Third Sunday in Easter – John 21:1-19
On this third Sunday in Easter, we find the disciples back by the Sea of Tiberius. They are still together in a group, Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael and James and John – the sons of Zebedee and two others who didn’t get named. It seems like, despite having seen Jesus in his resurrected state, they are still a bit lost and confused. In light of this bewilderment, Peter announces he is going fishing.
It feels like Peter is a bit lost, and so, as with so many of us when we don’t know what to do we go back what we have done before. So Peter goes fishing. And his friends go with him. We return to those things that make us feel like we have a sense of control over our lives.
This passage has many echoes back to Luke’s narrative of the calling of Peter, James and John in Luke 5. They are living their normal lives. Fishing. But as in the day that Jesus first encountered them they have been out fishing and returned empty handed. In the words of my family after an unproductive fishing outing – wet bums and no fish.
Jesus calls to them from the shore with a hint of prophetic insight – children you have no fish, have you? Instructing them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat. Similarly to their first encounter with Jesus this seems like an unlikely way to increase their catch however they follow his instructions and a miraculous haul is caught!
From a distance, it appears that they do not recognise him as Jesus. But suddenly the disciple whom Jesus loved (probably John) turns to Peter in recognition and says – It is the Lord! There is something about Jesus miraculous insight in the best fishing spots that opens John’s eyes.
At this point, Peter leaps from the boat and leaps through the water to Jesus. True to form, Peter is active in his engagement with Jesus. He is going to be with him even if it means leaping out of the boat and leaving his friends to pull in the boat full of their haul of fish.
As they return to the shore, Jesus has made a fire and is waiting to cook their fish for breakfast. I suspect there was some sideways looks going on as the disciples looked at each other and were thinking – I am pretty sure this is Jesus. Are you sure? Are you thinking what I’m thinking?? After the incident with Thomas, perhaps no one wants to be that guy who asks the question. I am sure their nonverbal language was communicating a lot.
What follows is a beautiful interaction between Jesus and Simon Peter, which has given hope to many over the years.
There are hints already that this is to be a story of redemption. Theologians point out that the words used to describe the charcoal fire are only used twice in the Gospels. Once here for the fire Jesus lit, and previously in the account of Peter sitting by a fire when he denies he knows Jesus, just prior to his crucifixion.
So when Jesus turns to Peter and says Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? The scene is set.
Simon responds Yes, Lord you know I love you. To which Jesus replies feed my lambs.
- Jesus asks a second time – do you love me?
- Peter – yes Lord you know that I love you.
- Jesus – tend my sheep.
Now if I was Simon Peter I think I would already be feeling squeamish and embarrassed about my previous failure to live up to my promise of unwavering devotion. And yet
- Jesus asks a third time – do you love me
- Peter replies – Lord you know everything, you know that I love you.
- Jesus replies – Feed my sheep.
In this interaction, there are parallels to Simon Peter’s three denials of knowing Jesus and being his follower. Perhaps this is why Jesus pushes the point in his questions of Simon Peter. In the same way the Peter denied Jesus, now Jesus offers him an opportunity to reaffirm his love.
Jesus also follows these statements with a Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep. Jesus is reinstating Peter to his previous calling to be a fisher of men.
Both the Luke 5 narrative and this one tells of abundant catches of fish. In Luke Jesus calls Peter, James and John away from their nets to become fishers of men. Here in this encounter on the beach Jesus is reaffirming Peter’s calling and his role as a shepherd of the flock.
As Jesus said earlier in John – he is the Good Shepherd and his sheep know him. Now he is handing over the care of his flock to Peter.
There is a beautiful restoration of ministry and calling. Peter’s previous actions do not discount him from the calling that been declared over his life.
As with the other post-resurrection encounters people have with Jesus, he seems to randomly appear out of nowhere.
This encounter between the disciples and Jesus but more specifically between Peter and Jesus reminds us that God has always been willing to come to us. Regardless of the situation we find ourselves in God is the one who draws near.
In Genesis, in the garden after Adam and Eve ate the fruit and became aware of their nakedness, God draws near with a plan to restore them.
In Egypt, as the people suffered in slavery God drew near in the fire and cloud pillars to lead them to freedom.
In the incarnation, God in flesh draws near to humanity to show us who God is, to reconcile us to himself, to bring about the new Kingdom.
In our New Testament reading, God drew near to Saul despite his objection to the Christians, revealing himself and setting Saul on the path of becoming the apostle to the Gentile.
Post crucifixion, the resurrected Jesus draws near to the disciples to strengthen them, to encourage them, to give them understanding and hope.
In this encounter, Jesus draws near to Peter who may have still felt the shame of his denial and restores him. Restoring the relationship, restoring calling, restoring dignity.
This passage reminds us that, regardless of our situations, it is God who draws near. When I became a Christian in my 20’s I wasn’t looking for God or interested in finding out more about faith. But God drew near.
God drew near through friends, though situations, through the Spirit and my eyes were opened to God’s love for me.
I wasn’t thinking about becoming a priest, but God drew near and used people to encourage and affirm this calling on my life.
When I have had questions and doubt and felt like nothing was going as I thought it was meant to, God drew near to strengthen, encourage and sustain me.
Perhaps today you are wondering if God even hears you prayers because things are working out how you expected.
Maybe there have been situations in your life that you wonder if God can forgive you.
You might have had a sense of God calling you to try something but its been complicated and you’ve gone back to what you know and gives you a sense of control.
The invitation to us all today is to pause and allow ourselves to become aware of God drawing near today. We are not alone. God is here. God’s Spirit is with us. From this place of love and acceptance, may we too, like Peter – be an Easter people who follow Christ and feed his sheep.