Resurrected Jesus - What Now?
Gate Pa – Easter 3, 2022 (Year C)
Readings:
Psalm Psalm: 30
Psalm Psalm: 30
What I want to say:
to retell the story of the meal on the lakeside in a way that invites people into the story to hear Jesus words to them.
to retell the story of the meal on the lakeside in a way that invites people into the story to hear Jesus words to them.
What I want to happen:
For people to use Easter as a time to rethink everything and hear Jesus words to us “feel my sheep”.
For people to use Easter as a time to rethink everything and hear Jesus words to us “feel my sheep”.
The Sermon
1.
A Fire
So there is Peter
at the fire
unsure how he had ended up here
how they had all ended up here
alone
and terrified.
Three years a disciple
three years following and learning
three years of getting it wrong
and hoping
“Aren’t you one of this man’s disciples?” the woman asked
“I am not.”
and again
this time the guards
“Aren’t you one of his disciples?”
“I’m not!”
A servant of the high priest, spies him and asks
“Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
“No!”
and a rooster crowed.
His fear had defeated him
he had not trusted.
He left alone.
Who is Peter now?
at the fire
unsure how he had ended up here
how they had all ended up here
alone
and terrified.
Three years a disciple
three years following and learning
three years of getting it wrong
and hoping
“Aren’t you one of this man’s disciples?” the woman asked
“I am not.”
and again
this time the guards
“Aren’t you one of his disciples?”
“I’m not!”
A servant of the high priest, spies him and asks
“Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
“No!”
and a rooster crowed.
His fear had defeated him
he had not trusted.
He left alone.
Who is Peter now?
2.
A Door
And there is Peter
Behind locked doors
In the room
with Thomas the honest
and the others.
who could not follow to the end
who could not trust to the end.
They are all alone here
In fear and shame
they hide
lost
Who are they now?
And Jesus simply says
“Peace to you”.
O the joy
and confusion
and…
it’s hard to describe really.
Jesus is no longer dead
death is defeated
the powers that executed him
have lost.
And yet
It was all good Jesus being alive and all
but
what now?
what does that mean for them?
Their shame hung there
locking them out of all they had had together
They had let him down
they had let themselves down
had betrayed themselves
as they hid in their room
with doors tightly locked.
They had not trusted
And Peter
three times
he had denied being his disciple.
Peter the disciple
Peter the rock
had died at that fire.
and there seemed no way back
It was all good Jesus being raised from the dead
but really
so what?
what now?
It was time to rethink everything
to find a way forward.
It was time to go home
to take some time
earn some money
and remind himself of
who he was
at least.
Behind locked doors
In the room
with Thomas the honest
and the others.
who could not follow to the end
who could not trust to the end.
They are all alone here
In fear and shame
they hide
lost
Who are they now?
And Jesus simply says
“Peace to you”.
O the joy
and confusion
and…
it’s hard to describe really.
Jesus is no longer dead
death is defeated
the powers that executed him
have lost.
And yet
It was all good Jesus being alive and all
but
what now?
what does that mean for them?
Their shame hung there
locking them out of all they had had together
They had let him down
they had let themselves down
had betrayed themselves
as they hid in their room
with doors tightly locked.
They had not trusted
And Peter
three times
he had denied being his disciple.
Peter the disciple
Peter the rock
had died at that fire.
and there seemed no way back
It was all good Jesus being raised from the dead
but really
so what?
what now?
It was time to rethink everything
to find a way forward.
It was time to go home
to take some time
earn some money
and remind himself of
who he was
at least.
3. Fishing
at home
back with family
and the lake
And others came with him
James and John
Thomas the brave
and some others
They too were lost
fear and shame
shadowed from the edges
How did they make sense of all this?
What now?
So here they are
fishing
all night
catching
nothing
it is hard to know what is next
when you have nothing.
4.
A Man
the man
standing on the beach
Caught anything?
What?
Caught anything?
No. It’s been a bad night
Try the other side
What
Try the other side!
Sure.
Like we haven’t tried that already
but
ok
whatever.
And they do
try the other side
cast out
hauling in
this time
the boat lurches
and the net stays in
they haul and drag
exhausted after their night of nothing
I think it is the Lord
what
I think it is the Lord
who
the guy on the beach
Peter looks up through tired sweaty eyes
is it?
yes
yes it is!
You can’t go to your rabbi naked
and then in he goes
swimming
struggling
hauling himself ashore
as he hears the sound of his friends
paddling the boat behind
struggling
hauling the net of fish ashore
they pant their way up the beach
to the fire
cooking fish and bread
to the man
Is it him?
“Bring some of the fish you've just caught”
Peter goes back to the net
so full
so many fish
an abundance of fish
someone will need to count these for the tax man.
They share their fish
and wait
“It is done
Come and have breakfast.”
he invites them
he eats with them
he honours them
he restores them
as they eat together
they are blessed
is it possible
might they be
disciples
once more?
5.
That Conversation
But there is Peter
standing in his shadow
the shame
the denial
the lack of trust
the uncertainty about what all this means
no meal can change that
“Simon, son of John
my love for you is so great
it cannot be measured
do you love me more than these?"
Then again
“Simon, son of John
my love for you is so great
it cannot be measured
do you love me?"
"Yes, Master, you know I love you. You are like an older brother to me!"
"Shepherd my sheep."
A third time
"Simon, son of John, you are my brother.
do you love me?"
How long must he endure this
why must Jesus ask a third time, "Do you love me?"
"Master, you know everything there is to know.
You've got to know that I love you.
And you have got to know that love has limits!"
"Feed my sheep.”
Peter stops
the world stops
as he realises
He is loved
despite all his failings
maybe because of the limits
relentlessly loved
with such an abundance
like the fish
and he is called anew
to trust
to follow again.
But not like before
not to who he was
Peter
disciple to the rabbi Jesus
There is no going back
It is time for something new
He is now a disciple
to the risen one
invited
called
with such relentless love.
They are all called
with the same relentless love
to be disciples
to the Risen Jesus
the sun rises
and they are able to go home
6.
Us
So here we are
celebrating the risen one
living in this time
of war
and pandemic
and climate change
wondering
what now?
We too are loved
like Peter
and Thomas the faithful
with all our failings
all our forgetfulness
like Peter
maybe because of our limits
relentlessly loved
with such an abundance
like the fish
and we too are called anew
to trust
to follow again.
There is no going back
It is time for something new
Maybe this time of Easter
is our going back to the lake
to take time
to be found
and invited anew
to hear
“feed my sheep”
for ourselves.
To ask
who are we
his disciples today?
all night
catching
nothing
it is hard to know what is next
when you have nothing.
the man
standing on the beach
Caught anything?
What?
Caught anything?
No. It’s been a bad night
Try the other side
What
Try the other side!
Sure.
Like we haven’t tried that already
but
ok
whatever.
And they do
try the other side
cast out
hauling in
this time
the boat lurches
and the net stays in
they haul and drag
exhausted after their night of nothing
I think it is the Lord
what
I think it is the Lord
who
the guy on the beach
Peter looks up through tired sweaty eyes
is it?
yes
yes it is!
You can’t go to your rabbi naked
and then in he goes
swimming
struggling
hauling himself ashore
as he hears the sound of his friends
paddling the boat behind
struggling
hauling the net of fish ashore
they pant their way up the beach
to the fire
cooking fish and bread
to the man
Is it him?
“Bring some of the fish you've just caught”
Peter goes back to the net
so full
so many fish
an abundance of fish
someone will need to count these for the tax man.
They share their fish
and wait
“It is done
Come and have breakfast.”
he invites them
he eats with them
he honours them
he restores them
as they eat together
they are blessed
is it possible
might they be
disciples
once more?
standing in his shadow
the shame
the denial
the lack of trust
the uncertainty about what all this means
no meal can change that
“Simon, son of John
my love for you is so great
it cannot be measured
do you love me more than these?"
Then again
“Simon, son of John
my love for you is so great
it cannot be measured
do you love me?"
"Yes, Master, you know I love you. You are like an older brother to me!"
"Shepherd my sheep."
A third time
"Simon, son of John, you are my brother.
do you love me?"
How long must he endure this
why must Jesus ask a third time, "Do you love me?"
"Master, you know everything there is to know.
You've got to know that I love you.
And you have got to know that love has limits!"
"Feed my sheep.”
Peter stops
the world stops
as he realises
He is loved
despite all his failings
maybe because of the limits
relentlessly loved
with such an abundance
like the fish
and he is called anew
to trust
to follow again.
But not like before
not to who he was
Peter
disciple to the rabbi Jesus
There is no going back
It is time for something new
He is now a disciple
to the risen one
invited
called
with such relentless love.
They are all called
with the same relentless love
to be disciples
to the Risen Jesus
the sun rises
and they are able to go home
celebrating the risen one
living in this time
of war
and pandemic
and climate change
wondering
what now?
We too are loved
like Peter
and Thomas the faithful
with all our failings
all our forgetfulness
like Peter
maybe because of our limits
relentlessly loved
with such an abundance
like the fish
and we too are called anew
to trust
to follow again.
There is no going back
It is time for something new
Maybe this time of Easter
is our going back to the lake
to take time
to be found
and invited anew
to hear
“feed my sheep”
for ourselves.
To ask
who are we
his disciples today?
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