St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

Contact our Web Master

Same-o Same-o, No more

John 21:1-19

April 22, 2007         (Click the date to see the bulletin)

by Rev.  J. Rodgers Spencer

Hinted at this passage last week, didn’t expect to deal with it – but now we are. Maybe you want to keep you finger in your pew Bible at the passage as we consider it.

Chapter 21 of John might be called "the Two things Jesus Asks of us." But that’s getting ahead of ourselves.

we read last week, at the end of chapter 20, "These things are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name."

That sounds as though John had finished his gospel.  I believe he had.  As on commentary on this books says "Chapter 21 is rightly considered to be an appendix or an epilogue to chapters 1 – 20, written by another hand." Saying that does not make this 21^st chapter less important, less significant, or less inspired, I am simply stating a fact. Within the communities where John’s gospel was first circulated, this story of the risen Lord on the shore of the Sea of Galilee with its emphasis on Peter was known and loved and was very early attached to this gospel and has been part of it ever since.

The setting of the previous chapter with Thomas’ request to see for himself, was Jerusalem. It was there in Jerusalem that the risen Christ appeared to the disciples who were huddled together behind locked doors. Then a week later the disciples were all together again, the doors again being shut, and the risen Lord appears to them and Thomas make his great confession of faith.

Now in the chapter 21 we are at the Sea of Tiberias, or Sea of Galilee, some 90 or more miles away. Only 5 of the disciples are mentioned by name: Peter, Nathanael, Thomas, the sons of Zebedee, (that would be James and John), and two others who are not named, one of whom was ‘the disciple who Jesus loved,’ who appears only in this Gospel. What happened to the others? If they were there why not name them, or why were only these named? The writer gives us no clues. Did Matthew say in effect, well you guys go fishing, since that is what they had been, and couls he have gone back to collecting taxes? The verb tense "to go" some have suggested expresses more than momentary intention rather it suggest that Peter is going back to an earlier way of life and will stay with it. When our know and familiar world is upset, as theirs was upset with the resurrection, and with no specific directions as yet given, did they fall back to the old familiar, the old comfortable ways, the some-o, same-o?

The danger in immersing ourselves in only what is familiar is that we might fail to do what is necessary. Would, or could that have happened to these disciples? Jesus returns to them and insures that they will not be lost permanently to their old ways.

And in their old familiar fishing surroundings this figure appeared on the shore calling to them. "How’s your catch?" Peter calls back – no luck. Have nothing. "Try casting your net on the other side, he calls back.

Now let us pause for a moment and re-look at this scene. I think we know it so well and we over look some obvious problems. Down at the end of the 8^th verse we are told that the distance between the boat and the shore was 100 yards. The length of a football field. Have you ever tried to carry on a conversation a 100yards apart.? Is the writer telling us don’t bother with the details of the story rather look deeper there is a lot more here than meets the eye.

Consider the number of fish that were finally caught, 153. Commentators have out done themselves in looking for the meaning of the number 153. Why so specific, why not just say more than 150, or "a great many". Maybe all the writer is trying to say is that as this gospel began with the abundance of wine at the wedding, Jesus first sign, and it closes with another abundance of grace sign. The disciples seem lost, unsure of what they were to be doing by falling back into their old ways. Yet the risen Lord comes to them, not chiding them but blessing them as it were with a abundant catch even when they did not know who it was that called to them.

Also did you notice that it was not Peter, the instigator of this fishing party, who recognized who it was that called to them, but rather it was the Beloved Disciple. Go back a chapter to when Mary went to the tomb and ran back to tell Peter and others that "They have stolen the body" and Peter and the beloved disciple ran to see for themselves. The beloved disciple arrived first but Peter was the first to enter the tomb and saw the linen wrappings lying there, then the Beloved Disciple entered and we are told that "he believed." So on the lake shone the first to believe was the first to see.

This is not only time that eyes were blind to the presence of the risen Christ. Yet never is anyone chided for being blind. Even in their blindness they are not rejected, so too, if we fail to sense Christ presence among us, neither are we chided.

But there is more to this story. We are told that Jesus already had a charcoal fire going. What is remarkable about this is that there is only one other place in the gospel were this word charcoal is used. Recall the night of Jesus’ arrest when he was taken inside for questioning. Peter and some of the others followed and were sitting outside in the court yard warming themselves around a charcoal fire. And the voice of a young child breaks the stillness of the night with "I know you, you were with him!" Children have a way with identifying adults. When Jeannine was the Children’s Liberian on more than one occasion where we were in a store and little child would look at Jeannine and then burst out, "I know you, you are from the library." And every one around would know that as well. "I know you, you were with him." "I was not" Peter says. And they all heard it and little later another says, "his accent tells me he was one of them" Again Peter denies. And then a third time he is identified and again he denies. And the cock crows and Peter breaks down and weeps. Three denial around one charcoal first now three questions around another. Do you love me? Never is Peter chided, never is he reminded, "I told you so." Rather a question "Do you love me?" and then a charge. "Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep."

Now we see that in Peter’s weakness and in our weakness we are asked only two things: Do you love Him? And if so: then feed and tend.

The prophets said something similar years and years before: "What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with thy God." That’s loving and tending/feeding.

As many times as we might fail, as frequently as we might deny being followers of Jesus Christ, as often we might compromise his commandments, he still meets us and calls us.

We may want to fall back into the same-o, same-o because that is our comfort level, but he calls us to love and serve, to work for justice.

We are grateful to who-ever it was and for what-ever reason it was that added this chapter to John’s gospel. For if Peter can be restored to being an accepted and active disciple, then surely there is hope for us. Discipleship need not be hard and complicated. Reduced to simplest terms just two verbs – loving and serving/tending.

But it takes all we have and it take all we are.

To navigate through the web site, click on the buttons at the top or on the side of the pages or on any links within the page.  Use your browser's Back button to return to the previous page if that page does not appear in the buttons available.  External hyperlinks should open in a new window - close it to return to this page.