Jesus, we are told, stands on the beach at daybreak – ‘just as the day was breaking’. Notice how this reminds us of the resurrection – it was at dawn that they discover the empty tomb.
Just like in the accounts of the resurrection, we are also told that they did not recognise Jesus. It is a bit strange, these folks had been with Jesus all through his ministry. Simon Peter and his companions had shared intimate moments and conversations with Jesus. It is odd that they do not recognise him.
There are many reasons, perhaps, why we sometimes fail to recognise those who should be intimately familiar to us. Recognition might be allusive because of the natural physical changes brought about by the passage of time. It might be because a person has so drastically altered their appearance recognising them becomes improbable or even difficult – they are disguised.
Practically, these fisherman could have been too far from the shore to recognise him in the poor light of the dawn.
The invitation for us is to comb through our own lives and ask why we might not recognise the Lord. The experience of the disciples might not be too far from our own. We have an image of God, a perception of how God should be and act. This has been shaped by parents, teachers, ministers, catechism teachers, the church. And, often we do not recognise Jesus because
of the expectations we have or the places we do seek God. Remember how these disciples – in their anxious, perhaps depressed state, return to their default position? A place they least expected to meet Jesus.
At times we do the same. We think God is not present in certain places or parts of our lives. We don’t recognise God because we do not expect God to show up.
Looking back on your life in the last few days, might there be places God was present that you did not recognise and, maybe, can see God’s presence now?
Are there times when God has shown up when you least expected?
