With us now…
4th May 2023
Here is today’s (quite long) reading:
Jesus later appeared to his disciples along the shore of Lake Tiberias. Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, and the brothers James and John, were there, together with two other disciples. Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing!”
The others said, “We will go with you.” They went out in their boat. But they didn’t catch a thing that night.
Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize who he was. Jesus shouted, “Friends, have you caught anything?”
“No!” they answered.
So he told them, “Let your net down on the right side of your boat, and you will catch some fish.”
They did, and the net was so full of fish that they could not drag it up into the boat.
Jesus’ favourite disciple told Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon heard that it was the Lord, he put on the clothes that he had taken off while he was working. Then he jumped into the water. The boat was only about a hundred yards from shore. So the other disciples stayed in the boat and dragged in the net full of fish.
When the disciples got out of the boat, they saw some bread and a charcoal fire with fish on it. Jesus told his disciples, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” Simon Peter got back into the boat and dragged the net to shore. In it were one hundred fifty-three large fish, but still the net did not rip.
Jesus said, “Come and eat!” But none of the disciples dared ask who he was. They knew he was the Lord. Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave some of it to his disciples. He did the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from death.
When Jesus and his disciples had finished eating, he asked, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than the others do?”
Simon Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I do!”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus said.
Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you!”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus told him.
Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him. So he told Jesus, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.”
Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep.”
John 21
So here we are in the 50 days of the Easter Season. In many churches all the way through this time we have the Easter Candle lit in church, and we include the greeting, ‘Alleluia, Christ is Risen! To which the response is ‘He is risen indeed – Alleluia!’…
These weeks are a time for reflecting on the meaning of Easter – the event which is at the heart of our faith. What does it mean to say that Jesus is risen? How can we understand it? This year I listened to Rowan Williams, who used to be the Archbishop of Canterbury, talking about his understanding of Easter. He was saying that the stories of the resurrection in the gospels are sometimes puzzling and not easy to understand. It is clear that something amazing has happened, which the followers of Jesus were not expecting, and don’t fully understand yet. That’s true in our reading today.
Simon and the others do not seem to expect Jesus to appear to them. They are not waiting and praying. They seem unsure about what to do, even though some of them have already seen Jesus alive again. So they go back to what they know best – fishing. And John tells the story of them catching nothing, until they see a figure on the shore pointing them to where to fish, and suddenly their nets are full of fish.
We are shown a contrast – life without Jesus alongside us, and life when we know that Jesus is with us, and when we listen to his voice. But it isn’t just a story about Jesus making a miraculous difference to our lives. We’re told that when Peter realises that it is Jesus he leaps into the sea – putting on his clothes on first! – and rushes to see Jesus.
The important thing about Easter, said Rowan Williams, is that it means Jesus is with us now. That’s what Peter was so excited about – not the big catch, but seeing Jesus again. So Jesus offers breakfast to the disciples, there on the shore of the Lake. But in the next part of the story, we see how having Jesus with us is not just exciting or comforting – it’s challenging too.
Jesus takes Peter aside and asks him a question – three times – ‘Do you love me?’ It’s a strange question to ask someone who has been with him for so long. But there is a clear echo of the three times when Peter broke his promise to stick with Jesus whatever happened, and when he was so frightened after Jesus was arrested that he denied even knowing him.
It’s a reminder to us that if we really believe that Jesus is with us all the time, that isn’t necessarily comfortable. Jesus knows all that we have done, and all that we are. He knows the parts of ourselves that we keep hidden from others, and we don’t even admit to ourselves.
But actually this is good news. Because Jesus only questions Peter three times to remind him that under everything, despite his words of denial, he knows that Peter loves him. He completely accepts Peter, faults and all – and he calls him to share in his work.
It is a huge relief to realise that Jesus knows us fully, including in all our weakness and vulnerability and sinfulness – but he does not condemn us. He meets us with grace and forgiveness. He accepts us and loves us and calls us to share in his work in the world.
So it’s good to stop in these Easter weeks and become aware that Jesus is with us here and now – whatever we are doing and however we are feeling. We might try sitting quietly every now and then, and as we breath, gently saying these words: ’I am with you’. Opening ourselves up to our risen Lord, so that he can set us free, like Peter.
Jesus asks, do you love me? Lord, you know that we love you. You know also all our faults and failings – all the things that get in the way. Thank you that you forgive us, and accept us, and set us free.
Jesus asks, do you love me? Lord, you know that we love you. Help us to listen to your voice. Help us to stop trying to do everything on our own. Help us to be open to your guidance and grace and help in all of our lives.
Jesus asks, do you love me? Lord, you know that we love you. Help us to hear your call to each of us – your call to follow you, to work with you, and to discover all that you have for us to do and to be.