Sermon - April 18, 2010

Year C - The Year of Luke - Easter 3

Acts 9:1-6 [7-20]; Psalm　30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19

At first glance, today’s first lesson and the Gospel seem to be entirely different. However, the two readings actually have a great deal in common.

Saul heard a voice from heaven. It was Jesus, whom he had been persecuting for he had been persecuting the Church. It came suddenly, and a light from heaven flashed around him. The experience was so intense that Saul fell to the ground. The light was so strong that it blinded Paul. After his encounter with the light and the voice, Saul’s life was changed forever. Like Jacob after wrestling with an angel, even his name was changed. At his baptism, Saul regained his sight and took his new name. Saul the persecutor became Paul the advocate. Voices from heaven change everything.

In the Gospel today, Peter and the apostles hear a heavenly voice. It is the resurrected Christ. This voice is not flashy or loud. The voice they hear tells them not to give up on catching fish. The voice they hear tells them, “Come and have breakfast.” What a scene: the risen Lord, the King of the Universe, the Alpha and the Omega, sitting on the beach making breakfast. Yes, it is miraculous that the apostles encounter their risen Lord. Yes, it is miraculous that they catch so many fish that they cannot hold them all. However, in the midst of the miracles is simplicity. In the midst of these miracles is everyday life.

Jesus serves the disciples on the beach. Even though he is the risen Lord of heaven and earth, he still is serving these humans. They are humans who ran when Jesus was arrested. They hid when times were difficult. Even after seeing the risen Jesus and being told by him to go out and forgive sins, the disciples still do not understand: they go fishing instead.

Jesus serves his disciples. After the resurrection, Christ could have entered the cities and by-ways in glory and light. He could have really amazed the crowds and gotten more people to take seriously, what the apostles were preaching. Nevertheless, he did not. Before his resurrection, he was never a Messiah of tricks and gimmicks. He will not be now. That is not what he is. He is a Savior entering fully into our world. Even as the resurrected Lord, he kept entering into everyday life. Through him, everyday life is blessed.

From Christ’s birth to death, the Holy One is submitting to earthliness. Even at his Transfiguration, he stands in a glorious vision with Elijah and Moses and speaks of his impending crucifixion. The Alpha and Omega, who could “take over” the universe, always remains grounded in our lives. Consequently, Jesus serves the disciples on a quiet beach. He does so in the shadow of a miracle, but he is still rooted in who he is.

Then, the Gospel comes to the heart of this section. All of the fishing and feeding has been building up to this moment between Jesus and Peter. Three times Peter denied Jesus. Three times Jesus restores Peter on the beach that morning. What happens at that early breakfast is that Peter is being charged with the care of the Church. Jesus says to him, "Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, and Feed my sheep."

Now we come to what connects the first reading and the Gospel. Something unites Peter and Paul.

After St. Paul is healed from his blindness, he stops persecuting the Church and immediately goes into the synagogues and says, "Jesus is the Son of God." Those words are the very same thing that was the charge against Jesus when he was sent to Pilate to be crucified. Paul announces the very thing upon which Jesus was crucified. He goes to the same people he was persecuting and says now I believe that Jesus is in fact the Son of God.

Paul is forgiven and sent out to build the Church. Peter, who denied Jesus is forgiven and sent out to build and care for the Church.

Today’s opening prayer says, “Eternal and all-merciful God, with all the angels and all the saints we laud your majesty and might. By the resurrection of your Son, show yourself to us and inspire us to follow Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.” Jesus was raised so that we might be lifted up. He was raised so that we might be changed by the power of his forgiveness. That is what connects these readings; the lives of Paul and Peter were changed by the risen Christ. The same thing is being done for us.

John’s Gospel always plays with the themes of light and darkness, truth and untruth, faith and unfaithfulness, belief and disbelief. More than any other Gospel, it is a book of signs and symbols. In fact, at times in the history of the church, it has been called, “The Book of Signs.”

Some of the signs in today’s reading have been lost to time. The number of fish mentioned in the great catch is specifically said to be 153. Why would John mention that specific number? However, even though some of the signs have been lost, in this reading the sign of Jesus’ restoration of the disciples and Peter stands front and center.

Jesus is not only redeeming the disciples who failed him, he is bringing the disciples back on track. He is appearing so that they do not fall back into their old ways and habits. Jesus has risen from the dead, and they have gone off fishing. Jesus’ appearance is calling them back to what he intends for them. The same is true for us. We can fall back into our old habits and ways. We, too, can fall away from what God has intended for us. However, when we worship, and when we stay in contact with his Church, we are being pulled back to what God intends for us. The sign in this reading is that God restores, God forgives, and God calls us back to him even when we slip away. It was true for Paul, the disciples, and Peter. The same is true for us as well. Amen.