Healing Rays of Righteousness

Being overwhelmed with fear and grief, by the events of the past few weeks, since entering Jerusalem for the Passover, the disciples of Jesus are physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. Bewildered and confused, they struggle with feelings of guilt because of their cowardly desertion of Jesus during his arrest, trial, and crucifixion.

Their hopes of a new Kingdom, a new day for the people of God, were shattered. Even though they rejoiced in seeing Jesus resurrected and again alive, they could not comprehend how he could transform what they saw as a lost cause, into a new future of God’s Kingdom on earth.

According to the disciple, John, he and six others were together, back home in their neighborhood by the Sea of Galilee. One evening, Simon Peter said, “I’m going out to fish, … and they said, “We’ll go with you.  So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.” (John 21:3).

The decision to go fishing was a decision that came out of the need to alleviate their feelings of sad defeat and despair. And to go fishing was a return to something they knew, understood, and felt comfortable doing. 

But after fishing all night, which is the best time to catch fish, they are feeling even more defeated. They caught nothing, not even one small fish. They were expert fishermen who knew the lake in every detail and were skilled in catching fish. It had been their vocation, their livelihood, but on this night, they caught nothing, not even one small fish.

It was at this extremely difficult moment in their lives, that Jesus comes and standing on the shore, calls out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw you net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” (Jn. 21:5-6).

And, wow, a tremendous fishing success follows their obedience to Jesus’ instruction. It was the same lake, the same boat, the same net, and the same crew, but a new obedience turned failure into success so great that “they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.”  An important lesson of encouragement to us in our times of failure.

Even though Jesus had breakfast already prepared for these hungry men, he asks them to contribute to the breakfast from their big catch of fish. And then with gentleness and love, Jesus invites them to “Come and have breakfast.” (Jn. 21:12).

As Jesus graciously and lovingly shares his food with them, they experience his forgiveness. Their fellowship with him is restored and their hearts reassured that he loves them. Moreover, their team unity and love for one another is restored. They again sense that they are working together under the authority of Jesus. And their physical, emotional, and spiritual hungers are nourished and satisfied.

During the early dawn of a new day, Jesus comes to his exhausted disciples with love and forgiveness, and turns their sadness into gladness, their despair into hope, and their mourning into mission.

It is said that we could view this time by the Sea of Galilee as a time of LOVE, even as we view Pentecost as a time of POWER. I can agree with this perspective because we can learn from the biblical scriptures that in God’s expectations and training of Jesus followers to be his witnesses, enabling power is always secondary to compelling love. However, I confess that even though I know that when God’s love fills and possesses us, it becomes the source of our greatest good, our greatest happiness, and our greatest usefulness as God’s witness and evangelist of good news, I still find it easier to pray for power to do things for God, than it is to pray for greater love for God and all others.

More than anything else, we need love! The world needs love! In the early morning seaside breakfast, love is on the menu and infuses Jesus’ every word and act in his effort to restore relationship, while 07love in the relationship between himself and the disciples, as well as between disciple and disciple.

For the same purpose, Jesus comes to each one of us and invites us to “Come and have breakfast.”  Start your day with me and I will feed and nourish your deepest hungers of the day. I will turn your nets of empty dilemmas and concerns into full nets of blessings. With love, I will unite you with my church team in doing my work of love in the world. And I will always love you. “Come and have breakfast.”

<><><><><> 

Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 5/07/25