John 21:1-19
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 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. 12 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. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
What a great story.
Last Sunday, I touched on Dr. PayNoToll’s insight that Thomas shows us that faith can be difficult. Does this story show that faith can be painful? - or that forgiveness can be painful? both?
I sometimes suspect that talking about a story like this begins to undo what the story does. A certain “paralysis by analysis” that moves us out of the drama, and into our heads, moves us away form experiencing with Peter the transformative power of forgiveness and call, and gets us thinking ABOUT it all..
I think, in preaching this text, I’ll wonder a bit about why those guys went fishing. Were they trying to forget? Were they hungry? Why go fishing? Was there no baseball game on ESPN?
Let me add this fitting line which I had forgotten is from Stephen Wright:
“There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.”
Whatever the reason, the risen Jesus interrupts their fruitless fishing, gives birth to an extraordinary catch, and commissions Peter to a life of love.
I had someone call me yesterday. She has a disorder that makes it impossible for her to eat wheat. Celiac or something. Even a little communion wafer renders her quite out of sorts.
Googled and found a recipe for wafers made with rice flour. In the midst of all that, were articles about how the Catholic Church has responded to people with such allergies by telling them they cannot receive the sacrament - that there HAS TO BE wheat in the communion wafer - and that men with such disorders will not be accepted into the priesthood. It’s easy to bust on the RC’s, but we all lose sight of love at times. Not to overstate it all, but this Peter story seems to suggest that rice flour might be acceptable to our Lord and Savior. (But only in extreme cases!!!!!!)
Does forgiveness give rise to action? Does the encounter with the risen Jesus go hand in hand with a sending to share and tell, to live and love?
4 comments:
I like William Loader - he’s got a lot to offer.
Here’s a few excerpts from his “First Thoughts” for this week. Well worth reading the whole deal...
http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/LkEaster3.htm
ALL OF THIS QUOTES FROM LOADER
One of the features of stories about the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection is that they nearly always end up with Jesus commissioning someone. Jesus appears for a purpose. The presence of Jesus is strongly linked with the sense of calling.
. . . The sense of call merges with the sense of Christ’s presence - has anything changed, except that these stories are more dramatic?
. . . Meeting the risen Jesus in the context of the meal meant facing fundamental questions. That, too, has not changed. But Peter’s story is larger than an account of calling. It is a recycling of denial into affirmation.
. . . Resurrection celebrates the risenness of Jesus. The appearance to Peter celebrates divine grace.
. . . The veil of death is parted; through it a hand reaches out to a Peter, shamed and probably resigned to former routines. Wherever and however it happened, Peter was turned from death to life. The God who had not abandoned Christ in death would not abandon Peter in his. Against all odds and against the prevailing values which would later ascend to rule in much theology, God proposed love to Peter again. . .
And there is this, which I saved for some reason
Fishing, like prayer, can bring peace of heart and give time for personal reflection. Like prayer, it can be disheartening - sometimes the catch will be small, or there will be nothing but a few bites. Both fishing and prayer require patience and humility, because with both, you ultimately depend on an answer from outside yourself. - Johann Christoph Arnold
I think in light of the shooting that a word to address this situation that all are thinking about might be helpful. Several themes might be addressed. The brokeness of creation, the brokeness that caused Christ's crucifixion. The fear that rises up when we realize how vulnerable we are and how fragile life can be. That fear exposes our idols that we are "indestructable" or we can defend ourselves against all dangers. What does it mean that God is our refuge and strength in the face of such slaughter?
In all four texts depict the world as the ones that are turned upside down- the eterminator Paul becomes a lifegiver, the disciples go back to former work but Jesus sends them back into ministry. The psalm has great images of evil,lament, yet trust in God. God in Christ turns the "unpside down" world right side up in Revelation. Good news- Christ has conquered death,a now / not yet aspect that gives us hope for teh not yet to come. The call to tend sheep and love in the midst of all we don't quite understand. I'm going to Concordia this weekend for the corporation meeting but preaching at the Nursing Home tomorrow. I'll be thinking of you!
Big question- why does Peter get dressed before he dives in the water?
I'm intrigued by a line in the introduction used by a Sundays and Seasons writer who opens "resurrection also means reconciliation." Acts 9 has Jesus reconciling with Saul - as Jesus was present in those whom Saul was persecuting. Saul being reconciled with Annanias; our Gospel has Simon Peter being reconciled with his risen Lord. From the guilt of denial to the call to tend, care for, feed those in God's family who hunger for love, truth and justice.
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