John 21: 3-4, 10-17 (NRSV)
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.
Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 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. 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. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
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.” 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.” 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.
It was August of 1982, I had just moved to Durham NC.
I was a fish out of water.
I had never lived south of Chicago IL
--- heck, I had never lived more than an hour from my family
and it was like a whole new world.
In many ways, it felt like I had moved to a foreign country.
There was a gathering the evening before school started at the Divinity School at Duke University --- and not knowing a soul there I decided to go.
It was a “talent show” --- mixer to try to help the new students make some connections.
While I managed to get up the nerve to go --- I stood off to the side by myself --- I have no idea what I was wearing, but I have been described thus:
Standing close to the door by myself
Long hair
Wearing a navy surplus pea-coat and sunglasses --- indoors
I have no idea if that is accurate --- but I did possess those things.
Another first-year student approached me --- no doubt attracted to my questionable attire --- and started up a conversation.
The only thing I can remember 40 years later is he said to me:
“Wanna get out of here and go find a beer.”
The rest you might say --- is history
Forty years later we are still friends.
We have been through good times and bad times
Part of each other’s weddings
Served good churches and some not so good
Births of our children and grandchildren
Deaths of family and friends
Through it all we have been there.
Friendships are not easy
We get jealous
We miscommunicate
We let each other down
Sometimes we just plain fail each other
Friendship takes time and hard work
The story that Kelli read to us this morning is by far my favorite resurrection story --- and the location is one of my favorite in Israel.
It takes place near Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee a week or two after the murder of Jesus.
John tells us that the disciples encountered the resurrected Jesus in Jerusalem on resurrection day --- but for whatever reason --- the experience did not seem to be transformational.
Here, a few weeks after that event we find Peter and some of the disciples back to their pre-Jesus life.
Plying the waters of the Sea of Galilee for fish
Our story begins with the boys out fishing and not catching a darn thing.
Been there many times!
Some stranger suggests that they fish the other side of the boat and bingo they catch more than the nets can hold.
At that point Peter figures out this isn’t just some random stranger --- but the rest still don’t see this person as anything other than a stranger.
It isn’t until Jesus makes them breakfast that their eyes are opened, and they recognize Jesus.
John wants us to know that this was their third encounter with the resurrected Jesus --- is the third time is the charm?
Will this experience stick with them and transform them from fishers of the sea to fishers of humanity for Jesus?
At this point we get into one of the most unique exchanges in the Gospels --- and in my opinion one of the most important.
Without question --- the central statement of the Bible is what is often called “the Jesus Creed.”
It is the statement Jesus makes when asked what is the most important aspect of faith.
It is not --- believe the right things
Jesus never gives us some litmus test of things we must ascend too.
There is NO orthodoxy of belief
Rather Jesus says: (Mark 12 CEB)
“The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.”
Throughout the Gospels Jesus tries to tell us what that love looks like.
And he does so again here in this exchange between Peter and Jesus.
When they finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
(I assume Jesus is talking about Peter’s livelihood – fishing)
Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.” Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was sad that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” Peter replied, “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
The problem is you need to be able to read this passage in Greek to get the full power of it.
When Jesus asks Peter if he loves him --- he uses the Greek word agape, which represents complete, unconditional love.
That love that God has for us --- the love that is spoken of in the Jesus Creed.
Peter, however, responds with a different word for love --- he says “Yes, Lord, you know I philos you.”
Philos is the Greek word for love that represents the love between friends.
A second time Jesus asks, “Peter do you agape me?”
And a second time Peter responds, “Yes, Lord, you know I philos you.”
Then, for a third time, Jesus says to Peter: “Simon son of John, do you philos me?”
Did you catch that --- the first two times Jesus ask’s Peter if he loves him completely, unconditionally.
Peter, in his honesty says --- Lord you know I love you like a brother --- like a friend.
Jesus lets Peter know --- that is enough!
Peter replies: “Lord, you know everything; you know I philos you.”
This is a powerful story of love, friendship and forgiveness.
The Gospel of John tells us that Peter denying being a follower or even a friend of Jesus the night of his arrest.
Yet Jesus loves him --- just where he is.
warts —- failures and all
Just as God meets us where we are, we are called to meet people where they are.
Not to expect or demand more than they can give.
It is God’s responsibility to cause the transformation --- not ours!
Our job is to love them as completely as we are capable.
And pray that our capacity for love grows.
I love this story that has been attributed to Kurt Vonnegut. He wrote:
When I was 15, I spent a month working on an archeological dig. I was talking to one of the archeologists one day during our lunch break and he asked those kinds of “getting to know you” questions you ask young people: Do you play sports? What’s your favorite subject? And I told him, no I don’t play any sports. I do theater, I’m in choir, I play the violin and piano, I used to take art classes.
And he went WOW. That’s amazing! And I said, “Oh no, but I’m not any good at ANY of them.”
And he said something then that I will never forget and which absolutely blew my mind because no one had ever said anything like it to me before: “I don’t think being good at things is the point of doing them. I think you’ve got all these wonderful experiences with different skills, and that all teaches you things and makes you an interesting person, no matter how well you do them.”
And that honestly changed my life. Because I went from a failure, someone who hadn’t been talented enough at anything to excel, to someone who did things because I enjoyed them. I had been raised in such an achievement-oriented environment, so inundated with the myth of Talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could “Win” at them.
There is a lot to unpack in that powerful story, but I want to focus on just one thing.
What the archeologist taught Vonnegut is an important lesson for us all.
While the idea of recognizing that we don’t have to be the best at everything is important —- the really crucial question that the archeologist challenges us with is: Can we really see people?
Or are we blinded by their talents or failures?
One of the great joys of returning to 5500 N is that we can see each other again. I hated it when we left zoom because I could no longer see you. Now I can see you again!
sort of
no doubt masks make that hard
Jesus invites us to really see each other
Can we really see or do we see what we want to see?
Jesus wants us to not only see, but love each other, despite our flaws.
Jesus didn’t see Peter’s failures.
And Peter had certainly failed
Denied Jesus
Didn’t recognize Jesus
Wasn’t transformed by Jesus
YET, Jesus loved him and accepted him just where he was.
Mark and I have been friends for almost 40 years
We have both let each other down
We have both failed each other
But what makes that relationship unique is that at the end of the day --- there is a love for each other that we would do anything for each other.
As we begin this summer of love let me invite you to ponder a few things:
Who do you need to reach out to?
Are there some relationships that have become fractured and need forgiving?
Is there someone you need to begin a friendship with?
Remember --- Jesus meets us exactly where we are
Certainly he desires us to grow and mature
(And Jesus will help us do that)
BUT regardless --- Jesus loves you.
Even if you can only love with a philos love --- Jesus will love you with agape
The love Jesus has for you will NEVER end.
What the world needs more of today --- more than anything else is love.
Not romantic love (although that is pretty awesome too)
What the world needs
What I need
What you need
Is love sweet love.
Jesus cries out to us --- Do you agape me?
Even if we can only say, “Yes Lord, you know I philos you” --- that is enough!
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