Opening Prayer
Teach us, Lord Jesus, to go where You Yourself have said, and to meet You there. Amen.
Text: John 21:1–6
After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
Devotion
The Lord told the disciples that He would reveal Himself to them in Galilee, so they are now at the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee). But although He lives in them, so that they think of Him and speak of Him, yet they do not expect His revelation right now. So they go out fishing. And though He Himself stands on the seashore and says to them: “Little children!” and bids them cast the net to the right side of the ship, He is a stranger to them. (The Apostles had not yet had Pentecost.) – But doesn’t the same thing often happen to us? “I want to meet you in My Gospel” He says: “in the Gennesaret of Baptism and at the Table of My Supper.” We come there, and He is there, but we do not recognize Him. “I want to reveal Myself to you in the Galilee of poverty and lowliness,” He says: “I want to meet you in My poor members on earth.” He leads us there and is there in front of us, but we do not see Him, we do not see it is the Lord.
It was the disciples’ fortune, that they obeyed His word. He had told them, and they had gone to Galilee. They were of the truth, so He found them where He was, and they found Him there too. He was their treasure, their life: could they stay away then, and could He hide Himself for long? Let us follow them, and we shall experience the same thing. Let us go and meet the Lord where He has made His appointment with us: in the Means of Grace, in the way of self-denial under the cross. Then it will happen to us as to them: we know He is there and yet we forget it. We expect His revelation, but in a way other than He said. We do not recognize Him; our spirit is weak and our inner eye is dim. Yet He doesn’t leave because of that. He never disappoints, He comes before we know it, – He is there, when we do not think so, – He reveals Himself also for us when it is necessary, reveals Himself – not to our senses, but to our spirit. He chastens us and helps our faith. But do not forget: it all depends on our going to Galilee with the sincerity of the disciples, as He told us. There He is. And the Stranger on the seashore whom we brush aside with a brief: “No, we have nothing,” gives us a richer catch than we can carry. – Cast the net on the right side, brethren, cast the net on the right side of the ship!
Closing Prayer
Praise to You, Lord Jesus, You are always near Your poor people whose faith is so frail! Now we want to believe from the heart without seeing and always to thank You and serve You and never forsake You. Help us to this end. Grant it to us of Your mercy! Amen.
Hymn
See how Jesus in all places
Now is present with each one
Who with joy the Lord embraces
And whose heart with Him is one,
And to His disciples He
Shows Himself most gloriously;
When behind locked doors they’re quaking,
He begins His sweetest speaking.
Lead me, Jesus, to remember
That You ever-present are;
Then sins’ chains are rent asunder
When I think how near You are.
Come, O Jesus, take Your place
In my heart, my soul’s embrace!
In my joy and in my sorrow
You are with me till the morrow.
Let Your peace be my salvation,
While upon this earth live I,
And my spirit be th’ oblation
To Your peace when I shall die.
Show the tokens of Your pain
That my faith new strength may gain
By Your death and all Your suff’ring,
For me was Your gracious off’ring.
Open now my heart to You, Lord,
Jesus, make me e’er to see
What Your death and pain afforded,
Show me Your great victory.
Jesus, cause me e’er to know
All You would on me bestow
Grant me ne’er from You to sever
But to be so blest forever.
Kingo: Se, hvor Jesus allevegne L 367:2-3 tr. DeGarmeaux;
tune: Werde munter (ELH 354); alternate hymn: O God, our Help in ages past ELH 160:1-2