"Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, 'Children, do you have any fish?' They answered him, 'No.' He said to them, 'Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.' So, they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish … Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.' Now none of the disciples dared ask him, 'Who are you?' They knew it was the Lord." (John 21:4-6, 12 ESV)
After all that had happened, Jesus invited His disciples to sit and have breakfast. It’s not hard to imagine the disciples felt a mixture of joy and unease at this moment. They had all betrayed Jesus and fled from Him in His greatest time of need. They had lived in fear behind locked doors, terrified they'd be found and persecuted by the Pharisees. They had been cowards and, in their fear, they returned to what felt doable, fishing, even after already seeing Jesus in resurrected form.
It was too much, and so they went about doing the work that felt within their grasp—the work that had historically provided food and finances for them and their families. They went back to what they did best, but they caught nothing. As is often the case, God gives the gift of failure when it’s time for change. And He doesn’t leave us alone in our failure. Rather, He uniquely meets with us and gently guides us into a better way of living.
Jesus made the disciples breakfast. This simple truth is eternally shocking. The God of all creation took time to sit with His fear-filled, shame-ridden disciples and feed them some freshly cooked breakfast. He loved them and tended to them as a perfect shepherd does his sheep. He was patient with them and cared about their hunger and their fear. He drew near to them and restored them both physically and spiritually.
Do our clients see Jesus in this way? Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the morning in Eden. Jesus sat around a fire on the beach and shared a meal with His disciples. God enjoys being with His children. He isn’t in a rush to get things done. He is patient and present. Do we know Him in this way? If we do, and if our clients do as well, then we can breathe deeply and rest. God is at work. He knows exactly what we need. He is moment by moment providing for every detail of what must be done. And He enjoys walking in the journey with us toward all that He has promised.
