CAST YOUR NETS ON THE OTHER SIDE

“So the disciples went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered. He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.”  (John 21:3b-6  NIV))

Ted Koppel conducted an interview with a man who had been trapped on an oil rig during a fire. Koppel asked the man how he had the courage to jump from a platform fifteen stories high into water engulfed in flames. The man replied, “Because I was going to fry if I stayed on the platform!”

That’s what makes us jump. The platform we have been living on… is crumbling under our feet, and we are forced to cast our nets on the other side.

For whatever reason, whether they were too tired to protest, or they were totally desperate for things to be different – the disciples take the stranger’s advice. With what results? The outcome was beyond anyone’s imagination! Success came from the obedience of Peter and the other disciples to the words of Jesus. They found more fish than they ever had, and what’s more, the net held, even with such a large catch.

John Calvin in his commentary on this verse says that “Christ showed His power, first in their taking in so large a draught of fish, and secondly, when by His hidden power He preserved the net which must otherwise have been torn and burst.” Notice the disciples only recognized Christ when their nets were so full of fish they couldn’t haul them on board. Finally, one disciple said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Jesus was recognized, not by His words, not by His appearance, not even by His voice. Jesus was recognized by His impact on other people’s lives. Jesus is known by the [power] of His transforming touch. 

– Leonard Sweet in “A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Café”

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