“Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”
– Jesus to his disciples (John 21:10)
After a long night of fruitless work, the disciples were tired and depressed, until the risen Jesus met them on the shore and gave them instruction in their fishing procedure. Once the disciples obeyed, there were too many fish for the net to hold.
When they arrived on shore, Jesus then instructed them to “bring some of the fish that they just caught” and to join Him for breakfast. The Savior had no need of the disciples’ fish, since He already had a charcoal fire and fish cooking for Himself. He also knew (as well as the disciples) that the only reason they had been able to catch something was because He Himself had given them the power.
All night long, by themselves, they had labored without results. Yet, in His kindness and majestic love, Jesus invited the disciples to bring some of “their” fish to mix with His fish, and then to have breakfast together with Him. All were really His fish, including the fish that the disciples caught, but He mercifully gave those fish to them to catch.
Everything we have (our talents, our minds, our ability to move, even our spirituality) is given to us by God. Even if we were to give every single minute of our lives for His service alone, we really would not be giving Him anything that wasn’t already His very own.
Jesus didn’t need the disciples’ fish in order to have breakfast. Yet, in His grace, He invited them to bring “their” fish to His table and to eat with Him. God doesn’t need our talents in order to do His work. Yet, in His grace, He invites us to bring “our” gifts to His altar and to work alongside of Him. Τhis is the profound mystery and wonder of a loving God who invites us to take part in His work. He gives us the power; He gives us the “fish”; we give Him the glory.
