Breakfast with Jesus

Jesus said, “Come, and join Me for breakfast.”

John 21:12 (The Voice)

What does your life look like right now? 

Is it so great that other people can’t stand to be around you because you’re so happy? Or, is it so bad that other people retreat like you’ve got the plague because they don’t know what to say? Maybe you find yourself somewhere in the middle and life is plugging along.

Wherever you find yourself, I want to invite you to consider the following scenario…

It’s Wednesday morning and you are sitting at your kitchen table, staring out the window, sipping your morning coffee or juice, thinking about all that lay ahead of you in the day. The encouragement you took from Sunday church service has worn off by now and there is still so much of the week left to get through.

As you sit there considering what to do first, you hear a noise outside and lean forward to peak down the driveway. Is it your neighbor getting ready to cut his grass way too early again? Or is it the junk collectors nosing around your trashcans for anything good to sell? To your surprise it’s neither; so you get up and begin walking closer to the window.

Hmmm, a car has pulled up that you don’t recognize. They’ve parked parallel to your driveway, noticeably blocking it, but before you have time to get irritated you notice the passenger door open and someone getting out. You lean in closer, squinting a bit as you move the curtains from blocking your view. “Who could that be?” you wonder.

Then with wide eyes, you take three quick steps backward. “Oh my goodness, are you kidding me?!” screams through your mind as your brain quickly registers that the person is Jesus and he is now walking up to your front door with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts in hand. The car he’s gotten out of now speeds away and you see a sign in the back window. Wow, apparently Jesus took an Uber, ha!

As you watch him quickly approaching your front door, you find yourself backing up against the wall, holding your breath. Then you hear it… knock, knock, knock.

What would you do?

I have spent time with many people lately - those on the mountaintops of happiness, in the valley of despair, and those somewhere in the middle. Regardless of where they are, I have found there is a fear of how Jesus would speak to them or what he might actually say if he were in front of them.

Somewhere on their journey of faith, people are doubting Jesus loves them. Are you one of those people? If so, let me assure you; you can let that doubt go! Jesus is for you!

I see this point so evident in John 21 through the simple verse mentioned above. “Jesus said, ‘Come, join Me for breakfast.’ ”

In context, we know the disciples have been broken hearted over Jesus crucifixion and we know at this point in the narrative that although Jesus has been resurrected, the disciples are still back to doing what they’ve always done… fishing. There is of course nothing wrong with fishing, but Jesus had already called them away from this career to “follow him” in sharing the Gospel.

In addition to all of this, the disciple Peter is most likely carrying around the awful guilt of having betrayed Jesus. Though Jesus had predicted his betrayal, Peter had still emphatically said to him, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (Matthew 26:35). Yet Peter knew he had done this very thing on three separate occasions.

I can’t help but wonder what they expected him to say when they pulled their boat on shore. Did they expect a stern lecture about losing their faith and giving up hope? Were they preparing themselves to feel Jesus’ displeasure with how they handled the last week? Whatever they expected, I’m certain it wasn’t, “Hey boys comehave breakfast with me!” And yet that is what Jesus offered them.

You see, at that moment, Jesus knew what his boys needed. He knew they’d been out fishing all night and were exhausted. He knew how hard the last week, watching him die has been on them, and he knew better than anyone how their hopes and dreams had been crushed when he was crucified. At that moment, Jesus knew what his boys needed most was HIM.

Wherever you find yourself right now - happy, sad, or somewhere in between - this is the Jesus we follow. He sees you. He knows what the past day, week, month, or year has been like for you and he knows what you need. Regardless of how you’ve handled this season, with immense faith or incredible doubt, he wants to draw close to you in it.

So, if you find he’s knocking at the door of your heart, let him in. He’s trustworthy. Maybe, just maybe he’s knocking because he wants to “feed” you.

For Your Reflection…

Why do we find ourselves so afraid of Jesus? 

What if you gave yourself permission to think the best of him in your situation? 

If you’re happy, it’s ok to give him credit and own that life is good right now. You don’t have to downplay it, Jesus will rejoice with you. 

If you’re sad because of life or even personal sin, let him draw near. I promise he doesn’t want to beat you up. Maybe he just wants to encourage you.