Jesus in the kitchen

Think fishing.  Imagine water and people and boats and nets.  I’ve fished from a boat in a lake and a boat in the ocean.  I’ve fished off a pier and also from the shore.  And there are some constants among the people in all the places.  They ask, “You catchin’ anything?”  Almost invariably, “Where’d you catch ’em?” and “What are you using for bait?”  Interestingly there’s a story of Jesus that just last week struck me differently in its setting by the sea.  Jesus stands at the shore and calls to the disciples in the boat about a hundred yards out.  He asks essentially, “You catchin’ anything?”  He tells them the best place to fish, and sure enough, they catch 153 without one tear in their net.  They come to shore and see that Jesus has a fire ready, and He’s offering up fish and bread for breakfast.  And man, what a deal!  The times I’ve been fishing, I come home windblown and hungry, and I would love for a hot meal to be ready!  And that’s what struck me so refreshingly last week when I heard someone refer to this story.  Jesus was such a regular guy here.  He walked this earth and looked after His buddies who’d been out all night and had not even one fish to their name.  Certainly a huge catch and a hot plate of food would encourage them, as it would me.  Now I'm not sure He donned a floppy chef’s hat and a gingham apron, but why not imagine Him with a big spatula or a long-handled fork?  He can create all kinds of tools and all kinds of circumstances, and He swoops in to our aid with whatever we need.  He’s an engineer, He’s a navigator, He’s whatever, and that includes operating the bait shop at the shore that provides the perfect morsel for our next hook.  Grilling at the riverside or at the stove in my kitchen, He enters our everyday situations and serves up what nourishes.  If Jesus is cooking, I don’t want to be late.  I hope you'll read John 21 as well to see what insights the Lord gives uniquely to you.