Sermon at Winterslow Baptist Church – Sunday 24 April 2016
John 21:1-25
May the words of my
mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be ever acceptable to you O
God. Amen.
First of all I want to thank you so much for inviting me to
return to the village where I lived for more than 16 years to come to you this
morning and preach on this most wonderful of pieces of Scripture – John’s final
chapter of his Gospel. For me it is full of such richness and I find myself
easily identifying with Peter. There is
so much we can unpick from these words – so many lessons for us to learn from
and, above all, that wonderful feeling that the resurrected Jesus gave us the gift
of forgiveness – for me the main lesson here is that however much we fail
Jesus, he will always restore us if we truly love Him and others.
I love any stories in
the bible concerning fish. My life seems to go in 16-18 year cycles. The first 18 years of my life I lived in the
great fishing port of Grimsby on the south bank of the Humber Estuary in
Lincolnshire, the second and third periods of 16-18 years or so being in
Brighton and then here in Winterslow.
I frequently return to Grimsby where my 87-year old mother
continues to live in the same house I was brought up in as a child and my son
now lives in Hull (that unmentionable city on the north bank of Humber Estuary in
that foreign county of Yorkshire) – for us Grimbarians the north bank of the
Humber Estuary was as foreign as the far side of the English Channel. They spoke in a strange language and seemed
to have a culture far different from ours. Great rivalries abounded not least
the arguments as to the differing qualities of the fish landed in each fishing
port. Although the fishing has totally disappeared
from Hull and has declined substantially in Grimsby, the heritage remains and
even the supporters of Grimsby Town Football Club attend games armed with
inflatable haddocks called Harry! For
the town, fish and fishing were and still remain the important cultural
background for many customs and views.
Fish became a form of currency in the town (when my father did any small
electrical jobs for family or friends he would often be paid in haddock
fillets) and we seemed to live constantly on a diet of fish or home-made
fishcakes. Even my first full time job was working for a food manufacturing and
processing company in the town. For your
own preservation, please never ask me to describe what goes into a manufacture
of frozen fish cakes!
The Deep Sea Mission became an important centre in the town
and the Fishing Community Chaplain a very important member of the town’s
community. There used to stand a lovely steepled
church close to the fishing docks named after Andrew, the brother of Peter,
where special services and often prayer sessions would be held for those
fisherman lost at sea. The strains of
that hymn, Eternal Father Strong to Save –
the fisherman’s hymn – could often be heard wafting across Freeman Street. The loss of a trawler up in the icy reaches
of the fishing grounds of the Barents Sea and north of Iceland being a far too
common occurrence and inevitably bringing grief to whole families and streets
in Grimsby and Cleethorpes. The life of
a trawlerman was indeed hard, being apart from his family for several weeks at
a time and living in cramped accommodation on board ship facing immense
hardships and the freezing cold icy climate of the northern fishing grounds –
often working in that environment non-stop for 20 hours or more. It was particularly difficult for them when,
having suffered all these deprivations, they returned to port with a poor catch
or to find that the price of fish had slumped and the profit they hoped to
share amongst the crew, had dissolved.
I was, therefore, always delighted to be brought up with the
knowledge that the first persons to be called to follow Jesus were fishermen! It seemed so natural to me that if Jesus
wanted tough ordinary blokes as followers who could weather the storms of
uncertainty, the life of a nomad and being away from home for long periods of
time, then fishermen were ideal. I also
have always loved the phrase “fishers of
men” (see Matthew 4:19) and can
well relate that to my formative years living in a fishing town.
Here in this reading today, we learn that the fishermen
disciples, having seen their leader crucified, resurrected but not having
ascended were in a kind of limbo. The whole events of Passion Week and the
sudden re-appearance of Jesus had bemused and confused them. What could they do? What were they expected
to do? Peter must have thought long and
hard about his denial of Jesus and felt totally wretched. For a brief moment he had put his own
preservation before all else – he had denied knowledge of Jesus on Maundy
Thursday just after having had that last supper with him. He had been the first disciple to be called
to be a “fisher of men”. Jesus had called him, Peter, the rock upon which Christianity was to be founded, his
right hand man but also prophesying not what he was but what he would become
(see John 1:42). His inescapable rashness had often brought
about Jesus’s admonishment of him but throughout their ministry together Jesus
had always extended his love and forgiveness.
Jesus had told him that he would deny him. Peter could never believe that he would ever
do such a thing but there on that evening he had. Was there anything Jesus didn’t know about
him? What was it all for? Where had it
led him? What was his future?
Like the people of Grimsby, he decided that in all the
circumstances he should return to what he knew best – fishing. And so we read
that he announces to the other disciples that he is going to return to this
occupation. “I am going out to fish”. To
get back onto the water away from the events of the previous few weeks.
This is not uncommon.
Back in Grimsby again, deckhands were taken on just for the duration of
an individual fishing trip. Once that
trip was concluded, and they had received their share of any profit they were
released and would have to tout around the trawler skippers for get a new
berth. If they had proved themselves
especially capable and hardworking they might be taken on again but if not they
could spend quite a few weeks or even months on shore and very often the
frustrations of not being at sea, earning, could land them in serious trouble
with their families or, in extreme cases, the local constabulary! Once the bug of fishing and the sea had
bitten it was difficult for a mariner to live on land.
So it’s no wonder that Peter, who had spent a lifetime on the
Sea of Galilee before meeting Jesus, should want to get back on board a boat
and back to his beloved fishing.
The dangers of fishing and the uncertainty of the catch had
been spoken of in Scripture earlier. Indeed, fishing is regarded as the single
most dangerous occupation in this country – ahead of coal mining even. At the height of the industry, hundreds and
hundreds of trawlermen lost their lives at sea. The Sea of Galilee was also
notorious for the sudden winds which could rush down the Jordan Valley and whip
up the surface of that large inland lake.
You will recall the storm on the
Sea of Galilee when the disciples had admonished Jesus for remaining asleep in
the boat whilst they feared for their lives (see Mark 4:35-41) and again when they had caught nothing and, on a
previous occasion he had commanded them to cast their nets again (see Luke
5:4-7). That was the occasion when,
according to Luke, the Disciples were first called to follow Jesus. The net was
so full on that occasion that other boats had to come and help them land all
the fish. The fishermen of Grimsby use
echo-sounding devices to find the shoals of fish, not so Jesus. Again and again
the disciples were shown miracles yet had found it so hard to believe the true nature
and identity of Jesus.
This last chapter of John’s gospel is so very important to
us. We, like Peter, can allow our
everyday situations to govern our faith instead of listening and watching out
for signs from God.
Peter has returned to his secular occupation. He probably feels very much at home back on
the water. It’s familiar and comforting,
even if not exactly comfortable. But we
read that it isn’t very successful. Perhaps
after three years of following Jesus and ministering to the people on the land
he has lost his maritime touch. Fishermen will tell you that even with all the
modern technology at their disposal they still often have to rely upon an
instinct as to where the best fishing grounds are to be found and will sail
there before resorting to echo-sounding.
But I think the truth of the matter is that in this passage Peter needs
a history lesson. He needs to be
reminded of where he has come from and what was expected of him as Jesus’s
rock. Hence, just as at the beginning of
his ministry, he is to be found bobbing around on the lake with the fish, once
again, eluding him.
Nothing, generally annoys a fisherman or angler more than
somebody coming up and asking you if you’ve caught anything when clearly you
haven’t. I know! As a youth I went
fishing in the Lincolnshire rivers quite frequently and just as frequently came
home with nothing – usually an eel had consumed all my tackle! So imagine Peter’s mood when somebody shouts
out from the shore “Haven’t you any fish?” No he hadn’t despite having been out
on the lake all night. Just what he needs to hear. Then the history lesson
begins.
“Cast your net on the
right side of the boat” he commands. An echo of that
first time when Jesus had called Peter to ministry “Put out to deep water and let down your nets”. It must have struck a chord with Peter but
still the disciples don’t recognise the instructor. But just as in the first instance, they were
unable to land the fish unaided because of the large number caught. We are told that the number was 153. Theologians have mused for centuries on the
significance of this number without any conclusion other than it signified a
very large number. For me it does have a great significance. I came to accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour
when I was at University in Liverpool. I
joined the University’s Christian Union and had my very first taste of
Evangelical and Charismatic forms of worship – being at that time a Church of
England chorister before going off to Liverpool. I left a fishing town and
ended up being caught by the Holy Spirit in Liverpool. My room
number at the Halls of Residence at that time was 153! Something I’ve remembered ever since.
Suddenly John himself (described throughout as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”)
recognised Jesus and exclaims “”It is the Lord”. I suspect a great lump came into Peter’s
throat at this time – of joy and perhaps a little apprehension too but, as
impetuous as ever, he jumps into the water before the boat reaches land – some
100 yards or so - perhaps he thought he could walk on water again but clearly
this is not the case this time. Jesus
has clearly already been up early and has caught fish himself – some of which
he is broiling on a fire.
The history lesson continues here too. Jesus is standing by the fire on the beach –
probably a charcoal fire to barbecue the fish.
Peter must have had a terrible flashback to Maundy Thursday; for
probably the last time he had stood around a charcoal fire was when he was
warming himself in the Chief Priest’s Courtyard denying his connection with
this same Jesus. But not only is there fish on it but also bread – another
historic reminder of that last supper he had had with Jesus immediately before
he was betrayed and denied. “Remember me
whenever you eat this bread” they had been told.
Peter, at Jesus’s command brings more fish and the disciples
are invited to have breakfast. Note that Jesus distributes the fish and the
bread just in the same way he had broken bread at the Last Supper and again on
the road to Emmaus when he is finally recognised by the disciples accompanying
him. (see Luke 24:30-31)
.
I think Peter must have been feeling pretty guilty at this
point – too many reminders of his failures and weaknesses. We too can often feel weak and guilty when we
know that we fail to live up to what the outside world expects of Christians
and our own views of what we sometimes think God expects of us. But we are tempted, we are weak like any
other person and Peter’s story is a great inspiration to us all when we feel
like that. The disciples must have been
overwhelmed. Jesus was back with them
from the dead and doing an everyday thing with them – eating breakfast. Peter must be happy but also ashamed all at
the same time. Like the time when we
have a guilty secret which we hope our parents won’t ask about.
But Peter isn’t off the hook – to use a fishing term
again. He still needs to be redeemed. Jesus
isn’t about to let him go without a final lesson.
As soon as they finish eating, we read that Jesus asks Peter
an amazing and direct question, the question which Peter was probably dreading – “Simon,
son of John”, note that Jesus uses the name “Simon” and not “Peter” – this
must have been significant to Peter. No
longer is he being referred to as the
rock – his denials have struck home – or at least that is what Peter must
have thought. “Simon, son of John, do you
truly love me more than these?”. Peter
immediately responds with “Yes Lord, you
know that I love you”
Jesus responds “Feed my
lambs”
A second time, “Simon,
son of John, do you truly love me?”
“Yes Lord you know I
love you”
“Take care of my sheep”
And a third time “Simon,
son of John, do you love me?”
Peter is being described as being hurt at this stage by being
asked so many times to affirm his love of Jesus; but this is an extremely
redemptive moment and one where Jesus is showing his compassion. Three times, around a brazier of charcoal
Simon Peter had denied his association with Jesus – not the action expected of
a loving loyal disciple, so three times, around a blazing charcoal barbecue
fire where fish have been broiled, Peter is made to acknowledge his love. This is not an act of humiliation for Peter
but an action to put the matter straight, to redress the balance, and for the
relationship between Jesus and Peter to be restored.
“Feed my sheep” again Christ responds.
My studies tell me that on the first two occasions that Jesus
asks Peter if he loves him he uses a different Greek word for love from the third one. In our NIV bibles the words “truly love” are
used for the first two and just “love” the third time. “Truly love” in the first two instances means a love in which the entire
person, including their will is involved.
A full and thoughtful love. “Love” in the last question means “a spontaneous natural affection of fondness
for which emotion plays a more prominent role”. In other words, Jesus is trying to say to
Peter that his love for Jesus must be full in every aspect, thought and
emotion. Whatever interpretation we
adopt, the bottom line is that in such an important matter as the re-instatement
of Peter, the great question is whether he really loved Jesus.
Jesus then tells Peter that in being restored, he will pay a
great price: Martyrdom for the sake of his Faith by which God will be
glorified.
John ends his gospel quite abruptly, telling the reader that
many other things occurred but too numerous to be contained in a single
book. As we know the story continues
within our own lives and we see the glorification of God through answer to prayer
and the presence of the Holy Spirit working within us.
In this modern day and age of increasing secularisation and
apparent moving away from traditional Church attendance, we are, nevertheless
seeing an increase in the desire for the spiritual. A yearning for a knowledge as to what life is
all about. You only have to see the number of books on spirituality and self
help manuals on the bookshelves of Waterstones and there are clearly Christian
revivals going on in Africa where the Holy Spirit is being manifested daily by
miracles and healings.
Unfortunately, Like
Peter, we are human and can be distracted and seek to return to the normal
secular way of life or be drawn into it by others and by circumstances. But as Christians, we are called by God,
through Jesus and the Holy Spirit to feed His sheep, look after His lambs, and
spread the good news of his coming.
Above all, as Christians, we should show compassion and
tolerance for others so like Jesus, when somebody wrongs us, we can and should forgive
them and, if they truly love us and want to make amends, return to us and
restore the relationship. “Forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”. Compassion, as
shown by Jesus towards Peter around that brazier, is the root of Christian love
shown to us and which we should show others.
In recent times, those of you who know me, will know that I
have been through a very difficult and unexpected patch of rough water in my
life. It could have been so easy to shake
my fist and reject God, turn my back on my faith and seek vengeance for the way
I was treated. But if I am to be a true
Christian, a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, then I should not reject God
but pray to him to see me through the bad times and seek restoration according
to his will. That is precisely what I
did – although it was not easy. As a
result, my Faith was strengthened, relationships restored and fresh ones begun,
and by the grace of God, today I find myself in a much better place than before
knowing that full love required of Peter.
I felt the love and compassion of Christ enfold itself around me and
accompany me through that long dark tunnel or as the Psalmist called it “the valley of the shadow of death”.
(see Psalm 23:4).
Peter, from those dark moments of his denial, his return to
fishing and then his restoration, went on to found Christ’s church and bring
many Jews to the Christian Faith. Indeed he was martyred for his Faith; but as
we read in Acts and his Epistles, he grew into a Christian giant, a great
evangelist and lover of Christ.
May we follow that example.
May we continue to feel that love which Jesus has for us and we have for
Jesus.
In a moment of silence let us individually ask Jesus to be
with us now as we reflect upon these few words and ask him to strengthen our
Faith, support us in our busy lives and ask him for any redemption or
restoration we feel we may need – perhaps simply to ask him to help us to pray
more, reflect more, glorify him more and share our concerns and feelings with
him; then I will end in a short prayer for us all.
Let us pray together:
Almighty God
We thank you that you sent your only Son, Jesus Christ, into
the world to save us;
We thank you that you sent your Holy Spirit into the world to
continue his work;
Let your true love continue to enfold us and may we love you
and be ever faithful to you throughout our lives
Give us the courage never to be afraid in speaking out your
name and our love for you to others
Help us to share your love for us to the whole world and
never deny you.
In the name of your Son, Our Saviour Jesus Christ,
Amen
MFB/77/21042016
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