Fish, Feed, Follow |
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Brother David Green |
This last chapter of John’s
Gospel is a wonderful short story within itself. The
apostles had not yet been vested with authority and special
gifts to embark upon the Great Commission they were to
receive (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15). Christ having been
crucified and risen was no longer in their daily presence.
The first three verses tell us that seven disciples
including Peter had gathered at the sea of Tiberius. Having
no other direction, Peter says, “I go a fishing” and
they all busy themselves and ship out to sea to fish. Such
is the case with every Christian. There will always be
occasions when the saint is devoid of purpose, waiting on
the Lord for direction, help and healing. But there is never
a moment they cannot be in prayer, study, thinking on good
things, fellowshipping with other saints, or even simply
working with their hands. These are actually divine means
which help the soul from becoming completely discouraged and
cast down while waiting upon the Lord (Psa. 42:6,11; Jonah
2:7; Phil. 4:6-8; Mal. 3:16).
In verses 3-9, the disciples
fish all night without success. When morning comes, Christ
appears on the shore and instructs them to cast their net on
the right side of the boat to which they comply and net a
great multitude of fish. The manner and extent of their
sudden success causes John to realize it is the Lord who
spoke to them and tells Peter who immediately jumps into the
sea to go to Christ while the others bring the boat dragging
the net full of fish to the shore. Upon arriving, they find
Jesus has prepared a fire and a fish and bread for them to
eat. Observe the picture of this passage: Christ at the
beginning of His ministry had personally called these men to
drop immediately their employment in this world and follow
Him; to leave their homes behind and be at their Savior’s
side for the duration of His ministry; listening to His
voice day and night; seeing the miracles; experiencing
hardships on one hand and glorious interaction with the
Father on the other; receiving constant instruction from the
Master teacher; hearing the most compelling, soul striking,
heaven wrought sermons ever to be delivered; entering in
prayer with the Son of God…and then in a moment all of this
is taken away. Indeed, how empty was the sea into which they
cast their net that night. What a great void in their
hearts; in their daily lives. “I go a fishing” says
Peter. What else but to return to his former work. But, as
the night draws toward an end, behold, the Bright and
Morning Star arises on their shore. Their Savior, our
Savior, for the great and swelling love wherewith He loves
His people is flawlessly faithful to the detail to supply
their every need. Every time. At the right time. Even when
they are lost, confused and without direction. Yea,
especially then. Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers them out of them all (Ps. 34:17-19).
Christ, the ever-vigilant shepherd, appears to His saints to
guide them even when unlooked for and fills the nets of
their hearts with blessings, just as the disciples’ fish,
great in number and great in substance. Calling them out of
their emptiness and void. Harkening to the sounds of His
instruction. And through His blessings they are made to
realize it is the Lord stirring their souls with all haste
to draw nigh to Him (Hosea 11:4; Luke 24:13-32; Psa.
37:17,24,39; 84:11). As they are joined with Him, “come
and dine” He affectionately beckons. None resist or
question (vs 12) knowing in their heart of hearts it is the
Lord. How thrilling those moments are when Christ actually
speaks to our labored and empty life renewing the
remembrance of our former fellowship with Him causing us to
say aloud to our soul, “This I recall to my mind,
therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that I am
not consumed, because His compassions they fail not. They
are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness” (Lam.
3:21- 23). Whether the saint is as zealous as Peter and
leaps into the sea with all speed, or, if they continue in
the ship and diligently row to bring themselves to Christ
(vss.7,8), it makes no difference. God dispenses his gifts
as He will and the use of each is equally honoring and
accepted of Him (Rom. 12:6-8; 1Cor. 7:7; 12:4-11). He has
prepared for one as He has for all: the warmth of fire from
His effectual call, the bread of His fellowship and
communion, and the meat of His word from which to be
strengthened and encouraged (vss. 9, 12, 13).
Note here, verses 9-13, the
Savior even in His resurrected, glorious state continues to
act in the same form in which he came as a man, that of a
servant (Phil. 2:7). Our calling is no greater than the
Master’s. Let us learn that whatever state we are in
naturally or spiritually, high or low, weak or strong, we
never put off the mantle of servitude. Paul said in 1 Cor.
9:19, “for though I be free from all men, yet have I made
myself servant to all…” Christ teaches this very
important Christian character in this simple act here with
His disciples.
Now, Christ seems to use what
He has done before, that is, in giving them good instruction
and then providing them food and fellowship, to approach
Peter with his own personal charge and commission to do the
same spiritually. After they had dined, Jesus says to Peter,
“Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?”
The Lord uses Peter’s original name, as though because of
his denial of Christ the name Peter was as yet not worthy.
Peter responds, “Yea Lord, thou knowest that I love
thee.” But he fails to answer the question if he loves
Jesus more than the others. We must not be surprised to have
our true affections questioned when having done that which
makes it doubtful and separates us from our God who now may
show His displeasure to us (Isa. 59:2). Every remembrance of
sin, even pardoned sin, renews the sorrow of a truly
penitent heart. Jesus then charges Peter to “feed my
lambs” and poses the question twice more, “feed my
sheep.” Peter finally solemnly appeals to Christ as He
who knows all things, even the secret things of the heart,
to reckon the truth of his love for the Savior. It is good
to beseech the Lord who knows the hearts of all men (Acts
1:24) to examine and prove us to make us more humbled and
caring of the love He has given. No one is qualified to feed
the lambs and sheep of God who does not love him more than
all. This being true, then the first and great calling of
the minister, is to feed His sheep and lambs. This is vital
to the spiritual well-being of the saints and was the great
duty of the Apostles’ commission (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark
16:15). If God’s people are not fed by the preaching and
ministering of the gospel a famine of soul will be found. Be
sure, though, it is the duty and blessing of all saints to
feed one another through edification (1Thess. 5:11; Rom.
14:19). Thus, thrice the Lord demands the focus of Peter to
feed His beloved people whom he purchased with great price.
Emphatically, and almost
suddenly, Jesus begins to reveal to Peter the long
generation of his service to God and what type of death he
would experience (vss. 18,19). Christ’s love to His saints
is so comprehensive that even their death is a thing highly
esteemed (Psa. 116:15). For this, His kindness and mercy are
especially interposed. Knowing Peter would die the horrific
death of the crucifixion, the Lord who has power over death
to remove its sting (1Cor. 15:55), both from the knowledge
of its coming and the actual experience, does exactly this
for Peter. It may appear at first a harsh thing that Jesus
revealed to Peter’s mind the type of death he would die so
many years in advance. But, see how instantly the Balm of
Gilead is applied: “This spake (Christ), signifying by what
death (Peter) should glorify God” (vs.19). The promised
antidote is greater than the disease; Peter now knows for a
certainty that his death will glorify God and he will be
present with the Lord forever more upon that occasion. Now,
more than ever before, the servant is prepared to obey his
Master’s call; to feed the sheep all his remaining years and
to “follow thou me” in life, through death, and to
glory.
Ah, but no sooner had Christ’s
injunction “follow thou me” left his mouth than Peter
“turning about” sees the disciple John and asks the Lord,
“what shall this man do?” (v.20). Peter’s impetuous
temperament once again challenges his focus. Just as the
occasion when he asked to walk on the water to come to
Christ (Matt. 14:28-31), Peter once again turns his
attention away from the Lord to another object and
immediately the value of all that Christ has just revealed
and instructed him begins to sink from sight. Peter’s
concern is so irrelevant and improper it elicits a blunt and
almost sarcastic response from Jesus, “If I will that he
tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me."
It is the saint’s duty to first see to their own affairs
and mind their own duty to follow Christ. It is from the
success of this order that by tending to the beam of our own
eye first we shall then see more clearly how to better
attend to the affairs of others (Luke 6:42). Christ would
have us mind our own work and not be curious about unknown
events not revealed for our knowledge or concern. Too often
we are anxious about things which are of themselves nothing
to us. We must be careful not to intermeddle in other’s
affairs where we have not been commissioned by the Lord and
His word. Many curious questions and concerns have occupied
the mind and time of a saint that could be better used in
things profitable to the cause of Christ. If we attend to
the duty of following Christ as we ought, we shall find
neither the heart nor the time to occupy ourselves in things
that evoke, “what is that to thee?” from the Lord.
Here is our blessing. Here is
our vessel: the child of God is under the wonderful
obligation to follow Christ. It is their honor as well as
their duty. It is their safety to follow Him and no other.
It is for their comfort for every problem by which they are
warmed and feed. It ends in happiness here and hereafter
when at death they shall glorify their Father in heaven. And
finally, at the sound of the last trumpet, in the twinkling
of an eye they are changed; incorruptible and immortal; with
Christ their Savior forever more. Therefore, beloved saints,
be ye stedfast, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
For your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1Cor. 15:58).
Fish, dear saint, and “come and dine.” “Feed my sheep.”
And always…“Follow thou me.” |