A breakfast on the beach was the first church potluck. Not exactly in church, but Jesus was the host so it sounds like church. God loves hospitality. And a good potluck.
A SHORELINE EXPERT
Jesus prepared a meal on the beach for his friends in John 21.
Isn't that what we think of when we think hospitality? Food. And this was a potluck. I love a good potluck.
And brunch. I love brunch. I've given you a lot of brunch recipes. Just type "egg bake" in my search bar. More than you'll even need. ("Oatmeal for 60" also popped up. Random.)
These fellows needed a hot meal. Leading up to breakfast on the beach, Simon Peter, John, Thomas and some other disciples had fished all night but caught nothing.
Someone called out from the shore, "Any fish?" It was Jesus who called, but they didn't realize it.
"No," they answered. They'd had nights like this before.
Jesus called out again, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." (vs.6)
Don't you love a shoreline expert? Especially if you've been up all night and it's not your first rodeo? If I had heard this friendly suggestion, I might have pretended I hadn't.
Something compelled these tired and disappointed men to listen and and do what he said. They threw the net to the right (not the first time they had tried right, I'm sure) and within minutes they had so many fish, the net couldn't hold them all.
That's when they knew: "It is the Lord!"
JESUS PROVIDES
Peter in typical Peter-fashion, grabbed his coat and jumped into the water to run to His Master. His sensible colleagues followed close behind in the boat, towing the overflowing net as best they could.
That's when they saw it: Jesus was ready for them.
"When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread" (vs. 9)
Fire hot, fish cooking, bread nearby, Jesus had been waiting for them. Hospitality at its finest.
"Come and have breakfast." (vs 12) he invited. He even asked them to add to the pot, "Bring some of your fish." A potluck and they didn't even need the fellowship hall or a sign-up sheet.
When we open our homes and hearts to others, God will provide—the fish and bread were ready. But He invites our participation alongside his provision. Bring what you have, he nudges gently, It will be enough because I know what they really need that has nothing to do with the food. Just add what you have to the pot.
God doesn't tell us to serve others because he needs our help. He owns the cattle on all those hills as well as grain and nets straining with fish. He asks us to join in. Partnering alongside the Ultimate Host is our greatest privilege. We never need to worry about our life's purpose. We wake up each morning and say, "Here we go again, God. I'm your sous-chef. What have you in mind to serve today and who will be the guests?"
He doesn't need me but He invites me, for His glory and for my good and, for those who may need a hot breakfast and meaningful conversation.
We worry we can't serve someone in our homes because we don't have enough. Not enough food. Not enough space. Not enough entertainment. Or, even if we have enough, we pass judgment on the baked bean casserole before getting the cans open. We think: "I don't cook well enough. My house isn't decorated enough. My social skills suck."
I'M NOT ENOUGH BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT
It doesn't take long to move from not having enough to not being enough. Honest self-evaluation isn't a bad thing. I'm not enough much of the time, but that's not the point. God is enough for anything he asks me to do. The point is to remember that he is and act on that knowledge. It's good for me to know I'm not enough so that I ask God to give my guests what they actually need.
Next time you tell yourself this story in your head: "I can't do hospitality," ask yourself, "Am I thinking I'm not enough or will I set my mind on God who is enough?"
Instead of, "I'm not good enough and I don't have what it takes to do host for heaven's sake" switch to, "I'm not Martha Stewart and I don't do Pinterest, but I love this person I've just met and I'm going to show he how much God loves her by inviting her to my table."
Fear keeps us from inviting. Why is that? We think we aren't enough. Guess what? We aren't. I find that so freeing. God knows I'm not. He's not worried so I don't need to worry. Open the door, open the cans, tell God you'd could use some help, and set the table.
Jesus showed love to his buddies by being ready and invited them to bring some of their catch. Of course without listening to the shoreline expert, they wouldn't have had anything to bring.
Maybe that's the first step in our hospitality mindset: listen to what God's saying to you. "Sue, chicken breasts are on sale this week. Stock up. I've got someone in mind for you to invite over. Don't worry if she's gluten-free because you bought a 5 lb bag of rice last month and you are nowhere near getting through it. Look! There's your next guest. She's standing by herself in the church courtyard. Go ask if she likes chicken." (See Polynesian Chicken for a quick and delicious company dinner.)
THE POINT OF THE POTLUCK
Following that simple meal was one of the most intimate conversations recorded in the New Testament.
Jesus asked Peter: "Do you love me?" He asked him three times.
Why three? The Lord knew the answer, yet He let Peter answer three times. To say it out loud. To make up for what he had said before. In Peter's mind he needed to do something to help me with his shame. Jesus had forgiven him but he may not have forgiven himself.
Isn't that what we do? We hold onto the shame of our sin long after we've asked for forgiveness. We carry it around like a much-loved school backpack that should've gone to the dump when our mom told us to get rid of it. Jesus died so we didn't need to carry that backpack of shame. Don't make his death a waste of effort.
Peter had denied Christ three times right before He was crucified. Jesus offered an opportunity to remove the cloud over his head and reveal who he really was to his Lord. Grace and mercy over fish and bread.
Jesus said, "If you love me, then show it by following me, and feeding my lambs and ultimately, you will die for me."
This is not your usual breakfast conversation.
Peter's response was an impassioned, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you!"
This precious interchange between Peter and his Master was the most significant event of this passage and John must have thought it was important, too, that's what concludes the book.
Here's the point of that beach potluck:
What these men had to eat was definitely secondary. The meal was the vehicle for the exhortation and true fellowship and meaningful relationship to take place.
In much of entertaining, the meal is the main event. I like those kinds of events, but that's not what God means by hospitality.
"Come and have breakfast" is an invitation Jesus used to change a man's life. Hospitality with a purpose.
When we ask the question, "Why bother inviting someone over?" here's the real answer:
God wants to use our hospitality as a vehicle for Him to change lives—ours and those we invite.
I want my meals to be a place where exhortation and true fellowship and meaningful relationship to take place. In other words, love.
Will you take the next step and invite? These will help: 252 Conversation starters.
See two options: A printable list of 202 or the book on Amazon, SAY SOMETHING SPECIAL: 252 Conversation Starters - view both in SHOP
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