Haven't You Any Fish?
[Resurrection Station #5 – John 21]
Haven’t you any fish?
In a moment that I suspect was meant to be intentionally
reminiscent of one of his first encounters with these disciples, Jesus calls to
them in their boats after a night of unsuccessful fishing: “Haven’t you any
fish? No? Aw, that’s a shame.” Then he tells them to throw their nets on the
other side – and once again, their catch is suddenly too large for them to even
haul in.
On one level, this seems like a story I wouldn’t relate much
to. I don’t fish. Oh, Lord, no. Physical labor in general is not my cup of tea
. . . not that I’m proud of this fact. As much as I greatly appreciate and
admire people who do the work to fulfill that essential need to get food on my
table, I have little to no interest in taking part in that process. Not my
gifting, y’all – not my kind of work, although I honestly wish it was some days. I deal with words and ideas and people,
stuff higher up in Maslow’s hierarchy.
And so here we see Jesus meeting one of those base-of-the-pyramid
needs: the disciples require breakfast this morning before he can do any
more with them. Cuz he knows us even better than Abraham Maslow does.
I did notice, however, that the fish the disciples caught were
not critical to his purpose. When they landed, Jesus already had a fire going
with some fish cooking and some bread. He was going to ensure they got fed one
way or the other, whether they chose to participate in the process or not. Ultimately,
there was to be no question that he was the source of their daily bread
(or fish).
But I also notice that he doesn’t limit himself to their
bottom-of-the-pyramid needs. He invites them to add some of their own catch to
the feast. Their work had value to him. He wanted to eat their fish, too. That’s
esteem – level four for Maslow. These boys were fisherman by trade, at least
they were before Jesus called them away. I suspect that an unsuccessful night ploughing
away at their previous profession might have been discouraging. When the sun
rises, he gives them success . . . and a reminder that he is the source of
their success. They have worth and purpose; they have potential to be realized;
they are the hands and feet that he will be working through. Self-actualization
– level five.
His disciples are needy this morning, and he is meeting all
of their needs.
I’ve had a needy couple of years, my friends. Suddenly
becoming single again put my future in question . . . along with my income, my security, my worth,
and my purpose.
And God has consistently and faithfully met every need.
Even those I didn’t know I had.
For sufficient income. For compassionate ears. For lawn care
assistance. For intellectual stimulation and affirmation. For healthy meals. For
a reliable new car. For meaningful work. For A/C repairs and pest control. For
resistance to illness. For peace in conflict. For identity. For joy. For sleep. For hope.
So, to answer today’s question: yes, I do have fish. Every
day, I’ve got fish. He gives me each day my daily fish. But he also gently
sends me out in the boat to do my own fishing and then graciously uses my catch
for his kingdom.
Jesus doesn’t just keep me from being hungry; he keeps me
from floundering in insignificance. He meets me at every level of need –
even those that I didn’t know I had.
My task for this week of Eastertide: count my
daily fish. Look intentionally for all the ways Jesus is actively meeting
my needs, both the concrete and the complex. Thank you, Lord. Just thank
you, thank you, thank you.
[Did you miss R-Station #4? Read it here.]
[Ready for the next one? Here’s R-Station #6.]
[Wanna start from the top? Here’s #1.]
[“What’s a Resurrection Station?” you ask. Glad you did.
Click here.]
Brilliant! Thanks, Gwen!
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