John 21:1-19
“Breakfast with Jesus”
by: Ken Sauer, Pastor of East Ridge United Methodist Church, Chattanooga, TN
Simon Peter felt like a failure.
On the last night of Jesus’ life on earth, Peter made an impossible commitment: “I will never run away and leave you.”
But only hours later, Peter shouted, “I told you, I don’t even know him. Leave me alone!”
Now, Christ had died, Christ had risen, but Peter understood none of this.
He was literally at the end of his rope.
What had the last 3 years been about anyway?
Imagine one of those scenes that, in a few short weeks, will be duplicated all over the United States.
Imagine a brilliant, sunny day in late spring.
Outdoors on a university football field, or maybe in a high school gym…
…folding chairs will be set up, row upon row.
Proud parents and family members will be stretching their necks to see.
Down front, will be the squirming graduates, in caps and gowns.
They will look like the very picture of scholarship.
Suddenly feeling self-conscious, the grinning graduates will march across the platform, receive their diplomas and return to sit with the rest of their classmates…
…these special people they’ve felt so close to, most of whom they will never see again.
At the punch bowl reception a few minutes later someone will walk up to the graduate and say, “congratulations!”
Then, suddenly, with tear filled eyes, they may say, “You know, you may not realize it now, but these years you’ve just completed are the best years of your life!”
The person doesn’t mean it to come across this way, but these are among the deadliest words one human being can say to another.
It’s like saying, “You may think you’re at the threshold of something new, but don’t fool yourself, kid, it’s all downhill from here.” (adapted from Carlos Wilton)
Peter may have been feeling something similar when, in our Scripture Lesson for this morning, he tells the other disciples, “I’m going out to fish.”
What a wild ride it had been, but that was in the past.
What was there to look forward to?
The best years were behind him.
What was there to do now, but to go back to his old life?
Perhaps in the back of his mind, he knew that one day, holding a grandchild on his knee, he would say with a wink, “Did I ever tell you about the time Jesus invited me, a fisherman, to follow Him?”
And then, a little voice would pipe up, “Oh, Granddad, you’ve only told me 100 times!!!”
But, thanks be to God, that wasn’t the way Peter’s life would unfold!!!
For with God, there is no sad ending…
…only fresh new adventures, beginnings, and calls for ministry!!!
The Christian life is anything, but boring or finished, ever!!!
It only gets better and better and better!!!
In our Gospel Lesson Peter and six of the other disciples fish all night, but nothing is caught in their nets.
It’s interesting that the disciples, professional fishermen who probably could have had their own fishing show, had it been the 21st Century, never catch a single fish without Jesus.
Not a perch.
Not a minnow.
Not a guppy!!!
Then, when morning comes some guy on the beach calls out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?’”
“No,’ they answered.”
“He said, ‘Throw your net on the other side of the boat and you will find some.’”
And, “When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.”
… “but even with so many the net was not torn.”
The disciples’ net is symbolic of the Church.
“…the net was not torn…”
This gives us a glimpse of how successful we, as Christian disciples, can be…
…This indicates what can happen if all of us individually and corporately would fish as Jesus directs!
Are we fishing as God directs?
If so, we will catch fish!!!
East Ridge United Methodist Church will grow…
…and much, much more importantly…
…people will come to know God!!!
Our journey and our calling is always just beginning!!!
And as we mature in our faith, our responsibilities grow!!!
When Peter and the other disciples had finished eating their breakfast with Jesus…
…Jesus takes Simon Peter away, I would imagine…
…away from the others, for as we see in verse 20, “Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.”
They are probably walking slowly along the shore.
And Jesus asks the question that goes to the heart of everything: “do you love me?”
And the question is asked and answered three times.
And what each question gets in return is not a pat on the back, not a “There, there that’s alright then,” but a command.
A fresh new challenge!!!
A new commission.
It’s time to learn to be a shepherd.
It’s time to feed lambs and sheep, to look after them.
Jesus is trusting Peter big time!!!
For Jesus is sharing His own work, His own ministry, with Peter.
Peter loved Jesus, and in gracious forgiveness, Jesus gave Peter the chance to wipe out the memory of the threefold denial by a threefold declaration of love!!!
And Jesus does the same for us, every moment of every day!!!
Do you know this?
Do you know how much God loves you?
And have you accepted God’s love and forgiveness for yourself…for real?
In college I knew a woman, who was in one of my classes, and whom I had invited to a Bible study…
…and she started to come.
She was older than most of the rest of the students, probably in her fifties or so.
And this lady had had a tough life.
She had been raised by a father for whom nothing she could do was good enough.
And as an adult, she had been in a number of abusive relationships…
…relationships where the men had somehow been able to convince her that whatever had gone wrong…
…well, it was her fault…
…she wasn’t good enough.
So when I met up with her on campus one sunny afternoon and a conversation ensued…
…about God…
…about Jesus…
…about salvation…
…about heaven…
…this woman surprised me by saying, “Heaven will be a wonderful place, but I won’t be there. I am not good enough.”
She believed in and even loved Jesus.
But the thought of herself being in heaven…
…well, that was too big a leap for her.
We had a long conversation that day.
And it was a long time ago, so I don’t remember it too terribly well…
…but what I do remember is when the light switch finally came on…
…and this beaten down, defeated, and self-loathing woman began to beam with faith and new assurance, “Do you mean to say that I will actually be there…
…even me? I will be with Jesus?”
Simon Peter had denied even knowing the Lord he loved in Jesus’ time of greatest sacrifice.
Peter felt he had failed God.
Jesus said to Simon Peter and Jesus says to us, “Go ahead and throw all that old baggage off the train!”
“I love you and you love Me, and I know it!”
“You are forgiven!”
Get over it and on with it.”
“Feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, feed my sheep.”
“It’s hard work. It will take all your efforts for the rest of your life.
You are really going to go through it.
The world will hate you because of it.
You will die for the cause of it, but you love Me and you can’t just fish for fish anymore.
I have given you a calling which will never fade away.
Follow me!”
I remember sitting in a restaurant with an old high school buddy, when he said to me, “Ken, if I had known that high school would have been the best years of my life, I would have enjoyed them more.”
East Ridge United Methodist Church, the best years are not behind-they are ahead!!!
God has called us to be a part of the greatest journey imaginable!!!
May we never take it for granted, nor pass up the opportunity to be part of God’s BIG PLAN for you, for me, for all those men, women and children who surround this place of worship, but do not yet know what it means to be loved unconditionally and to be forgiven!!!
We have all failed many times.
Although you may not remember, you fell down the first time you tried to walk.
And did you hit the ball the first time you swung a bat?
Probably not.
But the heavy hitters, the ones with the most home runs, also strike out a lot.
So fish for people.
Invite them to come worship with you where you will take part in loving them, feeding them, taking care of them…
And some day in the future, we’ll be in heaven together; staying at that mansion that somehow is large enough to accommodate everyone.
And perhaps,
…some of us will be gathered on the porch at first light, sipping coffee.
And others will be squinting toward something, Someone.
For there will be a Man in the distance, and He’s waving and preparing a meal.
When that happens, no one will have to tell us.
We’ll just know it is the Lord!!!
And what a day of rejoicing that will be!!!
Amen.
