CAST ON THE RIGHT SIDE!

CAST ON THE RIGHT SIDE!

John 21:3-11 KJV

3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, and hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

          Jesus had died, been buried and had risen. The hope of a quick dispatch of the Romans and a glorious restoration of an earthly kingdom had faded. Peter, who had been called away from his fishing to follow Jesus, had not been fishing commercially for about three years. Now, perhaps in a fit of despair, Peter makes a decision to return to the trade and others quickly follow his lead.

          They had fished unsuccessfully because they had cast on the wrong side of the ship. Now, that sounds silly! How can the left side be the wrong side? It was the wrong side because it was done in abandoning their call to follow Christ. Enterprises conducted in rebellion or abandonment are difficult and unproductive because they lack the blessing of God. They caught nothing.

          The voice of Jesus on the shore skipped along the water like a flat stone and reached the ears of the weary fishers. It was a simple question that asked whether their labor was productive. Their answer was a short and probably brusque “NO”! Try to feel the emotion and physical weariness of these skilled fishermen who had lost their edge while following a dream. “No! Nothing seems to be going well for us!” Then they cast on the right side of the ship and caught so many their nets began to break.

          Something either in the voice or the ridiculous command caused John to say: “It is the Lord!” Our truancy from our call has been discovered. Peter, fishing naked, put on clothes and swam the short distance to shore. Perhaps Peter swam to shore to “explain” why they had returned to their former lives. It seems certain that Peter encountered Jesus before the rest arrived and secured the boat and the fish. It was an uncomfortable meeting.

          What follows shortly is a breakfast of fish and questions. Jesus addresses the questions to Peter both because he was the leader and because he was more culpable in the despondent departure from ministry. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loved him. Three times Peter responds with great admiration. Three times Peter is commanded to return to the feeding of Christ’s human flock instead of fishing.

          Our world is growing increasingly wicked as Christ predicted it would. The result is spiritual weariness, despair and frustration. Do not surrender to the temptation to retreat, retire or return to your former life.

Gal 6:9 KJV

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Dear Lord, many of your children are soul weary. The world is an evil place and we feel unwelcome in it. Help us to remain faithful to you. AMEN