Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.
There appear to be several miraculous aspects to this particular catch of fish. First, they had fished all night and caught nothing. Then, on the word of the man on the beach they dropped the net in one more time and found it so full that they could not pull it back into the boat. Second, the fish they caught was not a mix of small, medium and a few large fish. They were all large fish. Third, the number of fish, 153 is recorded. A few days ago JEC suggested that this number is prophetic. It might be. Yet taken at face value it still represents a large number of large fish. So much so that the disciples thought to record the number.
So how big is a “large” fish? Five pounds? Ten pounds? More? It turns out that there are three general categories of commercially harvested fish in the Sea of Galilee. The largest is the “binny” or “barbel.” The medium-sized fish is called “Musht.” The Musht is a type of Talapia and is also known as “Saint Peter’s Fish.” The third type of fish is the tiny Kinneret sardine. Apparently, they had pickled herring in Jesus’ day, too.
If John literally meant “large fish” when he wrote his gospel, then he was probably talking about the largest of the three, the binny. According to a quick internet search, a large binny will run about 15 pounds. So ten pounds might be a bit conservative. Let’s live large and imagine that John’s large fish were large binny. That means 153 fish would have weighed 2,295 pounds. Over a ton of fish! No wonder they could not pull the net back into the boat. This also helps us understand the final miraculous aspect of this story: the net didn’t break!
Application: One take away I see in this story is that when God gives us a bountiful blessing of some kind, he also gives us the capacity to manage the blessing.
Food for Thought: Since there was already fish on the fire, why do you think Jesus asked the disciples to bring more?
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I think He May have been refreshing their memory of when He first called them. Their mission is not over, it is just beginning. They will continue to be fishers of people. It is time to go back to work. But not before sitting with the Savior in fellowship.
God provides, but we also have a participation in it.
God provides but we have a participation in it
God provides but we still have a participation in it
God provides, but we get to participate.
So I have another question for anyone that would like to comment: Is there any relationship between Jesus asking them to bring a portion of their catch (which he had just provided) and our tithes and offerings we bring to Him?
By bringing the fish to Jesus the disciples know in their hearts when they handle the fish that they had absolutely nothing to do with this provision…this was totally Jesus providing for them! The only thing they did is physically drag the net into shore. I guess they could say they worked “with” Jesus ( as we as His disciples are commanded,
He speaks and we obey) or cooperated with Jesus in this miracle.
Is there a relationship between Jesus asking them to bring a portion of their catch and tithing? I’m saying I don’t think so…
There is no place in the New Testament that Jesus asks or commands His believers to tithe. New Testament giving is not under compulsion as the tithe was.
Keith,
Thank you for sharing! I appreciate you taking the time to write. I agree that we are not commanded to tithe. We are no longer under the old covenant. In 1 Corinthians 8-10 Paul expounds on our freedom in Christ which supports your view on this. In 2 Corinthians 8-9 Paul writes about the benefits of giving generously. Not as an obligation under the law but as an expression of gratitude.