John 21:1-19

Third Sunday, Season of Easter | May 1, 2022 | John 21:1-19 | David Brooks |

I am going to exercise a bit of pastoral privilege and extend our Gospel reading by a few more verses; I believe that, for us to fully understand this event by the Sea of Tiberias, we need “the rest of the story:”

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” ²³ So the saying spread abroad among the brothers^[b] that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

The chapter opens with the disciples on a fishing trip. It is unclear about how or where this event has happened, what with the events of the Resurrection so close in the memory. But as a story addressed to us, does it not ring true? It is a common American experience, so common that country music took up the gulf between divine encounter and daily living as part of its vernacular: church going on Sunday balancing bar-hopping—and more—other days of the week. The experience of the divine doesn’t seem to last long enough to get a body out the church door, out of the parking lot, or out of the Sunday brunch bistro, let alone out the driveway for Monday’s commute. That singular event of God’s presence, so hard, so strong, so breathtaking that you thought it would last all your days, seems as faded as the memories of that family vacation you took when the kids were small.

Does Peter’s choice surprise us? When we face uncertainty, we revert to what we know. We pick up old habits, we return to old haunts, we go back to “how things used to be.” Our best intentions are not enough; on our own, we have not the strength to move forward, to being new, being different.

Yet this story (the conclusion of John’s tale) we see Jesus at his best, doing what he always does in the face of our uncertainty and lack of faith.

Jesus creates, preserves, and restores community.

Jesus undoes the foul effects of sin.

Jesus gives faith for the present moment, hope for the future, and love to sustain us on the journey from what is now to what will be.

In the breakfast Jesus serves, the disciples are again united in the bonds of love. While we do not know what was said over that simple meal, what we do know is that the disciples are drawn together because Jesus is host. Jesus invites them, Jesus feeds them, Jesus makes them a community. In our own lives, when we are unsure in our minds, when we are not clear about who we are or what we should do, then let us commit even more to being a part of this community, gathered around the meal where Jesus is host. This meal is not ours, to decide if or whether we will participate; we are guests, and we can only respond to the one who invites. We cannot gather here and pretend that we can remain at odds with one another, that we can continue to carry our grudges and our hurts against each other; here we are on our knees, circled together, invited by our Lord to be a part of what HE is doing. Do we dare tell our Risen Lord that he has no right to have me take a place next to him, to her? No, here all our pride and ultimatums are undone—there is only the Lord and his love for us. We are here only because our Lord desires it, we remain here only because we serve our Lord’s purposes, and we can move forward because our Lord makes new opportunities possible.

In the word Jesus speaks, Peter’s denial is undone by three affirmations of love. Sin broke Peter that awful Thursday, revealed the fickleness of his heart. New opportunities? For Peter, such things were impossible. Denial was the firm word written over his life. Yet Jesus moves to restore relationship, not by ignoring what had happened, but by demonstrating the type of forgiveness that makes all things new. We too have this power, bestowed by our Lord to us in his Resurrection. We can speak a word of forgiveness, a word of renewal, a word of restoration and make things new, give others and ourselves new chances. Jesus is with us, and all things are possible!

In the unnamed disciple, Jesus assures us all that we abide in his love. Who is the greatest among us? History teaches that the early Church struggled with who should have primacy—is our parish connected to Peter, to John, to Paul, to one of the Twelve? Does our story begin with one of the great evangelists, one of the great missionaries, one of the great martyrs? We too, struggle with primacy: who is important here? Whose faith is stronger (better)? Who has paid their dues? Whose family was present at the beginning? Who voice should prevail? But as Jesus promises, all live in his care, and we should not be concerned about primacy, but only about calling—being a follower of Jesus is all that matters! Whether we are a part of this community for a lifetime or for only a season, it is recognizing the call from our Lord and remembering that we are held in his love that matters most.

Consider again what happens in this story: the Lord Jesus calls, and the disciples respond. In their encounter, faith is renewed (Jesus is alive! He is on the move!). Because he lives, and because he restores, the disciples can move to the next day confident that they will meet Jesus again—there is no place he cannot go. And so they go! They go where the Spirit leads, they go in spite of danger, they go regardless of circumstances, because they have both the love of Jesus and of each other—they are never alone, no matter where life takes them.

Where once it was Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael, James and John and others, now it is you and I. We are those disciples, standing on the lakeshore. Perhaps we are estranged and distant. Perhaps we are ashamed and racked with guilt. Perhaps we are unsure, our memories faded. But I say to you, I say to us all, we are the disciples, and the promise is ours: Christ is risen for our salvation! Alleluia!

___

Pastor David Brooks

Raleigh, NC USA

Pr.Dave.Brooks@zoho.com