Australian Thoughts at the Weekend 29^th and 30^th March 2008

He Came Running

This week in morning prayers, I read the story of the Disciples after the Resurrection where Peter said those words dear to the heart of every fishermen “I am going fishing” (John 21: 1- 14). Now the response to that is not “hallelujah” or “amen” but to echo the other disciples “I am coming, too!”

Now, I continued to read on that the Disciples got a boat and pulled out a little from the shore. There they spent the night fishing. They caught nothing. O course, we know that was not the whole story. In the morning, Jesus called to them from the shore and gave them instructions to throw the nest out the other side of the boat. They caught a huge haul of fish.

I have owned my little boat (tinny0 for a few years now and I can say I have never returned home with an empty fish box. We have always managed to catch enough for a meal and sometimes enough to freeze for several meals. It is great to have company in my little tinny and I am sure the right company gives a lot of pleasure to the trip. So far, I have been fortunate not to take the other type of company with me.

Before I got my tinny, I often fished on the beach where it seemed normal to have the company of pelicans and sea gulls. Sometimes terns or cormorants have joined me. It is really fun amongst that crowd and it keeps me active. I need to secure my bucket of bait and any fish I have caught. Even when casting my bait I must be careful a bird does not swoop on it. I have had a sea gull catch the bait in mid air but a quick tug on the line has caused it to drop it. When I catch a fish it is of very keen interest to the birds that crowd around looking for an opportunity.

I have told the story before of one occasion when I was fishing from my boat with my brother and I caught a crested tern. Some how as I cast my bait and it swooped on it , I managed to lasso it. It was quickly released from the noose and after a photo or two it was allowed to return to the air where it continued to circle my boat very cautiously.

Also once before I told the story from television current affairs show of a fisherman in trouble with the law because he was feeding undersize fish he caught to a pelican. It was interesting to see the bond between the old fisherman and this particular bird.  I have been thinking since of something that I never really thought about at the time.

We saw one shot of a group of pelicans standing down at the waters edge. The fisherman called out his bird’s name and only one pelican came. It came to him running up the beach with its wings in the half open position. It looked for its reward of a fish and was not disappointed. It was one of those special moments to see the affection from the man to the bird being returned by the bird.

John in the story of the Disciples fishing at night and then in the morning catching a huge haul of fish (at the command of Jesus) says that when they realized it was Jesus on the shore, Peter responded immediately: 

‘As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water”. ‘

In my thinking about this, I was reminded of Jesus walking along the shore calling to fisherman. Jesus called them to follow him. It was just seemingly, a simple call and many have pondered why they accepted the challenge. I see the answer at the beginning of John’s Gospel “He (Jesus) was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹²Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1.10-12 NIV).

 Interestingly, it is also John who records  “ The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." (John 10. 2-5. NIV).

Some who come go away empty? Mark (Chapter 10. 17) tells of a young man who was so keen he came running to Jesus. But Jesus told him the cost of following and we read he went away sad. That reminds me of the gull who caught my bait when I cast it and let go when it felt my pulling and realised the bait was on my line.

Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-95) wrote a hymn that not many would sing these days but I believe gives a great response to the call of Jesus

.

Jesus calls us! O'er the tumult

Of our life's wild. restless sea,

Day by day his sweet voice soundeth,

Saying: Christian, follow me.

As of old apostles heard it

By the Galilean lake,

Turned from home and toil and kindred,

Leaving all for his dear sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship

Of the vain world's golden store,

From each idol that would keep us,

Saying: Christian, love me more.

In our joys and in our sorrows,

Days of toil and hours of ease,

Still he calls, in cares and pleasures,

That we love him more than these.

Jesus calls us! By thy mercies,

Saviour, may we hear thy call,

Give our hearts to thy obedience,

Serve and love thee best of all.

And another writer has written :

Still Jesus calls me on

To perfect faith and love,

To perfect hope and peace and trust

For earth and Heaven above. (Lewis Hartsough (1828-72).