"Breakfast On The Beach."

One text that doesn’t get much attention, when it comes to Jesus’ teachings, is John 21.  It is Jesus’ third appearance to his disciples after Easter.   We could call is: "Breakfast On The Beach."  

In this passage there are two important issues for us to pay attention to.  The first one come in verse 10, where Jesus tells his fisherman friends: “Bring some of the fish you have caught.”  Inviting them to share with the others, standing around waiting to be fed, the abundance of their catch.  

The second one come when Jesus asks Peter, three times, “do you love me?”

The interesting thing, to me, is that this story takes place where Jesus first called them, away from their lively hood, to follow him.  Asking them to leave all they know about life and be a major part of his ministry.   

Now he is calling them back!

So, in an attempt to put us — you and I — in this story I have a question.  What did you do after Easter Sunday Morning worship this year?  After you celebrated the most unbelievable act of love that Jesus gave us.  What did you do that afternoon?  That is, if you did celebrate!  If not, then just use your imagination!

I"ll tell you what I did!  I went home, turned off my brain, and watch a great tennis match on TV.  

Enjoyed life as usual!  No big difference from any other day of the week!  What about you?  Do you remember what you did?

I ask because this story is about what the disciples did after they experienced, first hand, the greatest event in history.  And after hiding behind locked doors in fear of the Jews.  

They went fishing!  They went back to life as usual!  Back to what they knew best!  Catching fish!  Life, as usual, before they were called to follow Jesus. 

However Jesus, being a diligent leader, meets them once again where they live.  Where life was less complicated, more comfortable.  "Normal!"

He comes to the edge of the sea and calls them again.  Calls them back, away from what they are use to doing.  And he has a purpose in this calling!   He shows them, one last time, about the abundance he offers.  The abundance of fallowing in his ways!

He knows that they have not had a very good night of fishing.  No success at all!  So he tells them: “Cast you nests to the right side of the boat.”  They did!  And they caught so many fish that their nets should have broken with the weight of them.

But the nets did not break!

One more of Jesus amazing multiplications of what was needed.  Making the catch way more than enough!

Then Jesus did something quite interesting.  He invited them to contribute to the fish already on the fire.  He says to them: “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”  

Like so many other multiplication events, he asks them to participate, to share, what he so graciously helped them to have. 

A very short, but subtle message!  A simple reminder of what Jesus asks from all of his followers.  That we share what we have worked so hard for. By offering a portion of what we have to make Jesus’ ministry more.

That is teaching number one!

Number two comes, after they have eaten their fill, when Jesus calls Peter away from the others for a little lesson of forgiveness.   As well as offering Peters some direction for his future. 

Jesus does this by asking Peter the same question three times.  “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”  

The meaning of the number of times Jesus asks the question is often lost.  Yet extremely important!  Because it symbolizes the three times Peter denied ever knowing Jesus, in the courtyard after Jesus’ arrest.

Three denials!  Three “Do you love me?”  

And Peter, as Peter was known to do, got a bit testy at the third repeat of the question and he said: “Lord you know everything!   You know that I love you.”

Each time Peter responded, with a yes, Jesus told him “Feed my lambs!”  “Tend my sheep!”  

Jesus ends the lesson with clear direction on how!  “Follow me!”  Do as I have done!  Speak as I have spoken!  Live as I have lived!  Love as I have loved you!

Now your life is to take care of my flock!  Tend to people’s need!  By following me!  No more running off to do life the old usual way anymore.  From now on you will not only share a portion of your catch.  You will give your life!  And you will do that in order to further God’s plan, God’s will, in your world.

Side note!  I would like to share two ways that this story, from John 21, has impacted my ministry.

First, when I was in seminary; and for the first time in my life actually studying scripture.  These five verse about Jesus’ question to Peter spoke directly to my Call:  Share!  Love!  Follow!  My self-conscious self 

could do that!  It felt good!  I was quite capable of sharing, loving and following.  

I knew that loving would not be a difficult thing for me to do.  And over the years that has proven to be true.  Loving those I have been called to serve has come easy for me.  And yes of course!  It has also been frustrating and sometimes painfully devastating!  Because I have learned a hard lesson!  The lesson  that just because you love.  Does not always mean the offer of love is reciprocated!

The second time these verses opened my eyes was in 2005.  I was part of a group that went to New Orleans to help with the clean up after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the homes and lives of thousands.  My job was to offer pastoral care to those who came to be fed, and to gather what they needed to live.

Here is the extraordinary experience I encountered.  There were two very large — very large — tents on the same plot of land.  One tent was filled with everything, every little thing, needed to survive.  Food, clothing, linens, cleaning products and all other essentials, given freely to those who had lost everything they owned.

I was asked to simply “be there” and “listen” to people’s stories.  And, when appropriate, offer a word of support and comfort. 

Until you are apart of such an event you have no true sense of what happens in all that destruction.  Not only destruction of property!  But more, the emotional and physical trauma it causes within the human soul.

Along the shores, of usually beautiful white sandy beaches, now covered with debris. I was blessed to witness God’s provision of abundance.  Over abundance!

For months, seven days a week, thousands were provided for their every need.

Next to the shopping tent was a dining tent, that  served three healthy meals a day for the homeless; as well as all of the volunteers. 

All free!  

No money ever exchanged hands.  Not in the dining tent!  Not in the super market tent! 

No one paid!  No one was paid!

Though the generosity of large and small corporations, and private individuals, God provided what was always more than enough for everyone for months.

No questions asked! 

Today Jesus asks us the same question: “Do you love me?”

                                                                           Feed my lambs!  

                                                                                             Tend me sheep!

That commission is not a cute little fairytale about baby lambs and grown up sheep.  No!  It is all about offering our lives, and our resources, to the big and little people of God’s wide “kingdom” called the world.  

“Do you love me?”  

          Tend!

      Feed!

       Share! 

  By following in my ways!

1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." 6 He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16 A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.(Jn 21)