B.Y.O.F.

B.Y.O.F.
John 21:1-14
Easter 3
April 23, 2023

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 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, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 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.

I wondered how to begin the sermon today. And then, a chance conversation opened the door. Yesterday morning, I took part in a book signing event for local authors. It happened down the hill at the Gathering Place, on the corner, and a few of you stopped by.

In a stroke of wisdom, the organizers put me at a table next to a retired firefighter who published stories of disasters and rescues that happened on the job. He was on one side. On the other side was a woman who published accounts of ghosts, hauntings, and other paranormal activity. It was a perfect location for a preacher with a few volumes of overcooked sermons.

I sat there and pondered how I don’t get out very much. A very pleasant man stepped up to begin a conversation. After chatting for a minute or two, he asked my name and what my books were about. “They are reflections on Bible passages,” I replied, “and I hope they are helpful.” He immediately took a step back and said, “I’m an agnostic. I’m sure you don’t want to talk with me.”

“Oh, I’m glad to talk with you,” I said. “Maybe you don’t,” he replied.

“Try me,” I said. “Well, I grew up Catholic, strictly old school,” glancing across the street at Our Lady of the Snows. “The old priest was strict,” he added, “and said I would go to hell if I didn’t repent of my sins.” With this, he glanced at the firefighter’s books. Then turning to paranormal book table, he said, “I don’t know if I believe in any of it.”

“Well,” I said, “if you’re looking for a sermon from me, here are four books of them.” He laughed nervously but didn’t step away. Then I added, “To tell you the truth, I think it’s truly human to have a lot of doubts.” You do? “Of course I do.”

He said, “Well, none of us were there, to see the crucifixion and all of that.” “If we were,” I replied, “that might have been all we saw – the execution of a good man. And we would have totally missed the resurrection.” He stopped in his tracks, gazed at me, and said, “You’re not like any priest that I’ve ever known.” And I thanked him for saying that – because it would later dawn on me that is a perfect setup for starting a sermon like this.   

Easter was two weeks ago. The flowers are gone. The crowd has tailed off. We’re singing some of the second-string Easter hymns as the holy day fades away. And if we are honest, every Easter is an exercise in memory. We remember the death and resurrection of Jesus which we did not see. Contrary to the old spiritual, we weren’t there when they crucified the Lord, and we weren’t there either when God raised him from the dead. 

The Gospel of John knows this. That’s why old John wrote his book. That’s why he brings his long account to conclusion in chapter twenty with a beatitude, “Blessed are you who have not seen and yet believe.” This is a book that recognizes the distance between then and now. As such, it doesn’t lecture us in a way to close our minds and shut us down. Rather, it points to something it cannot explain and invites us to take a look.

I think that’s why John added an extra chapter, chapter 21, much of what we’ve just heard. He didn’t need to do that. The story was completed. Yet John says, “No, not really, the story is still going on.” Easter continues. But you need to know where to look.

Jesus died, Jesus rose, Jesus disappeared, Jesus came back a couple of times, then he disappeared again. Just as he said, “I am returning to the Father,” wherever that is. So he’s gone. And after a while, Simon Peter says, “I’m going fishing.” Of course he did. He had to eat. He had to feed his family. He had to make some money to live. Fishing is what he knew how to do.

And it’s there – back on the job, back on the Sea of Galilee, that the events of this chapter take place. We can tell it’s a resurrection story. All the typical signs are there: Jesus shows up and they don’t know it’s him. They are afraid to ask if it’s him. Somehow, he knows where they are. He knows when to come. He knows them by name. Jesus is not bound by time nor location. It’s a bit frightening.

And he arrives without an invitation. They weren’t praying for him to come. They didn’t expect to see him. No, this appearance catches them totally by surprise. It is pure gift, pure grace, pure initiative from heaven not earth.

It’s a story with a lot of shiny objects, any of which can distract us. Here’s one: there’s a short list of disciples. Where are the others? Simon Peter, of course, but where is his brother Andrew? James and John, the sons of Zebedee are in the boat; they were fishermen too. But what’s a landlubber like Nathaniel doing out there, or doubting Thomas? And who are the two unnamed disciples? Is John holding back on a big secret – or does he simply not know? We don’t know any of this.

We hear that Simon Peter is naked. The Risen Christ appears when Simon doesn’t have any clothes on. What was he doing? Working on his tan?

Then that ridiculous suggestion from the Stranger on the shore. They hadn’t caught anything all night, so he says, “Your net is not on the correct side of the boat. Drop the net over there.” That’s a big joke, right?

Then the fish start jumping into the net, big fish, too. John says, “There were one hundred fifty-three fish.” Who counted them? Why 153? Is there something symbolic about that number? You can poke around on the internet and get distracted by the number –

• one person says it was a metaphor referring to Archimedes,
• another says that’s how many known species of fish they thought existed,
• somebody else says if you add up the numerical value of the Hebrew letters that spell “I am God” the total is 153.

In other words, nobody has a clue about that number. Just means there were a lot of fish, and all of them a gift from the Risen Christ – it’s going to be a good day at the fish market in Capernaum. Thank you, Jesus!

And when they come ashore, Jesus is sitting at a charcoal fire. Where have we heard that before? On the night Jesus was arrested, on the night Simon Peter saved his own skin by denying he knew Jesus, he was warming himself by a charcoal. John said, just as Simon Peter denied Jesus three times, at this charcoal fire on the other side of the cross and empty tomb, Jesus asks Peter three times: “Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?” On the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Simon Peter is rehabilitated. Any lingering guilt is forgiven. Love and friendship are restored.

We can tell it’s a resurrection story. There’s a lot going on in this story that continues. And with all those other potential distractions, it’s easy to miss a couple of details that jump into my net. On that charcoal fire, Jesus is broiling some fish of his own – where did he get them? And he has bread, too – wait a second, loaves and fish! Remember what he did with the loaves and the fish when surrounded by a hungry crowd? The story’s back in chapter six.

And then, if we miss the connection to chapter six, Jesus says one thing more: “Bring some of the fish that you just caught.” Bring Your Own Fish – that’s the sermon title, BYOF. Bring some of the fish, although he already has some, although he just provided 153 fish for you. That cohort of disciples are in the presence of a surprising abundance. And they don’t have to ask, “Who are you?” They know. Yes, they know.

How do we know Easter is all true? How can we tell Jesus is alive – even if we weren’t there? John has just told us where to look. In case you were snoozing, let me run through the list of reliable clues:

• Jesus goes to them, not in a temple, not in a church, but out in the world. When the boys are back at home and work.
• They see him but they do not recognize him. And there’s no judgement in this. He is a Mystery.
• When he speaks, there is the hint of good humor. “Hey boys, catch anything? Throw your net on the other side of the boat.” I’ll bet he giggled when he said that, for he is the Christ of Joy.
• He knows who they are, and where to find them, and picks up where he left off with them last time.
• Big clue, next: wherever he is, there is surprising generosity and astonishing abundance. Like the manna from heaven, it doesn’t last – but you know when there is more than you ever expected.
• Bigger clue: there is healing, forgiveness, restoration, and the reorientation of a life: “Simon, do you love me? Feed my lambs, tend my sheep.”
• Another big clue, perhaps the biggest: “Bring some of the fish you caught.” That is, to see Easter, you have to put some skin in the game. Don’t watch from a distance. Show up. Get engaged. Bring what you have - because it is what he has given to you. 

To sum it all up, Christ is pure grace. Jesus is a complete gift. He is the benevolent intrusion of the God who is kinder to us than we could have ever expected. And somehow, in signature moments, we know that life will turn out better than we thought it ever could.

This is the gift of God, the grace of Easter. We cannot predict it – but we can watch for it. And should we catch a glimpse of this goodness, we know the story goes on. Easter continues here, and now. Watch for it. 

(c) William G. Carter. All rights reserved.