The Scripture stories we share after Easter are so empowering! We can see the various ways Jesus made himself known to the disciples and began the movement that became Christianity - a movement that changed the course of human history… and continues to change it.
These stories show us the gentle but powerful transforming love of Jesus at work in our forebears in the faith and assure us that we too can be transformed, each in our own way and in God’s time.
The reading from Acts is a story of how God transforms hate to love in a single heart: from Saul to Paul. From our perspective, 2,000+ years later, we can see how much the change of a single heart can lead to changing the world. Paul couldn’t have seen it while he lived. Neither will we while we live, but we know that it will happen because we believe that God is always redeeming, always acting in love.
Our Psalm reminds us that we all sing a song of hope and gratitude for God who forgives us quickly and restores our lives even when we have descended into a terrifying darkness or a death spiral that threatens to destroy us. The reading from Revelation reminds us that we are in this with all the company of heaven.
The gospel of John tells about the first revelations of the resurrected Jesus, and the various ways Jesus makes himself known - something that continues to this day.
These post-resurrection stories contain so much symbolism! Here are just a few:
- Night is Bible-talk for darkness of sight, understanding, or experience.
- Light is Jesus’ presence with us - the light that penetrates the darkness and is not destroyed by it.
- Water… remember our recent discussions where the chaos waters were calmed and ordered by the breath/ruach of God so that they nourish and don’t destroy.
- Jesus cooking on the beach is him preparing a table for the disciples, pointing to Psalm 23. This story reminds us that transformation happens in the midst of our everydayness. Do what you always do and see how my presence in you transforms it into divine action.
- 153 fish - a very specific number, don’t you think? This refers to the Hebrew word ‘rob’, which means abundance, greatness. The catch of fish the disciples brought in symbolizes that this gift from God is meant to feed so many more beyond themselves.
But it’s Jesus’ questions I want us to ponder.
To the disciples, Jesus asks, “Children,” a term of endearment meaning little ones, and also refers to the Children of Israel. “Children, do you have no fish?” Fish, when this gospel was written was a symbol of Jesus Christ. We know it today as the Icthys.
Children, do you have fish? The disciples answer: ‘No.’
So, Jesus instructs them: Do as I say and you will, enough to nourish you and all others. The 153 fish not only symbolized an abundance, displaying the greatness of God, but also represented all nations, all peoples. Jesus was teaching the disciples to cast their nets wide, allowing divine grace to gather EVERYONE into Their community of love.
When they return with their huge catch of fish, Jesus says to the disciples: Come and eat. This is the risen Lord’s first invitation to Communion: God’s holy food for God’s holy people.
During their meal, Jesus asks Peter three times: Do you love me? The first two times, Jesus uses the word agape, meaning a strong, committed, sacrificial kind of love. Peter responds with the word philio, meaning affection, not as strong a commitment. The third time he asks Peter if he loves him, Jesus uses Peter’s term: philio, and Peter is hurt.
We can’t know why, but we can see that Peter still doesn’t get it. He will, though - in God’s time.
The same is true for every one of us. Our faith journeys will take each of us where we don’t want to go - not necessarily to the deaths of our bodies, as for Peter, but certainly to the deaths of our ideas, plans, and understandings that don’t serve God or us - which is what the story in Acts of Saul’s conversion to Paul illustrates so powerfully.
Jesus’ responses to Peter are also important because the Good Shepherd offers guidance on how living out our faith will unfold for us - even today.
- Feed my lambs, Jesus says, my babies, my children (as he had called them earlier). This refers to those in the inner circle of our lives. Feed them, nourish them with the holy food prepared by God for the holy people of God.
- Tend my sheep. Sheep is Bible-talk for the flock of Christ - all followers of his Way. We all must look beyond caring for those only in our inner circles, our churches, and tend to the larger family of Christ. These will come in different varieties, like the 153 fish - all nations, all peoples. Tend to them all. Serve them all.
- Feed my sheep. This is Jesus’ invitation to us to serve the global community. All nations, all peoples are to be nourished with God’s love by the holy food prepared by God for God’s holy people; and it is to be given to them with the same abundance and generosity that God gives it to us.
Every one of us, of every age and ability, is invited to answer Jesus’ call to feed his lambs; tend his sheep; and feed his sheep. Jesus will make himself known to us, to each one of us, and to us as a community, so we must keep the eyes of our faith open to the way God chooses for us that we may behold God in all Their redeeming work, and serve Them proclaiming by word and example, the love of Christ for the world.
Then, when God in Christ asks us, Children, have you fish… have you Jesus? We can shout with joy and gratitude: Yes, we have! Christ is in me. Christ is in us, and we’re ready to tend and feed your sheep, with the gifts you have given us, in the way you have shown us.
Amen.
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