Do you think that food cooked outside tastes better? I have certainly enjoyed food cooked on barbecues on a number of occasions, though there have been one or two instances of my making discreet
use of someone’s kitchen bin to dispose of a burnt offering! Barbecues have certainly become more popular in Britain recently despite the uncertain weather, and are very frequently used in Australia, where there are electric barbecues located in many parks and seaside gardens for anyone to use.
When I have been staying in Australia we have had a number of barbecues at home or in a holiday cottage. Often friends have been invited to join us, and the thing I have most noticed on these occasions is how relaxed this way of entertaining seems to be. Eating outside means there is no need for meticulous cleaning of the house before guests arrive, and crumbs dropped during the meals can be eaten by the birds later. Usually, the host or a male guest will cook the food, leaving the ladies to chop salads, and fruit for dessert. Sometimes the guests arrive with food to be cooked on the fire, salads and puddings, and no one has a heavy burden of preparation. Sitting outside can allow for more moving around than at a more formal indoor meal, and children can get up and play ball games once they have finished, leaving the adults to talk. Some deep conversations can take place as the day or evening progresses, The worst bit of clearing up – the cleaning of the barbecue – is usually left till the following day.
In John’s gospel, chapter 21, we read about a barbecued breakfast, that Jesus’ disciples did not know about beforehand. Peter suggested a fishing expedition in the post resurrection period, and 7 disciples spend the night on the Sea of Galilee but catch nothing. A man standing on the sea shore calls out to them. He seems to know they haven’t caught anything, and calls to them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. When they follow this suggestion, their net is so heavy they can’t haul it in. John realises who the man on the shore is and turns to Peter, ” It is the Lord.” Impetuous Peter puts on some clothes and jumps into the Lake, wanting to reach Jesus, and the other disciples are left with the job of dragging the net into the shore alongside the boat. There are 153 fish in all but the net does not tear.
This really is a barbecue to feed the bodies and souls of these tired, discouraged disciples. Jesus has already lit a fire and obtained bread and some fish for his special friends, but he wants them to contribute the fish they have just caught too. What an amazing act of divine love!!
The Son of God, who has been through huge suffering and a barbaric death is concerned for his disciples’ physical needs too, saying ” Come and have breakfast,”
Then there is time and opportunity for a special conversation. The resurrected Jesus won’t be with them much longer in this physical way so he needs to clear up any possible issues that could hamper the disciples’ future ministry. It’s time to make sure Peter has declared his love for his Lord, having denied him 3 times, and he needs to receive his commission to care for the sheep, the flock of Christians who will take forward the Christian church of the future. What a wonderful setting for such a conversation to take place!
Prayer – Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you that you loved your disciples so much that you took care of their spiritual and physical needs through this wonderful breakfast on the beach. Help us to realise that you want to draw close to us too, deal with our difficult issues, and point us in the way we should go. Amen