An Unlikely Catch

Every time I read the Gospel today, something different catches my attention. Today it’s the unlikely catch of an abundance of fish that Simon Peter and the apostles receive, right before Simon Peter is commissioned by Jesus to feed and tend His sheep.

Here Simon Peter is going back out to fish after the powerful experience of the Resurrection. We could surmise that maybe Simon Peter just didn’t know what else to do at that point except go back to his fisherman gig now that Jesus was gone.

How often in life do we go out to sea fishing for something in our lives and search for a certain catch only to come up empty handed? Or perhaps we did catch something, but it wasn’t as abundant and plentiful as we thought it would be. Likewise, how often do we experience the power of Jesus’ resurrection year after year and then go back to business as usual even when we hear our own commission and call to witness His resurrection, share the good news, build up the church, love Him, and tend His sheep? Has Easter changed us or made a difference in our lives? 

This season of Easter and Resurrection is a time when we can visibly see God’s plentiful abundance such as the blooming flowers, vibrant green grass and trees, the abundance of sunlight, and Scripture passages that fill us with hope and joy. This is all a beautiful backdrop for the springtime of our spiritual lives.

And what is the springtime of our spiritual lives? It's the unlikely catch in our lives reflective of God's graciousness, blessing, and abundance; and living in light of Jesus’ call to witness to His resurrection, share the good news, build up the church, love Him, and tend His sheep