Two children, a four-year-old and a six-year-old, gave their mother a houseplant for Mother's Day. They had used their own money, and she was thrilled. The older child said with a sad face, "There was a bouquet at the flower shop that we wanted to give you, but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said, 'Rest in peace."' A parent, particularly a mother, gets little chance to rest in peace this side of heaven. Parenting is intensive leadership, 24 hours per day. The Bible describes parental leadership as follows: "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Our scripture for today is about leadership. In John's gospel, chapter 21, the risen Christ meets the disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He cooks breakfast for them. A…