouble with the chief priests and elders (Acts 4).
There was no sign of the broken failure we meet on the beach. His restoration had given him the confidence to declare: ‘Which is right from God’s point of view? Should we listen to you? Or should we listen to God? You be the judges! There’s nothing else we can do. We have to speak about the things we’ve seen and heard.’ (Acts 4: 19-20)
And it all turned around after a breakfast barbecue.
Thanks Gareth, really thoughtful blog. 🙂