Breakfast with Jesus... (part one)

Yesterday, on my last morning of reading in John's Gospel, I was struck by the touching scene that brings a conclusion to the book. The background to this episode is that all of Jesus' disciples and friends had deserted Him in His time of need. Either they had run away to save their own skin, or they had followed at a distance and vehemently denied even knowing Jesus when anyone asked them about it. Now, just a few days after Jesus' death and resurrection, and even after they already had proof that He had risen from death, the disciples seem to have abandoned their calling to preach the gospel and started to go back to their old lives, to the way things were before they met Jesus and began to follow Him. John chapter 21 begins with seven of the disciples going out onto the lake to do some fishing.

They weren't very successful, though, and were probably feeling discouraged as they headed to shore in the dim light of dawn. Their new lives with the Teacher had fallen apart, and now their old lives weren't working out either. They hadn't caught a single fish, despite being out in the boat all night long.

The next part of the story is well known. In the light of the sunrise, they see an indistinct figure on the beach. He tells them to throw their nets out on the other side, and they bring in a huge haul of fish. That's when they realise that the man is Jesus.

But the part of the story that really struck me most is what Jesus says to them when they reach the beach. There are so many things that He could have said to them. He could have reprimanded them for abandoning Him and denying Him. He could have reproached them for going back to their old lives as fishermen. He could have said, "What on earth are you doing here?"

But He doesn't. Instead, what He does say to them is simply, "Come and have some breakfast." (vs 12) It's not a call to get their act together; it's not a command to get on with the work to be done. It's simply an invitation to relationship and to spending time together. This is not an invitation to religion; it's an invitation to friendship. It's an invitation to breakfast with Jesus. In this case, to breakfast right there on the beach.

Jesus has already started the fire going. He's already bought or baked some bread, and a few fish are already roasting on the fire. But he asks them to bring their own contribution too; he asks them to bring some of the fish that they have just caught. It would have been so easy for Jesus to provide everything; to emphasise the fact that He was the one with resources and that they had failed miserably to catch any fish, despite hours of hard toil. Instead, He asks them to bring something of what they have to offer, some of the fish that they have just caught. That's what friendship is about; it's about giving and receiving, caring and sharing, each one in the friendship doing his or her part to make it work.

Of course, Jesus had provided everything, as their huge haul of fish had been a miracle catch, but He graciously invites them to bring something to the breakfast that they're going to share together. That's how it should be in our friendship with Jesus: although in one sense He has done everything to make the friendship possible, He invites us to do our part - to give the time and attention necessary - to help the friendship grow deep and strong.

Read on below for some of my memories of "breakfast with Jesus."