Song:
Thine be the glory
Reading:
John 21: 1-14
Song:
God is on the move
Reading:
John 21: 15-25
Song:
Break Thou the bread of life.
Here is a beautiful unaccompanied version of the same hymn. It includes a verse I am not familiar with.
Matthew tells us that Jesus told the disciples to go back to Galilee. He also says that they met him on the mountain where he had told them to go. He told them to go to the mountain. He gave them what we now call the great commission.
‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
It is not clear whether this took place before or after the appearance described by John, personally, I think it was probably after, but it is not possible to be sure from the accounts we have.
Some of you will be familiar with the film “A Bridge too far.” In one scene, just after a disastrous landing, Corporal Hancock has just offered Major General Urquhart (Played by Sean Connery) a cup of tea.
Major General Urquhart:
Hancock. I've got lunatics laughing at me from the woods. My original plan has been scuppered now that the jeeps haven't arrived. My communications are completely broken down. Do you really believe any of that can be helped by a cup of tea?
Hancock. I've got lunatics laughing at me from the woods. My original plan has been scuppered now that the jeeps haven't arrived. My communications are completely broken down. Do you really believe any of that can be helped by a cup of tea?
Corporal Hancock:
Couldn't hurt, sir.
Couldn't hurt, sir.
What do we do when the going gets tough? What is our immediate reaction in times of stress? We go to what we find familiar. Just like Hancock did.
The disciples had been on an emotional roller-coaster. It must have been terrible for them. Everything they had worked for over three years had come to an end. Then the resurrection appearances happened. How confusing would that have been?
Following instruction they had returned to Galilee, home. At that stage, as far as we know, there was no specific instruction as to why they should return home.
Suddenly, Jesus appears on the scene. What have they done? The familiar! They have gone fishing.
On the face of it, this is a simple story. Jesus appears to his friends, chats a bit and then goes on his way.
Or is it? John rarely tells simple narratives, this would be Luke’s territory. Everything John writes has a reason and is usually full of theology.
Let’s look at the details: in order.
We have a fire, specifically a charcoal fire, or fire of coals. Where else is this mentioned in scripture? In fact there is only one other reference. In the courtyard, where Peter denied Jesus.
Is Jesus saying “Do you remember the betrayal?” Or even,”Now look at the follow on”
What was on the fire? Bread and fish. Does this ring any bells? It is not clear where Jesus got the fish from, as the boat had not yet beached. A miracle perhaps? An unusual one, seemingly a selfish one? But nonetheless, a reminder that Jesus fed the 5000 and made food appear out of the ground, that he is God.
Miraculous catch. Reminder of the similar miracle that occurred at the calling of the first disciples.
How many fish? The account is very specific, 153. This is a strange number of uncertain significance. YHWH,the divine name is mentioned 153 times in Genesis. Could the number refer to the power of God?
Solomon counted 153 thousand (and a few hundred) foreigners in a census, could it refer to a calling to “catch” foreigners?
Jesus asks Simon three times “Do you love me?” Is this a reference to the three times Simon denied Jesus?
Jesus is saying “Don’t you remember?” “Haven’t you learned anything?” “This is all much more important than the last few years. The real job has only just started.”
A beautiful old story tells of how Jesus, after his Ascension into Heaven, was surrounded by the Holy Angels who began to enquire about his work on earth.
Jesus told them about His birth, life, preaching, death and resurrection, and how he had accomplished the salvation of the world.The angel Gabriel asked, “Well, now that you are back in Heaven, who will continue your work on earth?” Jesus said, “While I was on earth, I gathered a group of people around me who believed in me and loved me. They will continue to spread the Gospel and carry on the work of the Church.” Gabriel was perplexed. “You mean Peter, who denied you thrice and all the rest who ran away when you were crucified? You mean to tell us that you left them to carry on your work? Hmm (Pause)
What is plan B? And what will you do if this plan doesn’t work?” Jesus said, “I have no other plan — it must work.”
The story about Jesus asking Simon “Do you love me?” is almost totally lost in translation. Greek, in which this story is written, has four words which translate into English as “love.” The story uses two different words in different places.
These are : “Philia”, with the force of the love between friends. The bond between people who share a common interest or activity; and “Agape”, unconditional love, the love that brings forth caring, regardless of the circumstance. The love of God for people.
When Jesus asks Simon “Do you love me” he uses “Agape” in the question. Simon responds “You know that I love you.”, but he uses “Philia”, a lower level of commitment.
The second time Jesus asks “Do you love me?”, he again uses “Agape” and Simon again responds with “Philia”
When Jesus asks the third time “Do you love me?, he uses “Philia”. He is accepting what is on offer. He can use what Simon is prepared to offer.
Mant time is scripture, God calls people to his service and they respond that they are not worthy. But each time God says, “You do what you can do, and I will accept what you are offering”.
Truly, Jesus has no other plan than to depend on the efforts of his followers!
So that is the plan – its a plan that depends on you and me – a plan that depends on each of us – each of us using our talents and gifts and time and resources for the good of the Gospel.
But often we sit back and say ah sure some one else will do it… NO that is not what Christianity is – it is a call from God to each of us to live our baptism – to live as active members of our parish and our church. There is no plan B – we are plan A
When our work gets difficult, we tend to go back to what we are familiar with. Just like the disciples. Just like corporal Hancock. We stick with what we have always done, when we are really called to try something new and different. When we try to stick with the familiar, we can expect a visit from Jesus and expect him to ask us what we are doing: whether we have learned anything at all from him.
I know that I have said this before. How often do we hear a call to go back to God. Usually expressed as sometghing like “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people would go back to God.
The message is we can’t go back. We can only go forward to God.
But the great commission given by Jesus on the day of his Ascension is a blanket order. It has everyone’s name on it. And you can be sure that he says, “Go! Make disciples! Teach!” It is your mission and my mission.
I can’t use a reading about a miraculous catch of fish without using this song. There is a story of achild saying that they did not want to go to Sunday School again. When their mother asked why, they responded, because the teacher said that “I will make you vicious old men”
There is a second verse in this version which I have not heard before.
Song:
I will make you fishers of men
Prayer:
Father, we cannot help thinking of our life as a journey. It is not just a cycle of birth, growth, maturity and decay. We are travelling from our origins to our destiny. We hope to arrive somewhere better than we set out from.
You are our destination. Not that we start far from you: for you are there in our heredity, in our earliest environment. But we can only reach you by setting out to come to you. It is only as we attempt the course that we realise how rewarding it is.
We know the way. It is through Jesus that we come to you. It is by following him, obeying him, identifying ourselves with him, suffering with him, rising with him that we receive direction and find the route. Help us not to hesitate, and not to wander away from the path, but to keep to the course he has travelled. Amen.
Song:
I stand amazed in the presence
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