“Simon Peter and Thomas, who was also called Didymus, were there together. Nathanael from Cana in Galilee and the sons of Zebedee were with them. So were two other disciples. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them. They said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat. That night, they didn’t catch anything…” (John 21:2-3 NKJV).
Ever wondered why Peter decided to return to his fishing trade instead of continuing in the way he had been shown to live by Jesus?
If we look back to recent happenings, Jesus had just been taken by the Romans and crucified. That was a major disruption to their life and their belief in who He was. To make matters worse for Peter, when the chips fell, he succumbed to his human nature to protect himself, rather than to be crucified with Jesus by being associated with Him.
There were so many things going on in his mind and spirit. He was a broken man! Everything he hoped for and believed in for the last three years had turned to dust, and he wasn’t even sure he knew who he was anymore…
Fishing, for him, and his companions, who were also shaken by recent events, came naturally. There’s a certain comfort in doing the things that come naturally or easy to you, when your hopes in being a better person are dashed by either your own actions or the actions of others. You might tell yourself, when you go back to the way you were before you had a dream, or when you stop doing the thing you loved because it stopped making sense, that maybe this is all there is.
I think this is why Peter decided to return to fishing. I think this is why some of us decided to stop doing that thing we loved. Disappointment and an identity crisis.
But we have to go through it.
Jesus allowed Peter to go through it. He didn’t come to them until the morning, and it’s kind of funny reading what transpired, because, to their knowledge, He was dead. Here’s what is recorded from verses 4-15:
“But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”
They answered Him, “No.”
6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”
11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.
14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of [b]Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [c]love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”” (NKJV)
By this appearance, Jesus restored their faith and their identity in Him. And by specifically singling out Peter to ask if he loved Him and commissioning him to “Feed His lambs,” He was washing away the scorge of shame that covered Peter’s heart after his betrayal.
Shame will keep you from seeing how much you are loved…
Shame will keep you from believing when someone tells you they believe in you…
Shame will keep you remembering how much of a disappointment you were, rather than how gracious God is…
So, Jesus had to tell Peter three times. It’s probably also symbolic of the fact that, three times in one night, Peter denied Jesus. By so doing, Jesus was saying, “You messed up, I know. It’s in the past now. I forgive you. Let’s move on, because I have work for you. Continue in my work…“
Peter’s identity in who he was, his relationship with God, was restored by this visitation. And even when Jesus disappeared again, it didn’t cause him to doubt that it ever happened, it only caused him to remember and UNDERSTAND many of the things Jesus had said to him before, while they walked together, that he hadn’t quite understood before.
So, my brothers and sisters, if you stopped ministrying because of something shameful that you did or something awful that happened to you, which shook everything you thought you knew about yourself, God, or His Church, the Lord wants you to shake it off and remember His calling in your life. It is not over yet. The Lord is not done with you yet.
He came as a human being so that He could relate with us in every point and save us in every way. There is nothing that happened that He didn’t know in advance would happen, and that He doesn’t know how to deliver you from. Let your restoration be a testimony to someone else going through it.
You are His child, and no matter how muddied you are, that doesn’t change. Let His holy water wash over you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness as you continue to walk with Him.
“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin…” (1 John 1:7 NKJV).
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If you liked this post, you might like SHAME: THE DEVIL’S STICKY TAPE (PART 2)
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