A Resurrection Lesson from Peter

Blustery, outspoken, can’t-sit-still Peter was doing what he liked least—waiting.  He wasn’t alone in the room.  Other disciples were waiting, too.  This was after the resurrection, after they had seen Jesus with their own eyes.  Jesus had told them to wait. 

But Peter was ready for action.  He was tired of waiting.  No twiddling thumbs for him.  He needed to do something.

“I’m going fishing,” he announced to the group.  It wasn’t a question.

 “We’ll go with you.”  Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two other unnamed disciples offered, anxious for something to do as well.   

Some believe they were out of line for not staying where Jesus said to wait.  Others remind us that Jesus told them he would meet them in Galilee. Still others criticize them for returning to fishing when Jesus called them to discipleship.

We understand too well the need to do something other than sit and wait, don’t we? We have enough waiting rooms in our lives. What good is waiting when you can do something?

I side with Peter.  I’d be straightening the room, cooking a meal, doing something.  Productive work is better than doing nothing.

So the disciples went fishing, but the fish weren’t biting.  Were they in the wrong place at the wrong time?  Was it a sign that this was not about fishing?\

A figure on the shore shouted: “Caught anything?”

The disciples didn’t recognize who it was because they didn’t expect to know him. At least they were honest and told the man that there had been no fish.

“Try the other side!” Jesus suggested.

Was it desperation that prompted them to follow this simple suggestion?  Or was it the authority they heard in the voice the wind brought close?

 Peter had a similar instruction before.   When Jesus borrowed his boat, Jesus told him to change his fishing strategy. Did he remember that he balked at the instruction to fish in deeper water after a night of empty nets? 

It was John who recognized the figure on the shore and announced, “It is the Lord!”

Suddenly, nothing was as important as getting to Jesus as fast as he could. He splashed through the shallows all the way to the shore to see Jesus.

That’s what resurrection will do.  Peter had been with Jesus for three years and without him for some very long days.  Peter would jump waves, run marathons, or whatever it took to get to Jesus.

Does Jesus’ resurrection do the same for us?  Does it make us more focused, more vocal, more of anything that gets us to Jesus and helps more people know him?

We struggle between waiting, doing, and knowing the right time for each. However, I believe Jesus will show up for us when we need him, just like he did for Peter and the rest. He wants to give us whatever we need to do his will.  The question we’re left with is how long does it take us to recognize that Jesus has been waiting for us?

 Was this the last time Peter went fishing? We don’t know. What we do know is that Peter came to a new understanding that Jesus was available when he needed him, and he wanted to be available to Jesus the same way.

To live as Easter people, we must ask how we are jumping out of our comfort zones to join Jesus. How will we join him today?