4/22/07 - Easter 3 - John 21:1-14

THE LORD SUPPLIES THE LITTLE THINGS
- He knows what we need
- He gives us even more

This was the third time in a little over a week. Our sermon text today, John 21:1-14, records for us the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after rising from the dead. Have you ever wondered why Jesus kept doing that? Why he kept appearing to his disciples? Well, each time Jesus appeared to them he had a different reason for doing so. The first time he appeared to the disciples was on Easter Sunday night. They were locked up in a room, afraid of the Jewish leaders. And so Jesus suddenly appeared in their presence and said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). The purpose of this first meeting was to prove that he was truly and fully alive, to give the disciples courage in times of danger, and also to give them the authority Jesus had been given by the Father.
The disciples apparently didn’t take this to heart right away, though. Because a week later, the second time Jesus appeared to them, they were in that same room with the doors again locked! 11 grown men usually don’t lock the doors when they’re inside a room. But that’s exactly how Jesus found the disciples - still afraid, still hesitant to venture back out into the world. And so Jesus says once again, “Peace be with you” (John 20:26)! An encouragement. A comfort. But that wasn’t the only reason Jesus was there. He then turned to Thomas, the disciple who hadn’t been there the first time and doubted if it were true. Jesus shows him his hands and his feet and his side. Rebuking him because of his unbelief. This second appearance was a visit of not only encouragement but also one of chastisement.
But the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples - the portion of Scripture we have before us today - is a little different from the other two. Because it’s not a situation where Jesus needs to give them courage anymore. It’s not a situation where Jesus has to rebuke their unbelief. And our text for today is not even a story in which Jesus gives them a command or any directive at all. The reason and the purpose for this particular visit from Jesus was to reassure them and to reassure us: the Lord still supplies the little things. He knows what we need. And he gives us even more.
The disciples may have lost sight of that. In the middle of all the things that had been going on in the last two weeks they may have forgotten that Jesus still cared - that he still supplied them even with all the little things they needed in life. And it’s easy to see why the disciples needed that reassurance. They were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus, their mentor and master and Savior had been teaching them and leading them and keeping them away from their jobs for three years. And now he was gone. And so the disciples are just sitting there not knowing what to do. Peter is sitting there with them, a fisherman by trade, a man of action, and he decides to go fishing. He has to eat after all. He might even have to start up his old job again so that he can support himself. And six other disciples agree to go with him. All night long they fish - and don’t catch a thing. At least one professional fisherman was there and they couldn’t catch a thing! On top of their lives being in danger because of the Jewish leaders, on top of their mentor and Savior sending them off into the dangerous world all on their own, now they couldn’t even do something as simple, something as little as catch a fish.
But Jesus could for them. And he wanted to remind them of that fact. And so at that moment he appears on the bank of the Sea of Galilee and calls out to them from the shore. And what an interesting thing he says! The first word Jesus speaks to them really must have confused them a bit. In the bulletin that quotes the NIV, Jesus says “Friends, haven’t you any fish.” But that’s not exactly what Jesus called them. The word he used is paidia - “children.” “Children, haven’t you any fish?” Now, remember, the disciples didn’t know this was Jesus right away. They thought he was just some guy standing on the shore of the lake. And so they must have looked at each other in confusion. “Did he just call us children? Did that guy who isn’t any older than we are just refer to us as kids?” But despite what was running through their minds, they threw their net on the right side of the boat anyway. Maybe they had an inkling that it was the Lord or maybe they just wanted to prove this guy wrong - but in any case they caught 153 fish. Jesus took care of a little thing. John knew then that it was Jesus, Peter threw himself in the water to get there as quickly as he could, the rest of the disciples towed the load ashore, and the net didn’t even tear. Jesus took care of another little thing. And although he took care of those little things in miraculous ways - he still knew exactly what they needed and he was more than happy to give it to them.
That’s also probably why Jesus called them “children.” They needed to be reminded that Jesus still watched over them as a loving father and that he always knew what they needed. I need to be reminded of that myself at times. Especially about the little things. The big things I have no problem leaving in the Lord’s hands. The big things I pray for. The big things I pray about and ask for help on and rely on the Lord to supply. For example: I pray a lot during the process of writing and memorizing a sermon. It’s a big thing, an important thing, and so I lay it into the Lord’s hands. I pray for the health of my family - especially during this pregnancy. It’s a big thing, an important thing, and so I lay it into the Lord’s hands. I pray for the spiritual life and future of this congregation. It’s a big thing, an important thing, and so I lay it into the Lord’s hands. But the little things? I can’t say I pray every time I get in the car to go to the store. I can’t say I ask for help every time I throw something on the grill for supper. I can’t say I rely on the Lord to supply the strength and the safety I need to take the garbage can to the side of the road every week. Why doesn’t it cross my mind to ask the Lord to supply these things? Because I’ve done those things hundreds of times before! There’s nothing to them. They take no skill. They’re so unimportant. Those things are so little.
I seem to forget that it’s the Lord who supplies even the little things. In fact, without him we could do nothing at all! We could not drive a car in safety, we could not cook an eatable meal, we could not find the strength to take out the garbage, we could not even breathe without the Lord’s help! The Lord supplies the little things. Every single one of them, every single day of our lives. We are arrogant fools if we think that we can actually do something on our own. We are conceited and ignorant creatures if we think we don’t need to ask the Creator for help with certain things that are supposedly within our abilities. This obviously does not give us the excuse to do nothing. But it does give us the recognition that we are completely and constantly sinful. Think of how many things you have neglected to pray for that the Lord has supplied anyway. Think of how many things you have refused to ask for help with that the Lord has supplied anyway. Think of how many blessings don’t even cross your mind that the Lord has supplied anyway every day of your entire life. Our arrogance and forgetfulness compared to the Lord’s unending love is unsettling to my Christian conscience as I hope it is to yours.
The disciples were in no different a situation than we are. But notice that Jesus did not chastise them when the got to shore. Instead he served them and gave them more. Because what he did a week and a half before forgave their sins. His love wiped away their arrogance and forgetfulness. His love wipes away ours. Even though you and I are completely sinful inside and out, the Lord forgives us, every time, because we are exactly what he called his disciples: his children. Children in need of correction and guidance and reminders - but also children who are loved with a love that has already sacrificed everything for us. This is the love of the one who stood on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. This is the love of the one who granted us forgiveness through his blood. This is the love of the one that also takes care of the little things.
When the disciples got back to shore, Jesus supplied two more little things. After the disciples got back to shore, what was there waiting for them? Breakfast! Don’t overlook that little thing! Remember that the disciples were out on a boat all night. They didn’t catch a thing and so I’m sure they were hungry and tired and cranky… And so the Lord supplied a little thing. They weren’t going to die if they didn’t have breakfast that morning, but Jesus was happy to supply them with more than they needed.
But the other little thing Jesus supplied is even more amazing. When Peter dragged the net ashore and after the fish was done cooking, the disciples just sat there. Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, James, John, and two other disciples just sat there. Not one of them served the others. Rather, “Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.” Jesus served them. Jesus supplied what was needed. I think I would have been embarrassed if I were a disciple sitting there. As Jesus walked over and started to grab the fish and the bread, I think it would have dawned on me: “Oh no, I should have served him. I should have been the one showing my thanks to him.” But even though I would be embarrassed, I think I also would have been comforted. Because I’m sure as Jesus handed out the fish and bread to his disciples, the events of Maundy Thursday night in the upper room came rushing back. He was serving them on the shore just like he had served them in the upper room. He was supplying their physical needs with breakfast as he had supplied them with their spiritual needs through the Lord’s Supper. He was showing how much he cared for them in every aspect of their lives. He was taking care of the little things.
Don’t underestimate that, my co-disciples of Christ. Don’t underestimate how Jesus supplies the little things. Because although we don’t want to overlook the big things of death and resurrection and salvation through his blood, we also don’t want to forget how the Lord cares for us each and every day. Supplying what we need. Giving us more than we can use. Serving us with a love that is indescribable and unmatchable. Take comfort that the Lord knows what you need. Take comfort that he cares. Take comfort that nothing in your life will pass him by no matter how little it may seem to be. Because anything that happens to you, his dear child, is the most important thing that can happen to your Lord. And so you can live this life in hope and anticipation that he will come back for you, his child, to be with him forever - where your needs will always be supplied and your joy will never cease.
Amen.

“God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” - Philippians 4:19-20