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Rector's Reflection—Easter 3 C
April 18, 2010
I'm not sure you can ever get a complete grasp of John's gospel.
Well, I guess that's true of all of scripture, but John is just
different. The other three gospels tell pretty straight forward
stories, but John embellishes his stories with lyrical language
and, let's face it, his Farewell Discourses could win a prize
for the most elaborate and frequent use of pronouns. I sometimes
get the feeling that in the midst of some of Jesus' lengthy
prayers, the disciples are looking at one another as if to say,
"Did you get that?"
Today's story, however, isn't very complex linguistically but,
at least for me, it paints a very vivid picture. It comes on the
heels of Jesus' encounter with Thomas and the allusion to
unmentioned signs that would lead to belief. Chapter 21 is like
an epilogue.
Close your eyes and picture the scene. Some of the disciples are
gathered on the beach. Things must seem a little safer for they
have ventured out of the upper room and, at Peter's announcement
that he's going fishing, they jump in the boat..
Talk about disappointing. Nary a fish to be had. They couldn't
even brag about the one that got away since they hadn't caught
one... and at least some of these guys were professional fishermen
in their former lives. Then all of a sudden, some know-it-all on
the beach tells them they're fishing on the wrong side of the
boat. With nothing to lose, they take his advice and BINGO, vast
quantities of fish. It's also BINGO for the one whom Jesus
loved: "It is the Lord," he announces. A pleasant breakfast
follows and then a classic tete-a-tete with Simon Peter. This story has it all... really. It has Jesus helping them fish.
It's worth remembering that once the disciples met Jesus, they
never, in any of the gospels, caught a fish without his help. It
has fish and bread for all of them—think, the feeding of the
5000. Their eyes are opened—think, Jesus is known to them in
the breaking of the bread. The Last Supper wasn't the Last Meal,
after all. And finally, Jesus asking Peter three times if he loves
him. Remember the last time Peter responded three times... This story strikes me as one of the most contemporary stories in
scripture. For starters, it reminds me that scripture isn't just
stories of the past. Christ is alive in Chapter 21 and Christ is
alive today. Christ is an essential part of their mission—to
catch fish. Christ is an essential part of my mission—to
catch people. Jesus' generosity isn't a matter of history. It is
a reality of the present. The last thing I remember about Peter
shouldn't be his unfaithfulness. With today's encounter I am
reminded that God's grace is greater my sin and that any life
marked even with impetuosity or denial can be entrusted with
ministry.
And lastly, Chapter 21 reminds me that just as God's activity and
grace are ever present, so is human denseness. I sometimes find
myself rolling my eyes at the ineptness of the disciples,
particularly in this beach scene. I mean, they'd already seen Jesus
twice before this. Sheesh... how obtuse can they be? Except, how
obtuse can I be? Even though I know that Christ is alive, am I
attuned enough to recognize him in the world around me? I can be,
with God's help.
Susan+
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