Brekkie with Jesus
by Maria Rudolph
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Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast’ (John 21:12a).
Read John 21:1–14
Once a week, I lead a church hall full of zero- to five-year-olds and their carers in a ministry program for little children so they can get to know Jesus better. I love asking them what they had for breakfast – I’ve heard of some pretty quirky toddler brekkie combinations over the years!
Jesus cooked breakfast for the disciples at least one time, recorded in John’s Gospel after his resurrection – and presumably on other occasions before the Easter events. He used what was available and commonplace for them at the time – fish baked on burning coals served with some bread. It sounds quite nice, although not the first thing I would choose to eat in the morning, but in order to have brekkie with Jesus, I’d say yes, please!
That’s an incredibly detailed account of the menu on that morning when the resurrected Jesus once again appeared to the disciples. And there is more detail, like the exact number of fish caught in the net – 153. It’s interesting to look at what is missing and left out of the story too. Why had the disciples returned to their fishing boats after the resurrected Jesus had appeared to them twice already, breathed the Holy Spirit on them and sent them out? Or why did they not recognise Jesus by his appearance, although he had already appeared to them twice since his death? They did, however, recognise Jesus by his actions, similar to the disciples recognising him in the action of breaking the bread in Emmaus (Luke 24:31).
I wonder if those little kids and their adult carers in our church hall can recognise Jesus by the actions of the ministry team when we sing, dance and play together? I bet they do. I bet people also recognise Jesus by your actions when you show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are the fruit of the same Spirit Jesus breathed on his disciples. This same Spirit has been poured out on you. Let your actions of love towards other people be accompanied by a prayer today that the Holy Spirit reveals the living God to them as they recognise Jesus in you.
Come, Holy Spirit, and fill me afresh this day. With your transformational power, fill the people around me today and let them recognise God’s face, hands and feet through me and my actions so that your grace can be revealed to them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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