40 Ways Jesus Is Like Me, and Maybe You, #1.

He got stinky.

 

‘That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”

John 21:7,9-10,12

 

This earthiness is one of my favorite things about him. The Bible does not directly say he was stinky, but I think it’s there.  

 

Various smells would dominate such a scene.  Fish.  Campfire smoke.  Bread.  The sea at morning has a certain air about it.

 

Other odors are likely, too.  The men will smell like men usually do after working the night shift on their boat with, I presume, no deodorant.  The fishing vessel probably smelled ‘fresh.’  

 

Picture God the Son frying up a hot breakfast for his buddies.  That is incredible in and of itself. 

 

Jesus was the one who invited these stinky men to come and get it. 

 

Apparently, he was comfortable with odors and the people they cling to.  If not, would Peter have “thrown himself into the sea” to swim to God the Son because it was faster than rowing the last hundred yards?  What is it about Jesus that made Peter do that??

 

Envision the scene when Peter emerges onto the beach.  He would have been sopping wet from the swim. His hair is oily.

 

In a few minutes, Jesus is about to reconcile with his friend, Peter, who denied Jesus at the time in his life when he most needed a close friend to stay with him.  Three times.  I know how I would feel if I were in Peter’s shoes.

 

How would I react if I had done that to my best friend, then he cooked me breakfast after work and fully restored our friendship?

 

Here is what I bet did not happen. They probably did not just wave at each other.

 

The Bible does not say Jesus hugged him, but there may have been big, huge, massive bearhug between these two men. If it were me instead of Peter, I would bawl my eyes out and cling to him for at least two or three minutes.

Why the smell factor is important to me is what it indicates about Jesus’ attitude toward other humans. A king sitting high on his throne evokes a certain feeling. That king playing in the dirt with his little child is the same person, but the setting tells you so much about his character, about his heart. That is why it matters to me that he had horrendous body odor sometimes.

It means nothing about me is repulsive to him.