Omega 3 Antidote to Scarcity
I wonder why John gives the number
Of fish by which they were encumbered
While net hauling, a hundred yards from
The One ashore, who asked that they come
And have some breakfast! I think it's odd,
This detail of halibut or cod;
Why's it there? What's John want us to see -
That they dragged a hundred fifty-three?
Perhaps he's gotten so specific
Because his hero's so terrific
At pointing out the ways unending
That his disciples might be tending
His sheep - plus lambs and sheep be feeding!
At that, he says, we'll be succeeding
When trusting all his grace, exceeding
Whatever 'tis we might be needing.
He passes out the bread and fish, then;
They're holy, too, like bread and wine when
Ever in community we take them
And into loves unnumbered, make them.
Scott L. Barton
(Thanks to the Rev. W. Kenneth Williams of Rochester, NY's First Baptist Church for this week's title)
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the
Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there
together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana
in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We
will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night
they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach;
but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them,
“Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He
said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you
will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul
it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved
said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was
the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into
the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net
full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a
hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire
there, with fish on it, and bread. 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, a hundred fifty-three of
them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said
to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to
ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came
and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the
fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples
after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon
son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes,
Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A
second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He
said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him,
“Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do
you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time,
“Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you
know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly,
I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt
and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch
out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and
take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the
kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to
him, “Follow me.”
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