Easter seems to feel a bit different this year. The thought of Jesus’s death sits atop the mounding thoughts of death from the corona virus.The empty tomb and Christians hiding in their houses highlights the uncertainty we feel in these times. Our worldly Easter traditions thrown aside – we are forced to face the holiday for what it is – raw and unfiltered – purely about Jesus and what He has done for us.
Shortly after the resurrection, Peter and his friends did what he knew best – he went fishing. This wasn’t just a pastime to him, it was his profession. When things are uncertain, we tend to go back to what we know, and Peter was no different. After a night of no success, a man on the shore yelled out a suggestion to throw out their nets on the other side. Though they had not yet recognized Jesus, I feel sure the bulging nets they hauled in from the right side of the boat brought the realization that their friend was with them! Peter – no surprise here – jumped out of the boat and hurried to his side while the others brought in the boat and fish.
It is this part of the story that warms my heart most. Jesus was waiting on shore with a fire, ready to cook them breakfast. He knew they had been out all night fishing; He knew they had been suffering in a season of uncertainty; He knew they were dealing with grief and guilt and guessing – so He fed them. Jesus brought hospitality to them – where they needed it, when they needed it. When they were finished eating, He gave Peter directions:
“Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.'”
John 21:17
We just don’t know what is going to happen next in this world – but we do know this: Jesus is alive and well and He wants us to feed His sheep. He has given us His word, His blessings, and gifts to do the work of caring for people. Certainly we are to feed the souls of others with His word, but Jesus also demonstrates for us how we can meet the needs of people in practical ways.
“If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”
James 2:16
Jesus brought hospitality and fellowship to the disciples in a time when they needed it most. He filled their bellies so He could fill their hearts. This is the time, friends, when we should be looking for opportunities to do the same. To whom can you deliver hospitality today? Who do you know that needs the encouragement of a warm meal and knowledge that you are available? How can you use God’s word, the blessings He has given you, and the gifts He has bestowed on you to meet people where they are?
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'”
Matthew 25:34-36