Daily Worship

A love that enfolds

Gillian Paterson October 24, 2014 0 0

John 21: 1-13

After this, Jesus appeared once more to his disciples at Lake Tiberias. This is how it happened. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael (the one from Cana in Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of Jesus were all together. 3 Simon Peter said to the others, “I am going fishing.”

“We will come with you,” they told him. So they went out in a boat, but all that night they did not catch a thing. 4 As the sun was rising, Jesus stood at the water's edge, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then he asked them, “Young men, haven't you caught anything?”

“Not a thing,” they answered.

6 He said to them, “Throw your net out on the right side of the boat, and you will catch some.” So they threw the net out and could not pull it back in, because they had caught so many fish.

7 The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken his clothes off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples came to shore in the boat, pulling the net full of fish. They were not very far from land, about a hundred yards away. 9 When they stepped ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it and some bread. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

11 Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore full of big fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all; even though there were so many, still the net did not tear. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 So Jesus went over, took the bread, and gave it to them; he did the same with the fish.

Gentle Jesus, precious friend,
You know how it feels to sit all night and not catch a thing,
You know how it feels to speak the truth when people will not listen,
You know how it feels to reach out in friendship only to be rejected,
You know how it feels to be let down by your friends,
You know how it feels when everyone is against you.
Yet, you never crumbled.
You never turned away in the huff,
You didn’t resort to petty comments and childish behaviour,
You didn’t threaten all sorts of retribution.
Instead you showed a love that is beyond our understanding.
A love that took you on a painful journey to a cross on Calvary’s hill
Where you stretched out your arms and died an agonising death, 
Because of a love that enfolds everyone within its reach.
We know you are our loving Lord, who walks with us every step of the way.