With this Sunday being Mother's Day we will take some time early in the service to talk and think about families. Many of us have family by blood and family by choice. Many of us are part of more than one family. I invite you to ponder this quote from Lilo & Stitch:
Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten
Who is part of your family(ies)?
This week we conclude our series of post-Easter appearance stories with John 21:1-17
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The Sermon title is Shore Lunch with Jesus
Early Thoughts: John 21 is a strange chapter. The last verse of chapter 20 is a very clear ending to the Gospel. It might as well have "The End" in it. But then all of a sudden we have another chapter, another story, another appearance. Many believe that Chapter 21 is the work of a different author within the Johannine community that gets edited in to the Gospel.
The last time we met the disciples we were in Jerusalem, locked in an upper room for fear of what might happen next. They had 2 visitations (a week apart) from the Risen Christ who spoke of peace, breathed the Holy Spirit onto them, and sent them out. Well they have gone out...sort of.
A small group of the disciples are in this story. They have gone home, gone back to what they knew, maybe they are trying to get 'back to normal'. We are back on the Sea of Galilee (also known as the Sea of Tiberias after that city was founded on its shore in the early first century CE). But they have not gone home to preach and teach. They were once fishermen and now Peter says "I'm going fishing", he is going back to what he knows best, to what he understands. I can understand that. When what we thought we knew has been tossed around in the storms of life we often want to find something familiar, something that makes sense.
But life doesn't always let us leave it there. Or at least God doesn't.
Jesus shows up. After a night of empty nets Jesus shows up and a massive catch of fish follows. [Note that there is a very similar story in Luke chapter 5, at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. Some have suggested that it is one story used differently by the two writers.] Peter runs to shore to greet the Risen Lord and they find breakfast waiting for them. Another appearance, the third one to the disciples (4th overall in John when we remember that the first appearance was to Mary alone).
But really it seems that this story is about Peter. The others see Jesus, eat with him but the meat of the story comes next. Peter and Jesus have this exchange about love and commissioning. Generally it is understood that the threefold questioning is to counteract Peter's three fold denial of Jesus in the Passion narrative. I wonder if it is also to lock in the understanding that a large part of discipleship is to care for others.
What does this appearance tell us about what it means to be followers of the Risen Christ. Again we are reminded that Easter happens in many different places (last week on the road and in a house in Emmaus, this week along the shore of the lake many miles from Jerusalem). Again we are reminded that when we meet Jesus there is feeding involved. Again we are reminded that Jesus brings abundant life. What else?
We are reminded that to follow Jesus is to be given a task. We don't just go about our regular business, our lives will be changed by our encounter with Christ. In the verses that immediately follow this reading Jesus reminds Simon Peter that his life is no longer his own, that his choices are now shaped by forces outside his own mind.
That was quite a shore lunch after a fishing trip!
--Gord
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