Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.”
John 21:2-3a
Sometimes we need a little breather between one chapter in life and the next. Several things can happen in those interludes. We might find some rest so our batteries can recharge. We might have an opportunity for planning, strategizing for the days ahead. There can also be time for us to reflect on the recent past and gain much-needed perspective. And not least, the break in action may be a necessary pause in order for our next chapter to begin at the perfect time. At this point of our gospel narrative, all of these factors are probably part of the story.
The last chapter of John’s gospel account begins in a familiar location: the Sea of Galilee. We know that Jesus had appeared to the disciples on the day of his resurrection, and a second time a week later. Both of those events (certainly the first, and likely the second) took place in Jerusalem. Given that the disciples are now back in Galilee, we can reasonably say it has been a couple of weeks or more since Resurrection Day. To ask what the disciples were doing with their days is not a bad question. Although Jesus had appeared to them, it wasn’t like before when they were walking with him regularly. They may have felt a bit like a person on her first day of retirement who asks, “What do I do now?” In his old stomping grounds, Peter has the answer. “I’m going fishing,” he declares to the friends who are present. As no one spoke up to offer a more pressing agenda, the others agreed to go with him.
Why fishing? Well, let’s ponder it for a moment. Before going further, I know some of you live by the motto, “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.” For you, fishing is always the right answer, so bear with us as we actually think through a few possible reasons. First of all, fishing was familiar to Peter. To put it another way, it was something he could do without thinking about it. Peter could have his hands in motion with fishing nets while his mind processed other things. Second, fishing for Peter had been his livelihood. Uncertain of his future, he may have been dipping his toe back in the waters of his old profession (pun intended). Thirdly, fishing may have been an unconscious way for Peter to reconnect with powerful events in his recent past. It was on that body of water that Peter witnessed a miraculous catch of fish. It was on the surface of that lake that Peter saw Jesus walk, and subsequently took his first radical steps in faith toward Jesus. In short, there does not appear to be one easy answer as to why Peter decided to go fishing.
Knowing the rest of the New Testament, we can understand how this interlude in the grand kingdom story was serving multiple purposes. One purpose obviously was to keep things on God’s perfect timing. The celebration of Pentecost only a few weeks on the horizon would start an explosion we now know as the Church. That mission would keep the apostles busy for the rest of their lives. We can also understand how the waiting period would give the apostles time for them to rest from the physical and emotional trauma they had experienced. Further, the time gave the apostles an opportunity to process events and gain perspective. To that end, consider what Peter might have been thinking during that time.
If I’m guessing correctly (and this is just a guess), Peter was the kind of guy who liked to get things right. That does seem a bit ironic, since Peter tends to be the one who frequently spoke or acted incorrectly. Still, I sense that Peter was the kind of person who might spend much time in reflection on things he had misunderstood. Over a period of three years there were multiple times when none of the disciples seemed to grasp what Jesus was teaching. Peter’s time of reflection might have been partly spent on recalling the words of Jesus, trying to pick up on things he missed the first time around. It is also reasonable that Peter would be spending time reflecting on his role with the other apostles moving forward. Peter knew that Jesus had confirmed Peter’s place as a leader in the group. The problem at that point was a lack of any clear plan to move forward. How do you lead when you don’t know where you’re going? Peter’s own scripture (Proverbs 29:18) told him that people perish without vision. Peter didn’t want them to perish, but the best he could do at the moment was take them fishing.
There remains at least one other item that could have occupied the mind of any of the disciples. It is the matter of perceived failure. All of the disciples could have been feeling this. When Jesus was going through his trial, none of them were storming the courts of the Sanhedrin demanding justice for Jesus. None of them were said to have made a stand against the crowd chanting “crucify him!” Even in light of Jesus’ resurrection, processing their own sense of failure could have been difficult. Their guilt would have the capacity to haunt the conscience for a long time. And as it could have been the case for any of the disciples, it obviously could have been especially true for Peter. How could he cope with the memory of his denial of Jesus? If fishing could have been a chance for Peter to connect with better memories of Jesus, it also might have served as a distraction from the pain that lingered with him day and night. Having failed Jesus, maybe he could find a bit of comfort in a task with a high likelihood of success.
If you continue reading the narrative of John 21, you soon discover that success escaped Peter even in the fishing expedition. However, the ensuing sequence of events always leaves me smiling. Standing on the shore, Jesus calls to the disciples in the boat to inquire about their fish (of which they had none). He instructs them to cast on the right-hand side of the boat. After doing so, the nets are filled to overflowing. At that point John recognizes Jesus on shore. He points it out to Peter, and in his typical spontaneity, Peter strips his clothing, jumps into the water and swims to Jesus, who just happens to have a fire made on which they can prepare some bread and fish for breakfast.
In my humble opinion, it is difficult to read this narrative and not think about how good Jesus is. There is more that happens here between Jesus and Peter, and we will get into that in our next blog post. For now, let us be encouraged by two observations. First, Jesus knows when we need a respite. He will grant you those breathers between chapters, times to reflect and recharge. What we must not do is think that respites become permanent. As it is said, there is no retirement in the work of the Kingdom. Respites are for a time and for a purpose, and they are always followed by new chapters in which we are poured out for the work of the Gospel.
Second, Jesus will not leave us abandoned in the midst of our periods of transition. We may not immediately recognize him, just as the disciples didn’t immediately know what strange man was calling to them from the shore. Still, he is there, and he reaches out to us to engage us in our healing, in our rest, in our reorientation. There is no reason to think otherwise. He is always moving toward us in healing, redemptive ways. It is a grace he gives so that we are ready to joyfully engage once again when the Spirit moves. So if you find yourself in a season where you’ve “gone fishing,” just know that in due time Jesus will bring you back to shore with a boat load of blessing, ready to point you toward new avenues of service for the Kingdom.
See you along the Winding Path.
An invitation for the faithful readers:
As you can probably tell, the In Their Steps journey is close to conclusion. This will mean a new focus for the Winding Path blog. At this point a direction has not been revealed to me by the Holy Spirit. I would welcome your input on the matter. Remember that my goal is to write in such a way that scripture is understood, imaginations prompted, and hearts enlarged toward Jesus. Thank you for traveling the path with me. You are greatly appreciated!
The Winding Path 