Previously in this series in the spring we went to festive events inside – the banquet, the wedding, the todah and the seder supper. Now we move outside and September is still a great month for picnic, hence “Picnic on the Beach”. The book The Food and Feasts of Jesus by Douglas Neel and Joel Pugh is the reference for this series.
Catherine describes the menu: "The menu this month will be grilled tilapia wrapped in fig leaves, roasted chickpeas, goat cheese marinated in olive oil and herbs, and of course bread, wine and olives. In addition to these traditional foods, we’ll have other foods in that are now in season locally, as would have been the custom in the first century. In order to have enough fish for everyone, I will need to have a general idea about who plans to come to this Feast, so send me an email or call me at (540) 809-7489 if you plan to attend."
Feasting on Jesus usually focuses on a scripture that illustrates the role of food in Jesus life. “Picnic on the Beach” is one of the more exotic entries based on around the end of John’s Gospel – John 21:9-14.
“When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.”
All four gospels have at least one account of a very large picnic, where thousands of people dined on bread and fish. What makes this account exceptional is a breakfast with the risen Christ at the end of the Gospel of John!
Neel and Pugh point out some interesting point about fishing in Jesus time. Fish has to be was a heavily regulated business by the Roman. Much of the fishing occurred on the Sea of Galilee but was not open to just anyone putting in a pole with bait. First-century fishermen had to contract for a license from a licensing broker in order to fish commercially on the Sea of Galilee. The licensing brokers received their fishing rights from the local ruler, Herod Anurias during the ministry of Jesus and they were a source of capital. The broker had a booth or office at the docks where he was ready to receive his share of the fish or revenue as the boats arrived. In order to afford a license, and because there were a limited number of licenses, many of the fishermen formed organizations. This is not what we expected!
After the licensed fishermen caught the fish, they were sold to government-approved distributors who processed the fish for storage and transportation. The fish were then dried, salted, pickled, or cured in some manner. To accomplish this, the processors purchased a number of additional foods and services, all of which were taxed and regulated as well. These included vintners who sold wine for pickling the fish; merchants who provided salt and olive oil; potters who supplied clay vats and jars; and crafts¬men who furnished lumber for building and repairing boats, flax for nets, sail linen, and stone anchors. Salt in particular was needed in large quantities since fish deteriorated rapidly. There was also a thriving underground economy separate from the one that was regulated and taxed. Both farmers and fishermen engaged in bartering, where goods or services were traded for other goods or services.
Jesus was very connected to those who were fisherman since he spent much time around towns on the Sea of Galilee. Among his first disciples were fishermen, Simon Peter and Andrew, who both lived in Capernaum, were fishermen, as were the sons of Zebedee. Jesus walked along the shores, boarded boats and taught while sitting in a fishing boat. Jesus depicted the mission of discipleship in terms of angling: "Follow me and I will make you fish for people. Several of the miracles described by the gospels also involved fish and fishing. The feeding of the multitudes with a feast of bread and dried fish that occurs six times in the gospels.
The combination of bread and fish was a common mix. These two foods became a symbol for dining with the resurrected Christ and for the Enchanstic worship of the early Christian communities. The letters in the Greek word for fish,"ichduis", are an acronym for the phrase ‘Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior."
Come along to the Parish House on Thursday, September 12, 6pm and see what is cooking on the beach!