187. Wednesday after First Sunday after Easter.
Teach us, Lord Jesus, to go whither thou hast said,
there to meet thee. Amen.
John 21, 1-6. After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
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The Lord had told the disciples that he would shew himself to them in Galilee; and hence we now find them at the sea of Tiberias. Still, though he lives in them, and is in their thoughts and on their lips, they do not expect him to shew himself just now; and they therefore go a fishing. Even when he stands on the shore, and addresses them as “children,” and bids them cast the net on the right side of the ship, they do not know him. For the apostles had not yet celebrated Pentecost. — Does not the same thing often occur in our case? He says to us: “I will meet you in the gospel, in the Gennesaret of holy baptism, at the holy communion table.” We come to the tryst, and he is there, but we do not know him. He has said that he will shew himself to us in poor and despised Galilee; that is to say, he will meet us in his needy members on earth; and he leads us thither, and is there before us, and yet we do not see him, or do not see that it is he. — The apostles found happiness in obeying him. He had told them to go to Galilee, and they had gone; he found them there when he came, and they found him. He was their dearest treasure, their life. They could not fail to keep the appointment; and in the end they could not fail to know him. Let us follow them, and we shall have the same experience. Let us go and meet the Lord at the places which he has appointed; namely in the means of grace, on the path of self-denial at the foot of the cross. Should we do as the apostles did; that is, should we know him to be there, and yet forget it; should we expect him to make himself known to us, but not in the manner in which he had said; should we fail to recognize him at once; should our spirit be faint, and our eyes dim; — he will be with us for all that. He never fails to keep his appointment; he comes before we know it, and is at hand when we least expect it. And he makes himself known to us when it is necessary; reveals himself, not to our senses, but to our spirit; disciplines us, and confirms our faith. But do not forget that everything depends on our being upright, as were the disciples, and going to Galilee, as he has directed. There we shall find him. And the stranger on the shore, whom we dismiss with a brief “no, we have nothing,” gives us a greater draught than we are able to draw. — Cast the net on the right side, brethren: cast the net on the right side of the ship!
Praise be to thee, Lord Jesus, for that thou art ever near to thy disciples, who are needy, and whose faith is so weak! Now we will in truth believe without having seen, and will ever thank thee, and serve thee, and never lose heart. Help us herein; of thy mercy grant us this blessing! Amen.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope in years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home!
Under the shadow of thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.