Casting off old ways

Major Jonny Smith explores the frustrations and joys of fishing

JOHN 21:1–14

WHY? The word parents hear thousands of times in their lives. A few years ago, my kids asked me some ‘why’ questions as, for the first time in 40 years, I went fishing. After much nagging from my two boys, who loved the idea, we went to a large reservoir in north London. As complete beginners who had purchased not-so-good rods on eBay, we bought the bait, set it all up and cast our line into the water.

After just a few minutes they asked: ‘Why have no fish taken the bait?’ After several times of reeling in the line and casting it, there was still no catch. The second ‘why’ followed: ‘Why have we not caught anything, Dad?’

Later, things started to go really wrong as the line got tangled. The boys asked: ‘Why has the line got tangled?’

Passers-by laughed at the mess they witnessed. Needless to say we did not catch anything and it took hours to untangle the line. If anybody had offered me advice, I would have taken it gladly.

As we read John 21, there are so many ‘whys’ in the account John gives of the disciples’ miraculous catch of fish. I want to go through some of these to see how they can impact us on our spiritual journey.

Why do they go fishing? To answer this, we need to go back and explore more of the disciples’ journey.

For three years, these men had given up their fathers’ businesses – for some this was fishing – to become followers of Jesus. They heard his teaching and instruction, observed and experienced miracles, and some had witnessed the empty tomb. They met Jesus and he breathed his Spirit on them. Simply mind-blowing!

'In Surprised By Hope' NT Wright sums this up beautifully: ‘The Resurrection completes the inauguration of God’s Kingdom… It is the decisive event demonstrating that God’s Kingdom really has been launched on Earth as it is in Heaven.’

The disciples were empowered to go. Could it be that it all became too much for them, and they went back to what they once knew – back to what they perhaps felt comfortable with and back from where God was sending them?

QUESTIONS

Why do you think it is so easy to return to old ways, even when we know God has given us, as individuals or corps, a new way?

What tempts us to do this?

How could we stop ourselves from returning to where we were more comfortable?

Why did the disciples take advice from another person about where to cast their nets? Their recent experiences would have inevitably put strain on them. When we get tired and overwhelmed, as the disciples would have been, we can sometimes do strange things. However, for experienced fishermen to have caught nothing is rather odd as they would have known the waters and the best place to cast the nets. What is even odder is that they listened to the advice of a ‘stranger’, who they would have known was not one of the local fisherman and not an expert in the trade. Not only did they listen to him, but they also carried out his instruction, which produced the catch of the year.

QUESTIONS

Why do you think God continually uses the unexpected people to speak to us? W

hy are we generally unwilling to listen to somebody we do not know, or who comes with what we perceive as little or no experience?

Why did Peter choose to go for a swim? I love Peter, and perhaps see much of myself in him. Having identified that ‘it is the Lord’ (v7), Peter put on his outer garment and jumped in the water. Was he so desperate to get to his master? I am a reasonably fast swimmer, but put me up against a boat with sails or oars, and it will go faster than me and most swimmers. It would seem odd to choose to swim as a quicker route to get to Jesus, even though the boat followed him because he was swimming right in front of it.

Could the answer be found from what happened during the washing of the feet in John 13 and the accounts of Peter’s denial in John 18? We can only begin to imagine the pain and shame of this, which leads me to wonder whether, seeing Jesus on the shore, Peter puts his garments back on and jumps in to wash himself completely clean, perhaps living out John 13:10. Does he perceive this as part of his journey to reconciliation?

QUESTIONS

Why do we continually get it wrong and try to walk away from God?

How desperate are we to get to Jesus and what lengths will we go to in order to reconnect with him?

If we are disciples who are truly striving after Christ and grappling with Scripture, we will always have questions. Are we living Spirit-breathed lives that transform us, and the world around us, or would we rather seek familiar comforts? How can we listen out for God’s voice in unexpected places? In what ways do we need Christ’s reconciliation in our lives?

MAJOR SMITH IS INTERCULTURAL MISSION ENABLER, THQ

Through the week with Salvationist

– a devotional thought for each day by Major Freda Benneyworth

SUNDAY

I serve a risen Saviour,/ He’s in the world today;/ I know that he is living,/ Whatever men may say;/ I see his hand of mercy,/ I hear his voice of cheer,/ And just the time I need him/ He’s always near.

(SASB 847)

MONDAY

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. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord.

( John 21:11 and 12)

TUESDAY

Then in fellowship sweet/ We will sit at his feet,/ Or we’ll walk by his side in the way;/ What he says we will do,/ Where he sends we will go,/ Never fear, only trust and obey.

(SASB 690)

WEDNESDAY

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’

( John 20:26–28)

THURSDAY

God will make a way/ Where there seems to be no way./ He works in ways we cannot see,/ He will make a way for me./ He will be my guide,/ Hold me closely to his side,/ With love and strength for each new day./ He will make a way, he will make a way.

(SASB 492)

FRIDAY

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

(Luke 24:45–48)

SATURDAY

Our deeds must ever match our creed,/ Then God our way will truly lead/ As when those first disciples heard/ And boldly trusted God’s great word./ If we believed as they believed,/ Great grace would hallow every deed,/ Light would be ours his truth to know/ And send us forth his love to show.

(SASB 680)

Prayer

Amazing Lord, you sometimes call me to the seemingly impossible. Yet, by your grace and my obedience it all fits together and works. Keep me ready to achieve what you have in mind.