The Story – Chapter 27 – John 21:1-14

Now You’re Cooking with Gas

　
　
Life has many teachable moments. When I was in high school, there were times that I couldn’t figure out my math homework so I would go to my Dad. Instead of just doing the problem for me, he would get me to think through it. It took some work on my part but eventually I would figure it out on my own. Then my Dad would always say to me, "Now you’re cooking with gas".

I’m not sure where that saying came from but whenever he said it I felt good. I felt like I had accomplished something. If he had just showed me how to do it or done it for me, I wouldn’t have learned as much. But he helped me to figure it out. Those were teachable moments that helped me to be a better student and a better man.

In John 21, Jesus uses the disciple’s circumstances as a teachable moment. Several of the disciples went out fishing one night. Unfortunately after a full night’s work they didn’t catch anything. Jesus calls out to them from the shore to throw their nets on the right side of the boat. They do and catch so many fish that they couldn’t haul in the net – 153 large fish in all.

It’s at this point that John recognizes Jesus. When they arrive on shore, Jesus has a breakfast of fish and bread waiting for them and he feeds them. This should have been a deja vu experience for the disciples.

In Luke 5 we read how after a full night of fishing and not catching anything, Jesus tells Simon and his partners to go back out and cast their nets. They do and there are so many fish that their nets begin to break. This time Simon recognizes who Jesus is, and Jesus says to him, "from now on you will fish for people".

The stories in Luke and in John are teachable moments. Jesus could have just provided the fish so that the men didn’t have to work at it, but he wanted them to learn something. Jesus is calling Simon and all of his disciples including, over the centuries, you and me, to be fishers of men and women. I can hear Jesus saying, "Now you’re cooking with gas".
　


http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2021:1-14&version=NIV;MSG
http://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/John.21.1-John.21.14