Going Fishing

My good fishing friend is just about finished preparing his boat and he told me the other day that the lakes would be clear soon and that means put the ice fishing gear away and get ready to chase some fish around the lake!

Easter is past and so we can pretty much put Winter behind us and focus on Spring. (I know that WY weather is never that simple, but I still like to think that way!) But before the resurrection story fades from your mind completely take a moment to finish off a few jelly beans and think about the fishing trip that took place shortly after Jesus rose from the dead. In John 21 you can read about what took place.

Jesus had appeared to the disciples to let them know that He had risen from the dead and had sent them to Galilee (Matt. 28:10) and while they were there, Peter thought it would be a good time to fish a little bit. He had a really bad experience in Jerusalem, not only losing his Lord, but also denying that he knew Him three times. No doubt he felt as if he were a much better fisherman than a disciple at that point.

So he and six other disciples took off to wet their nets a bit. They fished all night and didn’t catch a thing. (I can certainly relate to that!) They noticed a man on the shore calling out to them, “Got any fish?” Don’t you hate that question after being skunked?

“NO!” they shouted back and the man called out to them, “Try the other side of the boat!” And probably in a might-as-well sort of effort they cast the nets one more time. Suddenly they had more fish than they could handle! The disciples flashed back to another time they had a catch like that and realized it must be Jesus on shore. Peter, the impulsive one, jumped in and swam while the others brought the boats and the catch to shore.

Jesus had a fire going and some fish and bread cooking for them all. What an amazing reunion that must have been! But for Peter the best was still to come. Jesus pulled him aside and asked him “Peter, do you love me?” Jesus asked him three times – the same number of times Peter had denied he even knew Jesus. And when Peter answered, “Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus gave Peter a job to do, “Take care of my sheep.” referring to His followers. It was a “guy thing” – a way to let Peter know that Jesus had forgiven him and trusted him to be a disciple. The Bible never really says, but I wonder if that was the last time Peter ever went fishing? Jesus let him know that he was as good a disciple as he had ever been a fisherman.

This fishing trip reminds me that failing doesn’t make us failures it just makes us experienced. Especially when we take our failures to Jesus. He is anxious to forgive and restore us and use us for His glory. Don’t think that you have to give up following Jesus when you fail. If you confess your sins, He is faithful to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)