Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Today’s Scripture
Today’s Author
Rob Sparks
This familiar story from John takes place right at the end of his gospel and right at the end of Jesus’s earthly ministry, a post-resurrection appearance. We have no way of dating this encounter, but I suspect it took place nearer the end of the 40 days Jesus remained on earth after Easter. If you’ll remember, just after the crucifixion, the disciples were hiding in Jerusalem, fearful that the authorities would arrest them too. Yes, they had met the risen Lord, and he had charged them, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you,” but at some point, they must have decided the coast-was-clear and decided to head to their home region, Galilee.
Their great quest, presumably over, the disciples got back to work. Eight of them are in a boat together and John informs us they caught nothing. It’s only when Jesus appears at dawn that they catch a symbolic load of fish. He orders them to bring it ashore, where he is cooking a meal of fish and bread—two symbols for himself.
Here we have the disciples, who having thought their mission was complete, have gone back to their workaday lives. The reality is, once you’ve encountered Jesus, you can’t go back to the way things were before. You can’t just fish for fish. The former fishermen, in a few short days, will embark on their post-Pentecost mission, and they will bring in a harvest of people. Modern disciples are called to the same mission.
Summer Devotional
God Goes With Us
This summer’s devotional is a walk through the Bible. Join our pastors and staff for daily reflections on scripture passages from Genesis to Revelation. In the beginning, God said, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” Come and see how this covenant promise changes through time yet remains steadfast from generation to generation.
Each Sunday, Chris Holmes will share a short message on the texts for the week, and written reflections will go out every Monday through Thursday morning.
We wish you blessings and deeper faith this summer!
