Breakfast with the Risen Lord Jesus Christ

"Come and have breakfast," Jesus said. John 21:12

It was an ordinary morning by the water's edge. The heartbroken, confused disciples who possibly felt abandoned, returned to what they knew: fishing. Maybe doing something familiar felt safe and brought comfort?
But Jesus had not abandoned them. As the sun rose, so did His call. Through a shared meal around an open fire.

It’s quite apt that we have this Bible text this week. This Sunday we too are sharing a women’s breakfast, and a men’s barbeque before a Communion worship service, where Jesus is remembered in the broken Bread and where the Cup of salvation hope is shared.

As Australia moves through another election season — weary from division, inflation, global unrest, and the ache of communities wondering who will truly listen — the risen Jesus still calls us to the table. His invitation cuts through political slogans and anxious rhetoric.

Jesus says: Come close to me.
Be fed and nourished. Be sent to serve your community.

This passage reminds us that Jesus meets His followers not with condemnation, but with compassion. He fills the disciples’ empty nets; He tends to their broken hearts. And then, He commissions them again saying :

"Feed my lambs... Take care of my sheep."

In a fractured world— politically, racially, environmentally, and religiously — Christ’s call to Christians remains the same:

Love with all your heart.
Care for the vulnerable. Nourish the hurting. Serve without personal agenda.

Peter who had denied knowing Jesus three times is restored to relationship. When Jesus asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?", Jesus links love for Himself to love for others.

The measure of our faith is seen in how we care, across boundaries, across denominations, across differences.

This is especially pressing for us in Australia today. As the Church navigates complex cultural and social landscapes —stewardship of creation, religious freedom, stamping out of Domestic Violence, care for the elderly, providing homes and safety .. just to name a few — our unity in Christ must outweigh our divisions.

Our love must not just be declared; it must be demonstrated. Jesus calls us..
Jesus meets us when we feel our nets are empty.
Jesus offers hope to all.

We are invited to be a people who fish with hope; who feed with grace, and follow Jesus with courage.
May we gather around the same fire, share the same bread, and hear again the tender voice of the Shepherd:

"Follow me."

Blessings — Rev. Carmel