Article January 31, 1925 Issue

"Come and dine"

WILLIAM B. HARRISON

IN the twenty-first chapter of John's gospel is the story of the appearance of Jesus to some of his disciples after his resurrection, a story which is radiant with the glory of spiritual understanding. Morning is breaking over the hilltops surrounding the Sea of Galilee. In the uncertain light of early dawn the disciples, who have toiled all night in the vain effort to fill their nets from the sea, perceive a person, apparently unknown to them, on the near-by shore. Across the quiet waters comes a gentle voice to the silent fishermen, saying, "Children, have ye any meat?" In reply their weary disappointment finds expression in a brief, half-hearted "No." Again there comes to them the voice, in quiet, loving command, "Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find." They cast, and find in abundance. The light is not yet sufficient to enable them to identify the one on the shore, but he who has the greatest spiritual intuition, "that disciple whom Jesus loved," declares it is the Master who has spoken to them, and who has performed the miracle or sign of the ever-presence and abundance of supply.

Slowly the heavy net is drawn to the shore by the amazed fishermen. Not a fish has been taken from it, and yet they behold the calm, victorious demonstrator of Truth standing by a fire on which a meal has already been prepared and fish cooked ready to be served to the hungry toilers. Whence came the fish he has prepared for them? From the same source as those they have caught in their net. Christ Jesus' understanding of the limitless power of Truth, setting aside material law, has replaced it with ever operative spiritual law, and has wrought the miracle.

To gain the full significance of the story thus briefly told, it is necessary to review events preceding. Some of the disciples had been fishermen by trade before they joined Jesus in his public healing work. He had said to them, as they were bidden to leave their nets, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." For three years they had followed him, and had witnessed innumerable demonstrations of the power of divine law to meet and master every human need. They had seen him set aside and annul so-called material law, heal sickness, destroy sin, conquer hate, relieve the oppressed, comfort the sorrowing, cheer the hopeless, and raise the dead. Jesus had walked on the water, fed the hungry, made whole the palsied arm, and appeared and disappeared at will without regard to time or space. Not only had he robbed the tomb of its victim, but, as we are told in the twenty-seventh chapter of Matthew, he had so mightily assaulted the belief in material life at the time of his victory over the ignominious death his enemies had planned for him, that "the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."

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