John 21:1-19

John 21:1 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.“

Reprise

I am a fan of Broadway musicals. I won’t claim any favorites here. I have seen quite a few. In many of them, the title theme music shows up in several places. It may be in the overture, it may come as the prelude to the second act. It certainly is sung as a featured song. But a few, usually the signature songs, are also reprised by the cast at the end of the show. In some cases, such as “Guys and Dolls” the entire cast comes out to sing the title song at the end of the show. This provides a nice wrap up to what the writers, directors and certainly the cast members hope was a memorable evening for the audience. In one recent show, the short running musical of “Jane Eyre,” the writers chose to weave musical themes throughout the show, returning to the same melodies and motifs to set the mood of certain scenes. While the critics panned this as monotonous, I found it helped to tie the symbols and aspects of the story together.

In that spirit, we turn to the final stories of John’s Gospel, save one. Today’s text draws together some familiar images and scenes, both from previous sections of the Gospel, and from earlier sections of narrative from the synoptic Gospels. Each scene reprises an aspect of Jesus’ ministry and ties together some loose ends in the story concerning the disciples. We know that the story continues past the end of John’s Gospel. I’m sure John’s earliest readers had some idea as well. But there are some missing parts. How do we get past the fact that the followers of Jesus fled when he was arrested? How do we get past the fact that Peter denied Jesus during the trial? How do we get past Thomas’ doubt? How do we get past our own tendency to flee, to deny, to doubt? How does Jesus continue to call and nurture this reluctant following known as Christians?

Re-Call

As our text for today opens, we are back at the seashore, with Peter catching fish once again. John does not tell us the story of how Peter is called the first time. But we know that story from the other Gospel accounts and doubtless John’s first readers knew the story as well. It is significant that Peter and the others are back at the lake, back at their old professions, back to doing what they would be doing had not Jesus intervened and called them to follow. Here John’s story follows the synoptic call story point for point. They fish all night. They catch nothing. A man (we know it is Jesus) tells them to fish in another spot. They catch a bunch. But at this point the disciples begin to catch on. They recognize that it is Jesus.

Jesus loving response to these disciples is worthy of note. Though they abandoned him he will not abandon them. They were faithless. He is faithful. And when he comes to them by the sea for a second time, he calls them again, and in the same way. In John’s narrative, this serves to bring the disciples full circle. John means to undo the disciples’ forsaking of Jesus but having Jesus call them again. They will not return to fishing after all. There is more for them to do.

But the message for us is also clear. Jesus means to call us again and again to faithful ministry. No matter how we flee, no matter where we go, Jesus will gently, calmly, persistently, and perhaps in a familiar way, call us back to the mission. This is why so many congregations celebrate an affirmation of baptism for all adults on a regular, at least annual, basis. It serves as a reminder to us that God is calling us, always calling us. God is renewing his baptismal covenant with us. God’s gracious gift of life is his part of that bargain. Our response to follow our Lord into ministry is ours. Did we think we could escape the call of our baptism by slipping back into our boats whatever they may be. Jesus both knows us better and calls us out our comfort zones.

Re-Gather

Now on the seashore, Jesus sits down with the disciples for breakfast. But this is no ordinary breakfast. This feast, with Jesus as host, involves bread and fish. Readers are immediately transported back to the hillside where the thousands were fed. But this time there is no mystery where the food comes from, or who is the founder of the feast. Jesus gathers his community around his risen presence in the bread and the fish.

While scholars dispute the eucharistic significance of John’s story of the feeding of the thousands, there are definitely close connections between this scene and that one from earlier in John’s Gospel. And both stories connect with the providence of God for the people of Israel in the wilderness. God gathers his manna people around his presence in Exodus, and when they are hungry he feeds them with bread that he himself provides. Here Jesus re-gathers his scattered followers and provides for them again as a sign that their daily needs are cared for so that they can focus on the more important mission at hand. John has no great commission. But these disciples are gathered and fed for the journey. As God’s “manna people” (See the writings of Dan Erlander) they are constituted differently than other communities. All share in the same meal. Rich and poor are no longer important categories. And like the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke’s Gospel, here there is a meal in which Jesus gives out the bread and the disciples recognize him (if indeed they did not already). The implication is that the disciples, who earlier in the Gospel gathered up twelve baskets full of the leftovers, will soon be sent to distribute the leftovers of God’s largess again.

For us today, Jesus continues to provide the same. He calls our out of our fears and our flight and gathers us around his meal again. We too are constituted as different from other communities of our world where the forces that divide us and create hierarchy give way to the common table of the Lord. We are fed with the understanding that we bring both our leftover bread, and the “bread of life” into our world to share with a world in desperate need of that bread.

Re-store

Finally comes the tender, heart wrenching scene between Jesus and Peter. Much has been made over Peters three-fold denial of Jesus and this subsequent three-fold profession of devotion. Jesus is clearly restoring Peter back into his place as the leader of the community. In this exchange Peter is forgiven and freed from the bondage of his denial. He who feared death while Jesus was on trial is now prepared to face death and his own cross following his Lord.

We, who also face denial on a daily basis, do well to remember this story. The Lord who welcomed Peter back stands ready to welcome us as well. We are still wanted even after we are found wanting. We are restored not for our own sake, but for the feeding of the sheep and lambs of this world, God’s own beloved children. Our shepherd is both risen and visible, and at the same time impossible for many to see and hear and experience. Jesus restores us, and in the process makes us participants in the care and restoration of all humanity.

Sing it Again

Once a week I sit down on the floor with my guitar to sing with and for the youngest class at my congregation’s preschool. They are between two and three years old and for them life is a joy. The songs are simple, repetitive and can get stuck in my head if I’m not careful. And my young flock never lets me be careful. Any song they like ( and they like most songs) brings the joyful refrain, “Sing it again!” And I do, several times. I usually start singing a solo, but by the end, I’m singing as the leader of a mighty Chorus, one bass and ten high sopranos. With joy and abandon we sing “Jesus loves me, this I know….” And he does, and we know it!

John sings some familiar songs for us at the end of his Gospel. He is hoping, I’m sure, that we will catch on and sing along. But then, God has been doing that very thing since the first day of creation. He sings the song of his love, ever the same, and ever different. He sings it high and low, soft and loud, and in more ways than we can count. But his song was never more clear than in Jesus – a song of unbounded love that never ends. We listen and when we have caught enough, we sing along. Sometimes we leave the song and then we join it again. But the song itself never ends. It calls us, it gathers us, it restores us to relationship with God, the composer, and sends us out to spread its melody and harmonies to the ends of the earth. Do you hear it? The chorus is starting again.

Happy singing, O Easter people of God.

Rev. Dr. Luke Bouman
Peace Lutheran Church
Austin, Texas
luke_bouman@sbcglobal.net