3rd Sunday of Easter (Year C) | Sunday 4th May 2025 | St Anne’s, Wrenthorpe (Eucharist)
John 21:1-19 | Acts 9.1-6 7-20 | Zephaniah 3.14-end
Well, it’s another Bank Holiday weekend…
All last week we had amazing weather and now… well, who knows….!
We might joke about it snowing tomorrow, but fingers crossed, eh?
This nation has a long, proud history of weather-based conversation, at any time, but right now… Climate Change is very, very real and we all feel its effects, and it can only get worse.
Important stuff, and we will be preaching more about the stewardship of our resources later in the Summer. For now, of course, the weather will always set the scene for a Bank Holiday, or indeed, any other day!
It’s barbecues of course… that’s what we are looking at today!
Jesus – fish – charcoal fire – awestruck disciples…. Awesome!
You and I may have experienced barbecues in some strange places. From long ago, I recall a gathering of pilgrims in Georgia, near its far-eastern borders with Azerbaijan and Dagestan, made so much better by an impromptu barbecue. Language is less of an issue when you can prove your worth by poking a fire and turning meat! I’ve even seen nuns do it!
And a barbecue on the beach…. How lovely!
Perhaps on the shore of Lake Tiberius – a tranquil place, at least when the pilgrims are quiet and the boat-trips have stopped singing!
Our readings today are packed full of stuff that, whilst so familiar, asks questions about why John is telling us this story.
Only last week, John reached his conclusion, at the end of Chapter 20.
“The End” – Or so we thought.
Now there seems to be a whole lot more….
An aspect of discipleship is being aware of God’s possibilities.
The disciples, in a time of uncertainty have returned to fishing.
There, in the boat, peering across the water, in the light of the new dawn, what do they see?
Who are they looking at?
Were they expecting their friend cooking breakfast for them?
In an echo of the stories of their calling, a fishy tale ensues!
Sorry!
Surprise?
Maybe the Disciples are surprised by what they discover about themselves.
Who had they become after their time with Jesus and recent events?
Who would they now be…. ?
In the very final scene of The Lord of the Rings – Return of the King (book or film), Sam Gamgee, the faithful and robust companion to Frodo, arrives home to his family, with the words “Well, I’m back”.
Sam, like the disciples has seen too much, experienced too much, to be the same person he once was. What’s next? Resume the life you once had?
That’s what others need from you.
Or it might be a relief… but will it last?
Perhaps Peter and the others needed the distraction of fishing – being capable without awkward questions, finger pointing or Roman soldiers.
Maybe they needed the money.
Maybe they too, arrived home saying, “well, we’re back…” to a muted response or perhaps relief.
What becomes clearer, is that God surprises them in this story, in a simple, homely moment with Jesus.
By the water’s edge, their eyes are opened – transformation continues.
And then, after breakfast…
In those glorious moments of redemption…..
Jesus doesn’t say to Peter – ‘I forgive you and love you’.
At the Last Supper, Jesus commanded that they love as He had done…
Then Peter denies Him three times.
Any forgiveness for his denial isn’t spoken by the Risen Christ.
It is a question TO Peter: ‘do YOU love me….?’
Three times, Peter is asked to return his faith to God – to the mission of Jesus – and all that could mean – and say that yes – he loves Jesus….
Who invites still further…. Become a Shepherd, Peter…. Keep going… it wont be easy, but I am with you…. Follow Me.
Accepting the mission he is given… with all that’s gone before, and all that will happen now….
Peter is restored.
Think about that.
If someone lets you down, a human response is to avoid such situations in the future. Don’t get hurt again, eh?
If a friend or relative promises to help you, or do a thing for you, and then repeatedly fails, you will quite rightly get to the point where you will say to yourself, I won’t ask again – I’ll do it myself.
I’ve been there, and I’ve done that…. and I was promised the tee-shirt, but it never turned up….!
No apologies this time!
Peter has been the Number One fan.
Always standing close to Jesus to say “Let me do that….”; “not just my feet by my head also…”; don’t do that Jesus, let me go instead…”
What did Peter hope for, in the possible future that “The Mission” entailed?
Fame and fortune, with not too many challenges?
And then the denial episode….
And now, he leaps from the boat to swim ashore – not helping the others with the fish….!
How does he sound though, when Jesus queries his love for his Lord and saviour? A bit sulky, a bit edgy?
A question to you: would you trust Peter to continue with God’s mission?
Jesus not only trusts him, believes in him and confers forgiveness on him, but He places a metaphorical lamb on Peter’s shoulders and says – ‘look after this for me’.
Because it isn’t about whether we get it right or wrong, its about love – an acceptance that Christ calls us to feed and tend, and have a love for his sheep – to love as He has loved.
Peter had that love for Jesus. He was transformed in his new mission, and he would fail and succeed, again and again.
He would ultimately die in service to God, through tending the lambs placed in his care.
It is what Jesus asked of him….
And He asks no less of us today.
We think about that quite often – do we?
What it will mean for us: to not count the cost?
When we forget: that we said ‘yes’ to Jesus… for everyday?
When we pray – “forgive me” and forget that we were already forgiven…?
I think you get this.
Stepping away from the shoreline, and a short distance into their future….
On the road with Saul…
A conversion and another transformation….
Ta da! More surprises, certainly for him!
Again, from wherever he was, life is paused – to let God in – to respond to Christ – not by choice, this time, but through a calling, a recognition and a forgiveness….
Then in the darkness of his blindness, with all of the trust that is required of that …. To be led from place to place, by those who normally despise you?
Ouch!
Both Peter and Saul are transformed by the words of Jesus and the redemptive love of God.
Peter, the fisherman, turned disciple, right-hand of Jesus – enthusiastic, yes but so often missing the point….
And then Saul to Paul – frightening poster-boy for Christian repression and brutality… struck down into darkness and then finally, into the light…..!
Yet there is a gentleness here….. one that knows the pain – caused and felt – the suffering inflicted and watched… and now lamented?
Zephaniah – Old Testament today:
“At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the Lord.”
All of this, speaks of the God who raised up Christ – who then sought out His friends to restore and encourage them to follow Him again – when they least expected it!
How often do we strive for perfection only to find later that we should have just stopped, and trusted in God, and lived in the Spirit….
Jesus was already cooking fish for breakfast…. He invited their catch but he didn’t actually need it.
It was His way of summoning… Come, eat…. Take your ease….
He wanted to see them.
He needed to talk with them.
They didn’t plan during the fishing trip!
God breaks into our lives when we least expect it….
In the words of CS Lewis, we are “surprised by joy”.
And all would be well.
For me, there is something very special about these final chapters of John.
In his account of The Resurrection and beyond, he uses images such as “the first day of the week” or “just after daybreak”. These are the times of “reset” – when all things are possible, and we haven’t made a mess of it yet!
Perhaps it’s the redemption – the returning ‘home’ for Peter – re-purposed with hope….
I have a hope in my own forgiveness and redemption – and I need it very much.
Our journey towards the light needs the power of forgiveness to help reset our relationships, to grow in love.
Maybe it’s the unexpected meal with friends.
Those echoes of earlier times – On the beach, at the waters edge – that liminal place – where they first came together, wondrous, expectant and excited, to go with Jesus when He said “follow me” – when anything could and did happen….
I know that I bang-on about transformation at every turn, and I make no apologies for that!
I see such opportunities everywhere, even if I cannot fully grasp them or then see others miss a chance – or worse, when we fail, and then forget that we can try again.
In this coming week – as you look upon the world around you….
Looking for the shepherds….. fearing for the lambs…
Be surprised and find a joy in being known by God!
For no matter how I try to live as a believer – as a disciple;
However you and I strive for some idea of “perfection” or competence – whatever that is,
God calls us home, back to the place of gathering…
He believes, and has faith in us: a love that will never fade.
Where the sea meets the sky….
At the dawn of the new day….
We meet with the Risen Christ on the beach…
We hear His summons to follow….
By grace alone we are forgiven.
We come closer to God…
And we are transformed.
And there is hope.
Alleluia!
Amen.
Image: Sea of Galilee (Ginosar) 18/11/08 SB