The One That Didn’t Get Away

Recall with me the story of the prodigal son. We all like the prodigal son story. There is something warm and cozy about this story. While it is really about the father and not about the two wayward sons, what we do not know is what happens with both sons. Does the younger son live with reformed ways? Does the older brother who had physically never left but had a cold love for the father come around? We really do not know.

Many of you know people who have walked away from their faith. There are many reasons. Maybe they were so restricted, they wanted to break free and experience the “real world.” Maybe there were some who did something terrible and the guilt and shame was so intense they felt truly unworthy of God’s love.

In my years as a pastor I have had numerous encounters with adults and teens who honestly felt they were not worthy of God’s love. They had behaved so poorly they did not feel they deserved forgiveness. In response to this shame they continued to live up to that reality. They continued to live destructive lives. They were almost afraid of success. They were afraid of being in positions where others had to rely upon them.

Do you know people like this? Who feel themselves so unworthy they refuse to accept the love and forgiveness God offers. Maybe this is you.

Today is a day the word proclaims hope and forgiveness directly in the face of the errors we have made and sins we have committed. Forgiveness does not sugarcoat or ignore the destruction of our past actions. It offers much more than guilt relief. It offers us new life and hope. But this forgiveness always comes with a vocation. You have heard me say several times. In looking at the New Testament, individuals are healed and saved in order to serve and proclaim.

In setting the proper stage for our gospel text we must recall in John 13 we have the Last Supper scene. But the focus of this scene is not on bread and wine which is really more connected to John 6, but this guides our Maundy Thursday text: the new command, “To love one another.” This same evening Jesus pointed out Judas would betray him. Afterward Peter proclaims he is willing to lay down his life for Jesus. Jesus replies, “Peter, tonight you will deny me three times.” We flash forward to chapter 18. Jesus has been arrested and sent to the temple. There Peter denies knowing Jesus to a little girl, a stranger in the crowd, and a servant of the high priest, then the rooster crows.

Flash forward through the resurrection day appearances and through the incidents with Thomas. Peter said he wanted to go out and fish. The texts do not say why he wanted to fish. Maybe he felt at home in a boat fishing and it was there he could think. Maybe even with Jesus raised, since he did not have Jesus to follow around anymore, he better get back to being a fisher of fish. Peter talked seven disciples into going fishing with him.
But they went out and caught nothing. Early in the morning a “stranger” on the shore called out to them. “Friends, do you have any fish?” They said, “No.” “Throw your nets on the other side,” came the reply. Of course those who are familiar with this story have maybe lost the comic effect and the ridiculousness of this suggestion.

It might be like someone from the stands giving Michael Jordan some shooting tips if he was struggling, or someone from the gallery giving Tiger Woods advice on his golf swing, or someone from the crowd going to tell Brian Urlacher how to tackle someone, or giving Frank Lloyd Wright some design tips.
Here was someone on the shore, giving fishing tips to professional fisherman. It is silliness. But the narrative skips quickly to their obedience. One can only imagine the glances they gave each other--whatever.

As they followed the suggestion the number of fish was so great they could not haul in the catch. You might recall a similar story in different gospels (Luke 5). There are very similar stories associated with Jesus calling Simon, James, and John to be his disciples. It is possible there was just one event; it is interesting the Gospel of John places it at the end.

You will recall from the texts in Matthew 4, Luke 5, and Mark 1, Jesus tells them, “I will make you fishers of men.” Notice, a disciple is not a miracle-follower. They are given places of ministry.

John (the disciple whom Jesus loved) at the huge catch of fish stated, “It is the Lord.” As soon as Peter heard this, he jumped out of the ship and went to Jesus. Isn’t this just like Peter. Peter was bold and brash, with his mouth confessing truths revealed by the Spirit and the next minute being cursed as Satan by Jesus. But his passion, while perhaps immature, is unbridled.

I cannot help but think of the movie Forrest Gump. Without rehearsing the entire movie, there is a scene when Forrest Gump, who had bought a shrimp boat, saw his paralyzed friend from Vietnam, lieutenant Dan, had come out to work on his boat. Lt. Dan was in his wheelchair on the boat dock and Forrest was just passing by, steering his boat. As soon as Forrest recognized it was Lt. Dan, he jumped out of his boat, leaving it unmanned and swam to greet him. Predictably, his boat then crashes into a dock down the river. It is a silly scene, but offers one of the greatest looks of pure joy that is on Forrest Gump’s face when he climbs up the dock to greet Lt. Dan.

I imagine for Peter it was something like that. When the other disciples brought the boat and the fish to the dock, they found Jesus and a fire already prepared cooking. Then Jesus gives an important invitation: “Bring some of the fish that you had caught.” This is an entire sermon, primarily on what stewardship is all about. Jesus allows them to bring in the fish He helped the disciples catch.

Here is the one-line sermon: Everything we do that is good in this life, is empowered by God’s Spirit. We must always be cautious and confess if we are tempted to take credit. It does not mean we should not feel joyful when God uses us to do amazing things. But recall it is all about what God has done through us.
Jesus invites them to contribute to the meal. Peter goes back in the boat and helps to drag the net ashore. Then one of those odd things in Scripture--we are given a count of those fish: 153. I will tell you that preachers, using allegory and other forms of eisegesis, have come up with what this number signifies. Ultimately one cannot know for certain. But somehow each one of the fish was worthy of being counted and recorded. It appears the emphasis is not on the total count, but that each fish was worthy of being counted.

Then more odd things worthy for pondering: even though there were so many fish the net was not torn. Why is this worthy of mention?

Jesus’ resurrected body was recognizable to the disciples. Recall the importance of numbers. This was the third time Jesus appeared to them. The number 3 is very important in our text today.

It is likely this meal is a post-resurrection Eucharist. After they had communed, Jesus then asks Peter a direct question. “Simon, son of John do you love me more than these your fellow brothers in the faith?”

“Yes Lord, you know I love you.” Peter replies. Words come so easy, don’t they? Especially the word love. It gets tossed around and one could say it is a word that is a type of profanity-that is, it is common.

Jesus answers, if you love me you will feed my lambs. What is going on here? But did you catch it, what is weird about this first exchange? What name does Jesus call him by? He calls him by the name his parents had given him. You will recall in John 1:40-42 we have the story of Peter’s name change:

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (an Aramaic word which, when translated, is Peter, or Rock).

Jesus calls him by the name the world had given him. Why?
Jesus asks him again, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter says, “Yes.” Jesus responds, “Feed my sheep.” The third time (number 3) Jesus asks him again, “Do you love me?” Here the scripture says, Peter was hurt. “Lord you know I love you.”
Jesus’ response here is the same as the second, “Feed my sheep.” Then He announces to Peter what his future would be like. The scripture notes this is a description of the way Peter would die, glorifying God.

Then He said to Peter, “Follow me.” These words are perhaps the very same words Jesus used when He invited Peter to follow Him, to become a disciple. Follow me. But this time Peter would not be following Jesus around the shores of Israel and Palestine. He would be called to feed Christ’s sheep. Following Christ would ultimately lead him to a death that would glorify God.
But let us consider the use of the number 3. How many times did Peter deny Jesus? (3) On which day did Jesus rise from the tomb? (3) How many times had Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection? This was the third. How many times did Jesus ask Peter if he loved him? (3) How many times did Jesus commission Peter to be shepherd of the flock?

I do not think it is so much in the number 3, but that the authors are connecting many of these texts. So what do we do with this text? While there is depth here, one thought I would raise regards Peter. Peter had denied Jesus, but Jesus did not give up on Peter. Peter had not changed much from his arrogant last supper proclamations. Jesus did know Peter loved him, but Peter needed to be reminded, love is not simply about seaside proclamations. The only way Peter would be the shepherd and leader of the flock, would be as a humble follower of Christ.

To love Jesus is to follow Him, to follow Jesus is to love Him. This love often leads us into great turmoil with the world. Peter did not get away. Will You?