John 21:1-19
Easter 3- Year C
Jesus started the whole Rahnerian recognition of an “anonymous Christian” as constituent of Easter. Mary didn’t recognize Jesus. Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples didn’t recognize Jesus. Paul didn’t recognize Jesus. I have not recognized Jesus in my dealings with folks who needed bread, shirt, or visit. How about you?
Easter and glory are so easy to miss through dismissal of their possibility.
We are now moving into a third week of Easter. How’s it going? Still looking around ready to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Here is a big hint about doing so — feeding and tending Neighb*rs. Confirm your blessedness through blessing Neighb*rs already beloved — recognized or not.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2013/04/easter-3-year-c-john-211-19-jesus.html
Once upon a time, commissioned to "fish" for people, Peter and the Gang went fishing for fish. Another rags to riches story follows. After catching nothing, they catch more than a boatload.
I ask you, where is the fun in this? Able to do nothing on their own, able to do too much with Jesus around directing traffic.
At any rate, the game is changed, the commission altered.
From simply hauling folks in there is a new task of tending the fish as though they were sheep. This is one of the issues the church growth folks emphasize. It doesn't do all that much good to get folks in the front door if you can't keep them from leaving by a back door.
Have you seen yourself as a Fisher? a Tender? other than these?
Perhaps the issue is less in the commission we claim we have and more in the love that sets it all in motion. Do you love Christ with all your heart and mind and soul and strength and do you love Jesus as you love yourself? If so, Fisher or Tender or somewhere between makes little difference and can change in the twinkling of an eye.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/april2004.html
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The disciple Jesus loved said to another disciple Jesus would ask about loving him - "Hey, it's him again!"
What a communal image. Jesus loves me, I point out the presence of G*D for others. Jesus loves you, you point out the presence of G*D to me and others. Jesus loves them folks and they point out the presence of G*D to you and me.
No names are involved because we all rotate through being loved enough to see beyond our nose. Sometimes it is me and sometimes you.
This is one of the difficulties with various identities of Evangelical Christian, Progressive, United Methodist, etc. that they all keep us from being universally loved. We experience love in only the ways open to our identity. When we can step back from that we grow.
We all need a moment of identity to ground our work and we all need a moment beyond identity to be G*D. Blessings upon us as we walk back and forth over known and unknown territory.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/april2004.html
The generalities and specifics of life often catch us. This passage contains a partial listing of the disciples present, by name, and then "two others". With the fish it gets very particular, "153", not about 150. Jesus asks a large question of agapao and keeps getting back a response of phileo until Jesus changes to ask about phileo.
While Jesus' comments about Peter's fate is often seen as predictive of a martyr's death, if it is translatable to our lives it may have to be brought out of the realm of hagiography to the simplicity of aging.
Death has us all on a lead that eventually gets reeled in. Just when you get to the wisdom of the ages, death won't wait any longer. Your desire to "fish for people", to "love sheep" (in a good way) has peaked and now you are no more. How like a crucifixion in the middle of ministry. Peter will have a death like all, not greater than all, intended to glorify G*D.
All of these reappearances lead to what might very well be the conclusion of John's book, "follow me" - a very simple instruction with extraordinary implications and consequences. "Follow me" to loving G*D enough to love neighbors and one another and others and enemies and fishing and sheep. "Follow" by doing so faithfully right up to death. "Follow" by doing so hopefully into death. "Follow" by doing so lovingly right through death.
"Follow me" to the named and the unnamed. "Follow" to loving (phileo) others as you now experience love rather than as I ask it (agapao) of you. "Follow me" is the ending that brings a new beginning.
- - -
standing a hundred yards apart
we try to speak and hear
even over water enhanced sound
we are a hundred yards apart
and more hundreds of years
"hey, you missed your mark, right?"
"what's it to ya?"
even in established relationships
we are a hundred yards apart
and more hundreds of experience
"try another direction"
"got nothin' to lose"
even in predictable worlds
we are a hundred yards apart
and more hundreds of miracles
"what'd ya find?"
"wow!"
even in unpredictable worlds
we are a hundred yards apart
and more hundreds of common threads
"let's eat"
"OK"
"let's love"
"OK"
"let's follow"
"OK"
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html
Peter, having committed to "feeding Jesus' sheep", led the other disciples on an important Feed the Sheep Crusade. They organized other fishing associations to tithe their catches to a Food Pantry, to benefit the poor.
After this excellent organization of the literal, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. They had their best catch of the Crusade and were coming in when Jesus called out, "Friends, do you have lots of fish?" A response came back, "Yes we do!" Jesus said, "Put them back and come on in." Miraculously, they did.
When they came ashore, a charcoal fire was there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said, "Come and have breakfast."
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to all of them, "Do you love me more than those fish?" Like any good fairytale we go over this three times. Jesus then shifted his previous statement, simply saying, "Follow my way."
In conversation after this scene, Jesus' friends looked back to see that they were beloved, they had been tested, they could now ask others, "Is what you are doing going somewhere?" and they would go on to the kind of Life which would illuminate creation through all phases of time and space.
Now, come have breakfast for there is life to be Lived. No more literal following; you have been blessed that new blessing will be released.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2010/04/john-211-19.html