Come and Have Breakfast

“Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“Come and have breakfast.”

These 2 sentences speak more than enough about the speaker and the listeners.

For the past 4 months of quarantine, a question kept coming back to my mind, “What would Jesus have done if he was physically present with us?”

I asked myself this question as a department head in school and as a proprietor of a small start-up business because I honestly felt lost with the uncertainties of the CoVid-19 pandemic. As a leader, while trusting that God is there before us, I also knew that I had to find my way through this crisis for the sake of my members.

As I was putting together the essential responses of a leader in a crisis situation this specific scene in John 21 came vividly in my mind. Jesus as a leader, reached out to care and connect with his disciples after their traumatic experience of his death and resurrection.

The story started with Peter and the other disciples feeling lost that their teacher was not with them anymore. More so, they have no more day to day provision as they just stopped their ministry. Therefore, the disciples tried to pick up from where they have left before, as professional fishermen.

Even with their expertise, they caught not a single fish from sunset to sunrise. I’m sure they could hear each other’s stomach growling along with their exhausted bodies.

At the height of their crisis, Jesus stood at the shore and called out to them “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” In their exhaustion, they didn’t bother to argue and say “Can’t you see?” but simply answered “No.”

After he helped them with their catch, he invited them to “Come and have breakfast.” Apparently, he already prepared the grilled “fish and bread” breakfast menu for them while he was on the shore early that morning.

Genuine leaders CARE for their members above all else, even above themselves.

After his resurrection, Jesus could have gone to heaven immediately. 33 years for an unlimited being to be confined in a limited body was enough of a suffering, but as a leader, he stayed for another 40 days to stay connected with his disciples as they go through the crisis.

That morning on the shore, Jesus could have just sent some ravens to deliver the food to them but no, he went there himself to be with the disciples so that they could feel his presence.

Genuine leaders are intentional in reaching out to CONNECT with their members in whatever ways they can.

How have you been as a leader in times of crisis?

Stay tuned as we continue to find out more characteristics that are essential for a leader in times of crisis.

John 21: 4-6; 10-14 New International Version (NIV)

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered.

6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 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. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.