e-vo for week of April 10

Dearest e-votees-

This week’s appointed gospel text is Jesus appearing to the disciples and restoring Peter.

May Jesus appear to you this day, in many places and people including, I hope and pray, the words of this devotion.

May you find those ways in which Jesus appears to you restorative.

Peace,

Karl

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1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 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. 3 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. 4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." 6 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. 7 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. 8 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. 9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11 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. 12 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. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 15 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." 16 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." 17 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. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."

John 20:1-19, NRSV

The disciples have reverted to familiar ways. Peter, James and John (the sons of Zebedee) [and I like to think that one of the two unnamed disciples was Andrew the fourth of the former fishing partners] are out fishing with some of the other disciples. Perhaps they are collecting their thoughts while out fishing. Perhaps they are hungry or out of money and looking to meet a need. Maybe they just need a distraction from the fear, the hurt and the disappointment of the recent events.

For whatever reason they are out fishing. After a not-so-successful night they are engaged by an unfamiliar man on the shore. In the exchange it becomes clear to them that this is Jesus.

They go to shore for a breakfast of fish and bread (familiar foods) over a charcoal fire. In the meal and its aftermath Peter is restored. After he is restored the call on his life (and the call towards his death) is intensified.

Interesting Biblical Greek tidbit: The word for “charcoal fire” is an-thra-kee-uhs which is the linguistic ancestor of “anthracite” which is one of the four stages of coal formation. This word shows up in only one other place in all of the New Testament: John 18:18. In that scene Peter is warming his hands while selling out his Lord over a “charcoal fire”. Jesus reinstates Peter over the same sort of fire by which Peter denied him. What a marvelous and powerful literary and linguistic set of bookends.

To sum up the story:

• The disciples have failed Jesus (either through things done and through things undone—in thought, word and deed)
• Jesus meets them in a familiar meal and offers restoration
• After the meal the call on their lives is reiterated and reinvigorated
• The disciples go on to do things they may have never imagined and bring glory to God

Where might we find resonance in this story?

• We too have fallen short of the high calling that Jesus has put on our lives
• Jesus meets us in Holy Communion (a familiar meal) and offers restoration
• After the meal we may be better able to hear, again, the call on our lives as disciples
• We go out to serve and just may do things we never imagined and bring glory to God.

Jesus is still in the business of appearing to us, bringing restoration and sending us out.


Dear God, thank you for this wonderful gospel text of meal and word, of restoration and sending, of ancient disciples and of us. Have your way. Amen.


As I mentioned last week:

You are invited to join with us as we work our way through the Bible in 90 Days as part of our “Season of Growing” here at Christ the Good Shepherd. You can find links to the readings at http://www.christthegoodshep.org/biblein90days.html. For those days I plan to post a brief devotion every day tied to the assigned reading for the day which will take the place of the regular e-vos for that time. My hope and prayer is that Jesus will appear to you often and in new ways as you linger over scripture in these days ahead. If you are planning to be a part of this discipline I would appreciate a note to that end. Peace, Karl