Monday, January 12, 2009

Have You Caught Any Fish?

Hey bloggers,

I don't think that we're through talking about this, yet...here's the passage from yesterday's word...




Chapter 21:1-11

1. After this, Jesus appeared again to His disciples, this time at Lake Tiberias (also known as the Sea of Galilee).

2. And this is how it happened: Simon Peter, Thomas (called “The Twin”), Nathaniel (from Cana in Galilee), and the brother of James and John were all there, together with two other disciples.

3. They were all still in a sort of subdued state of shock over everything that had happened in the last several days, and nobody knew what to do...how to act...how to live. Now that Jesus was gone, should they just go back to doing whatever they were doing before He interrupted their lives? He really hadn’t been that specific in His instructions about what they should do post-resurrection. So Peter looked at all of them just standing around and said, “Well, I’ve got to do something! Life has to go on; I’m going fishing.” And the rest of them, relieved that someone had finally broken the awkward silence and had come up with a plan, said, “We’ll come, too!” So they all piled into the boat and started fishing, finding comfort in the normalcy of a familiar activity. And they fished all night long, but nobody caught a thing.

4. Early the next morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not recognize Him or realize who He was.

5. So Jesus called out to them, “Hey guys, have you caught anything?” And they answered him with a simple, indifferent, “No.”

6. Then He said, “Throw out your net on the right side of the boat and you will catch plenty of fish!” After staring blankly at Him for a minute, they all looked at each other and said, “Why not? What have we got to lose?” So they did what He said and almost immediately began catching so many fish that they couldn’t even draw the net back into the boat.

7. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “You know who that is, don’t you? It is the Lord!” When Peter heard this, he scrambled to put all his clothes back on and spontaneously plunged into the water, swimming as fast as he could to the shore. His immediate response to the thought of seeing Jesus was sheer elation; all he could think about was getting to Him, so much so that he forgot the fact they had not faced each other alone since the three denials.

8. The others stayed with the boat and tried to drag the overloaded net to the shore, for they were only out about three hundred feet.

9. When they got up on the beach, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish was frying over it. There was also bread there to go with it.

10. “Bring up some of the fish that you’ve just caught,” Jesus said.

11. So Simon Peter ran back to the boat and dragged the net to shore. There were one hundred fifty three large fish in it, but somehow the net didn’t rip.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Got this yesterday about the "key ring" analogy. Have you ever gone through ALL OF THE KEYS and none of them fit, forcing you to start back at the first key and try again? And one that you already tried...fit this time, you just had to jiggle it differently. So I wonder if I need to go back and retry something that I previously dismissed as "not working" in my life. Maybe it will work this time.

Anonymous said...

It is comforting to know that scripture says that Jesus, the answer to the challenges of the day, is already waiting for us before the day begins. "Early the next morning" indicates that He already planned to be waiting with answers. Even after He sees us see him (with the answers) without recognizing what it is, He goes another step further and calls us knowing we are likely to be indifferent like Bish translates. Even then, he still offers answers. Get this, He tries to reach us a whole lot more than we try to reach Him. By the time we make our first attempt, He's already called at least three times in different ways. How cool is that?!

Anonymous said...

Something that stands out to me in this scripture is that there was already fish frying in the pan.

Jesus didn't need or want the fish they were to catch by following His command. The catch was for their benefit but He did ask them to bring some of the fish with them and join Him for breakfast.

Simon Peter was obviously filled with an adrenilin rush when he ran back and dragged the net out of the water. He probably pulled the net full of fish out of the water so fast that there was not enough time for the net to tear until perhaps later when someone else tried to move it about on dry land. A hundred fifty three fish would weigh alot even if they were small but these were big ones.

All scripture is fun to read, even those that do not agree with scientific principle, and they always do my soul good but this version (JITN) brings great definition to the reader in today's terms and somehow allows those who love reason to see how these documents of those observers are relevant to our now.

Don't misunderstand, I believe in miracles and will take one over all the reason in the world. I do like it though when a former happening that was regarded as a miracle turns out to be an understandable event that changes hearts and minds about what is possible for humanity to accomplish by simply throwing their net in another direction.

JB

Ebony said...

I have not personally caught fish (yet), but I have always been a big eliever in the power of "one more time" and I try to pass that on to my friends, one in particular. Two specific "other side of the boat" examples come to mind. He works in the painting industry, and while I was visiting, I stopped by the local Sherman Williams and picked every painter's card I saw on the board. When I brought them home he sweetly (but condescendingly)told me that the coards I brought were for painters looking to paint houses, not painters looking to hire, but he thanksed me fort he guesture, and decided to gove a few a call, and he got a job from one of them. Fast forward to late December of last year, and I drive by the same store. I walk in and ask the guy if he knows of any painters hiring and he gives me a few numbers. He calls one of them on my phone, and the next day, the guy calls my number asking for painters. I give Chris the number and the guy says he'll call him back. A few days go by and I tell him this past week, give the guy who called me a call about a paint job, and his first day was yesterday. So i didn't catch any, but I helped someone catch, which is like me catching as well.

JR said...

Haven't caught any fish yet but I
will. I thought of a couple things
that for me are casting my net on the other side of my boat. The main
thing being for me to stop thinking
on the negative thoughts that enter
my mind which I have had a lot of
problems with in the past and still
do to a far lesser extent than now.

Anonymous said...

Catching fish in a sea of mistrust
Some hear the call
Others have a peculiar hearing loss
Throwing the net to the other side
We'll see what happens as this day goes by.
Fishermen see the Father but don't know who He is
Blinded by situation trapped in their head.
He calls to them
Recognize voice they go to Him
Food a plenty is brought to shore
Forget the mistrust
And be fed New Life once more.


I know it means make a mends to those you think have done you wrong.
Forgive so you can be forgiven.

Son of Zadok said...

Hey all you beautiful overcomers! You who are already even now reaping the harvest of eternal life.

Casting the net on the other side of the boat. Yes Lord. The Gospel of Grace calls unto us. Obey my call and pull in the harvest of new life. The neural net of the mind, that can capture the thoughts that pertain to life else the frailties of the flesh. Cast your net to the other side. The other side displays the reality of our whole dichotomy of existence. We are predestined and appointed to develop through this recreation by the power of the Spirit. He calls and enables us to pick up our nets and travel to the other side, as He so desires. It's true, we can vainly lay our nets on our personal ability to preform up to the law of love or He can call us to abandon all hope in trying, falling into the arms of the Great Lover, into what truly is. Ask of Him and He will not withhold from you. He possesses the cattle on a thousand hills. He is your inspiration and guide. We can cast our net to the flesh or He can call us to cast it into the Spirit. We can cast it into our traditions and our heritage of habits or He can unveil new direction and inspiration for us to walk in; the One who's ways and measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. A deliverance from disobedience and no more making excuses for the truth. The truth stands as the truth, and the truth brings light and life unto all humankind. What once the church considered outside the margin, are paths of righteousness. What once was deemed outside the circumference, guides into holy revelation and relation. The Sons of God being revealed. Fishers of men, ones who's eyes see clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: you see Him and see Him now. You behold Him, He is near. A star has come out of Jacob; a scepter has risen out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.

Ebony said...

So, I check the blog and what song comes up? "A Whole New World", and all day yesterday I was pondering whether or not to post the clip from the movie here on the blog. Now I see why some members ask if their house is bugged. Too cool. Copyright laws won't let me post it, but here's the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kl4hJ4j48s

Anonymous said...

I too JB am struck by the fact that Jesus already had fish frying. To me this illustrates that He already owns and has prepared (since they were frying already) the very thing that we have spent so much time trying to catch, earn, own, win, etc. I love that he jumped out of the boat to be with Jesus who, incidently, had fish already prepared. To me, that's the lesson in this. The other fishermen were still struggling to get the fish filled net into the boat while he was on the land, with Jesus, eating fish that was already cooked just because he wanted Jesus, not the fish. He had to let go of the fish he just caught, jump out of the boat, run to Jesus, and then got the fish. So yes, what we are all looking for is Jesus and in him we will find the "fish" that we feel is so important to catch.

Donald said...

I enjoyed Sunday's message as it was being delivered, but the more I think about it and as I read some of the comments posted here it is really beginning to come to life more and more within me.
I don't feel like commenting about it right now as far as what I am getting out of this because it's like there are still pieces of the puzzle being put together to form the complete picture.

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Wow...great thinking, people! I love it!

Anonymous said...

I don’t know how many sermons I have heard preached and even preached myself about how we need to follow the techniques of the fishermen to "catch men" as Jesus told the disciples. Actually when you look at the fishing techniques of the first century (I did a search on the internet and looked in books) You cannot find where they fished with a hook and “bait” or “lure” the fish in as we get a picture in our minds today, when we think of fishing. Some commentators have “assumed” that they did this by one verse in the bible where Peter cast a hook into the sea Mat. 17:27.
In the first century the technique of fishing was by far and wide “casting a net” into the water, they used different types of nets for different occasions. Also some would “trap” fish. Then there was a technique of “snaring” a fish with a single hook. This was done by putting the hook on a line and then when a fish got close to it they would jerk the hook into the fish thereby “snaring” the fish and pulling it in. Sometimes this was done just by throwing the hook and line into the water and pulling it in hoping to snag a fish. Fishermen even today do this around the mouth of dams sometimes. If you look at Mat. 17:27 closely, it does not say anything about bait or anything like that. The verse just says “go to the sea and cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up.” This could just as easily be referring to (and I think it is) “snagging” a fish with a hook rather than what we would think of today.
My point is that when the bible speaks of “fishing” it is most likely talking about casting a net into the water and “dragging” the fish in; rather than in the more modern way of baiting or luring a fish. This would line up better with what was just said prior to that in this verse. It is a play on words I believe, the concordant literal brings this out clearly by translating the words in a “concordant” fashion throughout the New Testament. Mat 17:27 CLV Yet, lest we should be SNARING THEM, go, cast a fish hook into the sea, and pick up the first fish COMING UP……… (my emphasis)
Also this gives clarity to what Jesus meant when he said in Joh 12:32 ALT "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw [or, drag] all to Myself."
ALL THE FISH IN THE NET……not baited or lured, but DRAGED! In by the net!

This is a rough draft of this thought and I will be pulling it together better, adding to it and putting it on my not1lost blog.
Peace,
Dennis

Anonymous said...

Verse 3 - "subdued state of shock over everything that happened", reminds me of when Peter was imprisoned.

An angel of the Lord smote Peter ON HIS SIDE & commanded him to arise quickly.

Verse 6 - Reminds me of the Scripture about man not living by bread alone, but by every word proceeding out of God's mouth.

After obeying the Lord, the disciples caught so many fish that they couldn't retrieve the net.

And, after talking with Jesus in verse 11, Simon Peter arose quickly, returned to the boat & hauled the load to shore!

Jesus activated currents.

One night, a light shined in Peter's prison cell & chains fell off his hands.

On a new day, a Light spoke & scales fell off his eyes.

Anonymous said...

I did find where a line and a hook is used. But still nothing said about "bait". I still think it was used to "snag" the fish. Either way the fish were "caught"....

Anonymous said...

This might sound little weird but it is true... 10 tears ago I went out on a date with my husband for the first time, that very night he said that I was the wife God had chosen for him and he proposed to me that night. I was surprised, happy and sad at the same time. I new what he said was true because we had known each other prior to our date and God had spoke the same thing to me the first time I was intoduced to him, yet still sadness came over me because I had 3 failed marriages and even though I was wiser and had grown in the Lord and in my personal self, I still felt like marital success was an impossible goal for me to acheive. I began to seek God about this matter even though I knew in my spirit he was my promise from God. While in church the next Sunday, God spoke to me loud and clear through this passage, and this srcipture was the revelation to my decision to marry my husband. No matter how many times you have tried to do something in your own strength and failed, if God is ordering you to do it again, it will succeed. There is no failure in God. I know that because I just celebrated 10 wonderful years of marriage on New Years Eve with my husband, Thank God for His Word. I love this passage..

Anonymous said...

Correction, I meant 10 YEARS ago, no tears, other than when giving birth to our precious son, Chandler.

Anonymous said...

got one

its a biggun

got lotsa fight in it

got it up close

wheres the net

wheres the net

its on the other side ovtha boat

there

got it

Wheew!

See ya ITB to night