READ: John 21.4-6 NLT
At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
I was brought up by the sea and so it isn’t surprising that I started fishing when I was a boy. We always set out with huge expectations of what we would catch. If you have ever gone fishing you will know that, whenever someone walks by you, they are bound to ask, “Have you caught anything?” It’s the obvious question and the last thing that you want to admit is that you have caught nothing. You feel a complete failure.
Jesus asked the predictable question although it seems, at first, that they didn’t recognise him. He then advised them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. Another thing you need to know about people who walk by you when you are fishing is that they love to give you advice. You’re using the wrong bait, or you need to move to a different spot, or the fish aren’t biting today. Jesus duly gave his advice and, interestingly, since they didn’t know it was him or that their new found adviser knew anything about fishing, they did as he said. The result is that they brought in an enormous catch.
None of us loves change. We get used to organising our lives in a way that suits us, and we have powerful reasons for doing things in the way that we do. Churches are particularly fond of sticking to a particular way of organising themselves, and that sometimes stays unchanged for years and even decades. It isn’t wrong to get into a settled pattern of life, but it is essential for us to listen to the voice of Jesus who will sometimes invite us to do things completely differently. And, when we are obedient to him, blessing is sure to follow.




QUESTIONS: When have you seen radical change in the life of your church, and what did you learn from the experience?
PRAYER: Loving Lord Jesus help us to listen carefully for your voice and give us courage to be obedient. Amen

Released on 9 Apr 2021