Saturday, November 22

They were not far from land, only about a hundred yards off. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them; and though there were so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”
—John 21: 8b-12

We are invited to breakfast by the resurrected Christ. He is hungry. He would like fish for breakfast. The disciples had plenty to share, as they usually did when Jesus was with them. When there were just a few fish to feed the 5,000, Jesus found a way to multiply the catch.

When the disciples were fishing and the nets came up empty, Jesus told them to cast their nets on the other side. They did, and the nets could scarcely hold the catch. This morning they had exactly 153 fish to choose from. They took a few, scaled them, gutted them, built a fire and prepared breakfast. And then they ate.

Other than the presence of the resurrected Christ, there is nothing especially mysterious about this story. We note the fish, the net, even where they had been fishing (about 100 yards offshore, verse 8 tells us), and, most of all, the desire to share breakfast with friends.

When our oldest son sang in a touring boy choir, I would frequently wake him up an hour or so before we needed to take him to the choir bus. We would share a “choir breakfast.” Our menu never changed:  corned beef hash, toast, juice, an egg or two and hot chocolate. Our breakfast gave us a chance to greet each other, to say goodbye, to fortify each other for the day's travels, and, most of all, to enjoy the pleasure of each other's company.

So it was with Jesus near the end of John's Gospel. He is hungry. So are the disciples. Together they share breakfast, fortifying each other for the day's many journeys.

It is easy to skip this time of nourishment of body and spirit. But when we do, we may also lose the centering Jesus points to when he says, “Come and have breakfast.” Today, may we accept Christ’s invitation as the disciples did so very long ago.

Gracious God, how wonderful it is that we share with you a hunger for breakfast, for relationship, for the strength to live life on this day. We hear your invitation and thank you for the fish. Amen!